Sidelines

Kudos
+ Golden Girl Emily Harding
Sarasota High senior Emily Harding captured a pair of state titles at the Class 3A State Track and Field Championships May 3, in Jacksonville.

Harding ran a personal best 4 minutes, 51.61 seconds to win the 1,600-meter run by nearly two seconds. She returned to the track later that day to claim the state title in the 800, finishing in 2:15.12 to edge past Miami Carol City’s Julia Porter (2:15.43).

Harding also helped the 4x800 relay team capture a fifth-place medal.

Four other Sarasota athletes made the podium at the state championships. Zack Summerall was third in the 1,600 (4:13.21) and seventh in the 800 (1:55.72). Adam Bradtmueller was seventh in the 1,600 (4:18.39), while Angelina Grebe was seventh in the 3,200 (11:25.11). Corey Williams finished eighth in the long jump with a mark of 21 feet, 7 inches.

+ New College to vie for national title
The New College coed sailing team qualified for the 2014 ICSA National Intercollegiate Sailing Championship June 3 through June 6, at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

The team finished sixth out of 10 teams in the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association

Championship April 26 and April 27, in Jacksonville, to earn a berth in the national championships.

This will be the first time New College, which edged past N.C. State, Georgia Tech, Rollins College and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, has competed in a national championship athletic event.

“We all went as one team, one family, and with our team spirit and improvement in the sport of sailing, we accomplished what seemed impossible when I started coaching here,” coach Hillary Noble says.

+ Runners lace up to benefit center
Nearly 250 runners of all ages gathered together for the inaugural Pinwheel 5K run to benefit the Family Partnership Center April 19, at Nathan Benderson Park.

The event featured a traditional 5K run, an elite fitness challenge and children’s races.

Sarasota’s Seth Kaufman won the men’s division in 17 minutes, 22 seconds, while Sarasota’s Arielle Gaydosh won the women’s division in 23:01.

Other top finishers include:
Mark Steve (second)
Rylee Vole (second)
Didier Saba (third)
Jessica Chaney (third)

Kids’ Dash Winners include:
3 to 4 years
Zachary Olah
Savannah Bellemere
5 to 6 years
Noah Baylor
Leah Barton
7 to 9 years
Ryan Swenson
Larissa Lewandowski
10 to 12 years
Colin Castro
Lalita Gardafalo

+ Sarasota Sailors come up short
The Sarasota High baseball team saw its season come to an end with a 2-1 extra-inning loss to Tarpon Springs East Lake in the Class 7A-Region 3 quarterfinals April 30.

The district champion Sailors were held to just three base hits.

East Lake and Sarasota both scratched across a run in the fourth inning. Sarasota had a runner on third base in the sixth inning, but was unable to score.

The Eagles scored the game-winning run on a double in the 10th inning.

Sarasota loses nine seniors from this year’s squad, which finished the season 24-5.

STANDOUT PLAYER
Grace Casagrande
Track and Field
Cardinal Mooney

12 - The combined number of laps Casagrande ran during her two state meet events.

2 - The number of medals Casagrande won at this year’s state meet.

11:01.54 - The time Casagrande posted to win the 3,200-meter run at the Class 1A State Track and Field Championships May 2, in Jacksonville.