By Kyle LoJacono
The Freedom girls track and field team has made program history multiple times this season, including capturing the first district title in its 11-year history.
The Patriots continued to add to their record books April 24 at Leto by finishing as a Class 4A regional runner-up, another program first. They finished with 80.5 points, 25.5 off Plant’s championship score at the 22-team meet.
Seniors Sandra Akachukwu and Faith Woodard paced Freedom by combining for 60 points in individual events, which would have been good enough for fifth place as a team.
“Those two are unbelievable,” said Patriots coach Dwight Smith. “They’ve led the way all year, and they led us to region runner-up today.”
Akachukwu was the only athlete at the meet to win three regional titles, capturing the long jump (19-feet, 3.5-inches), 100 meters (11.9 seconds) and 200 (24.57).
“It was a perfect day,” Akachukwu said. “I couldn’t be happier.”
Akachukwu repeated as champion in those three events, but said she didn’t feel any more pressure during the meet than she did last season.
“I always feel pressure,” Akachukwu said. “You can never doubt your opponent. I was confident though. … It is kind of scary because I know anything can happen on any day, but at the same time I just try to compete, have fun and do my best.”
Akachukwu’s first title of the day was her most dominating, when she won the long jump by two feet.
“Getting that win to start the day gives me a lot of confidence,” Akachukwu said. “I felt really good about my speed, and that kind of boosted me in the 100 and 200.”
Akachukwu said she feels the same momentum as last year when she captured four state medals.
“I want to medal in all four again this year,” Akachukwu said.
The only competitor to defeat Akachukwu was her teammate.
The Freedom duo both cleared 5-08 in the high jump, but Woodard was crowned regional champion for the third straight year because of a tiebreaker on attempts.
Woodard and Akachukwu have been the last two in the high jump at every meet they’ve done this season, and that pattern held true at regionals where the duo was the only ones to clear 5-02. Woodard said that’s exactly how they wanted it.
“We talk about it almost every day,” said Woodard, the defending 4A high jump state champion. “We say that if we do our thing in the high jump that’s 18 points for the team, then if we take care of our other events that should be at least 60.”
Woodard was also runner-up in the 400 (58.14), scored in the 200 (25.43, fifth place) and helped the 4×400 relay take second (4:05.60). She was joined on the relay by Anel Smith, Sasha Cruz and Alex Mitchell.
Mitchell, a senior, also advanced with the 4×800 relay (10:03.13, fourth), along with Lauren Arfaras, Magdalena Ford and Tamara Veal.
The Patriots boys scored 31.5 points to place 11th. Their only regional title was claimed by the 4×400 relay (3:26.48) run by Tytis Glover, Anthony Hendry, CJ Smith and Elga Davis.
“We’re state-bound, and we’re going to do better than we did last year,” said Davis, a junior who ran the anchor leg. “We’ve got three guys back from last year when we were 14th (at states). We added Tytis Glover, and we’re looking to get a medal this year. … We’ve been in the weight room a lot more and have put in a lot harder training.”
Freedom’s 4×800 relay team of Klaus Vollmer, Rashod Monts, Derik Harvey and Glover also advanced (8:17.89, fourth).
The 4A state meet is May 4 at the University of North Florida.
—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker
Baumrucker claims state medal
Bishop McLaughlin’s Camille Baumrucker earned her first state medal April 26 during the Class 1A final at the University of North Florida. The senior took eighth place in the triple jump by posting 33-feet, 11-inches. She also earned a state berth in the long jump, where she finished 10th (15-08.50).
Carrollwood Day School seventh-grader Kailiece Harris finished ninth in the 400 at the meet, one spot away from a state medal, by finishing in 59.82 seconds.
