Track and field championships: Day two

Lakewood Ranch senior Karen Kay Lyvers sashayed off the mat like a flamenco dancer.

Although the Class 4A girls pole vault wasn't technically over, Lyvers knew it was all but finished after she cleared 11.81 feet. A few minutes later, she was proven correct when Winter Park High junior Elizabeth Nix failed to clear it. Lyvers was the champion.

She wasn't done after 11.9 feet, though. Continuing against herself, Lyvers cleared 12 feet, 4 inches, tying her personal record, before being bested by the 12.9 foot bar. 

It was a day Lyvers, who started pole vaulting last season, has been anticipating since the beginning of the year. Lyvers said when she started using 14-foot poles and fond herself able to control them, something rare in girls high school pole vaulting, she knew becoming a state champ was a possibility. Before the state championships, she held the top individual jump in the state (12 feet, 4 inches), regardless of classification, set at the regional meet. Nothing about her own performance surprised her.

That didn't make it any less sweet. 

"I'm still a beginner vaulter, so this is really humbling for me, to be able to come this far," Lyvers said. "I'm really happy."

The win might have been anticipated. That dance, though? Lyvers said that was completely spontaneous.

"I hit the bar coming down, and I was like, 'Oh, man,'" Lyvers said. "Then I saw it had stayed, and I was like, 'Aah! What are the odds?' It (dancing) is how I get the excitement out. I dance every time I do something (big)."

Sarasota High senior Jaasiel Torres also had a big day in the air. Torres repeated as the 4A boys high jump champion and, like Lyvers, competed against himself in the end. Torres eventually cleared 7.03 feet, falling just short of the 4A state record of 7.15 feet. He set a personal record in the process, having never previously cleared seven feet. 

Torres said there was some pressure to repeat as champion from his coaching staff, who always are looking to push him to his limits, but he didn't put any on himself. Torres would have had a good time even if he didn't win, he said, though he's happy he did. In terms of conditions, this year's title defense was much easier than last year's win, when he and his fellow jumpers dealt with rain, wind and cold temperatures. 

"You have to enjoy what you do," Torres said with a smile. "If you don't love what you do, then you're not going to give it all you've got. It was a little rough last year. The weather was nice this year, which helped a lot. There was a nice breeze going though, it felt really good. 

"This means a lot, being a two-time champion. I finally broke seven (feet). That's a goal I have been pushing for. It felt good to do it, especially at the state meet like this." 

Torres is fond of the University of North Florida's Hodges Stadium, and that's a good thing: He'll be competing for the Ospreys next season. 

The Out-of-Door Academy freshman Saraiah Walkes continued the repeat-champion trend, blazing through the competition in the 1A girls 100-meter dash (12.18 seconds). Walkes also finished second in the 200-meter dash (24.47), .03 seconds behind first-place Moriah Oliveira of Evangelical Christian, and third in the 400-meter dash (57.51).

It wasn't the easiest season for Walkes. An ankle injury suffered in February sidelined Walkes for a month, causing her to miss the IMG Academy Invitational on March 17, one of the biggest "tune-up" races of the season. A groin injury has persisted all season, not keeping her out of races but slowing her down. It flared again after the 100-meter race on Saturday. Walkes said she did extra stretches before the start of the 200-meter race to alleviate discomfort, but it only helped so much. 

Considering the circumstances, Walkes was pleased with how her day went. 

"I'm happy I was able to finish top-three (in all of her events), but I think if I was able to get attuned to my body earlier in the season, I wouldn't have come in second and third," Walkes said. "It's something I can learn from for next year and for 2020."

Also happy is Lakewood Ranch junior James Rivera, whose day looked to be sinking when he finished seventh in the 4A boys 110-meter hurdles (14.69 seconds) after qualifying third. Rivera said later that he pressed too much instead of executing his race plan. He made up for the disappointment by surging to win the 300-meter hurdles (37.14) from the outside lane.

"Me and my coach (Lakewood Ranch assistant Larry Ryans) were talking," Rivera said. "He said, 'That's exactly where you want to be. You don't have to worry about anyone behind you. It's your race, do what you have to do. Take advantage of that longer curve and just go for it.' I ran exactly how I wanted to run it.

"I just love this. This is fun."

Rivera becomes the second member of his family to win gold at the state championships, following his brother John Rivera Jr., who won the 4A boys 800 and the 4A 4x800 relay for the Mustangs in 2017.  James Rivera said he did not talk to his brother before the day began, but that he knew he was watching the events online, and that he'd be James' first phone call once given time to soak in the victory. 

The win helped the Lakewood Ranch boys finish fourth as a team, and Sarasota finished eighth. The Mustangs girls finished 16th. 

Other notable finishes from Saturday:

Lakewood Ranch junior Johnny Reed finished second (4:19.14) and Sarasota junior Ben Hartvigsen fifth (4:22.52) in the 4A boys 1600-meter run. Reed was also part of the 4A boys 4x800 relay team, alongside seniors Andrew Dean, Adam Scott and Kyle Wray, which finished fourth (8:01.04). Hartvigsen's Sarasota 4x800 squad, alongside juniors Alan Romero and Anthony Bilotta and sophomore Adrien Zambaux, finished 15th (8:14.33).

Mustangs senior Harry Barthelemy finished fifth (6.30 feet) in the 4A boys high jump. 

Riverview High senior Aliyah Cunningham finished sixth (12.11) in the 4A girls 100-meter dash.

In the 4A boys pole vault, Mustangs seniors Nick Napier and Drew Butler finished eighth (13.3 feet and 13th (12.8), respectively, and Riverview senior Mohammed Taitai finished 15th (12.8). 

Booker High senior Manny Dasher finished eighth (147 feet) in the 2A boys discus throw. 

Lakewood Ranch sophomore Samantha Van Der Sommen finished 10th (5.15 feet) in the 4A girls high jump. 

Cardinal Mooney High senior Mason Johnson finished 12th (125.82 feet) in the 1A boys discus throw.

Jaasiel Torres and Sarasota junior Charles Ward finished 12th (43.86 feet) and 16th (43.11 feet) respectively in the 4A boys triple jump.

For the event's full results, visit halfmiletiming.com.