Prep track: CSN's Kane Aldrich preps for 1A state title defense by winning region meet
LARGO – With a berth in the state championships on the line, there was plenty of Kane to be raised in the Class 1A-Region 2 meet Thursday at Largo's Indian Rocks Christian School.
Kane as in Kane Aldrich, as the Community School of Naples junior confidently conserved his energy by passing on lower heights in the pole vault competition, then easily registering a winning leap on his very first attempt.
Aldrich was the only vaulter to clear four meters (13 feet, 1½ inches), finishing with a winning height of 4.27 meters (14 feet) and one attempt left.
“On my second-to-last attempt, I got a little bit of a rolled ankle,” Aldrich said. “It isn't bad and I'll feel better (Friday), but why leave it here with states coming up.”
Prep track: CSN's Kane Aldrich leads local athletes chasing titles as season begins
After setting a personal best by six inches last year, one that he bumped up to 15-3 this season, Aldrich is anxious for next weekend's competition at Bradenton's IMG Academy to arrive.
“I'll have to work on small bits of my form – going straight up the pole – but knowing my environment this time will help,” Aldrich said. “IMG is a perfect facility.”
Aldrich will also join Joe Lang, Alex Murphey and Jason Beauplan in the 4x100 meter relay at the state meet after the quartet placed second.
Neumann's Christopher Kimble provided the day's other highlight as he tacked 10 feet onto his personal best discus throw, finishing with a 141-foot, 6-inch toss that earned the junior second place.
“I think some people were surprised,” Kimble said as he bettered his seed distance by over eight feet. “Some people were having trouble with the wind, but I adapted and the disc really flew. I've been working on my technique lately, and this was a good day for me.”
Prep track: First Baptist Academy sweeps boys, girls District 1A-8 titles
First Baptist Academy had the area's top team finish, coming in fourth place with 39 points to trail St. Stephens Episcopal (89) and the host school (75) while CSN placed seventh (33).
Getting off to a fantastic start and running at a perfect rhythm, Marco Island freshman Susan Linn soared from a third-place finish in the 100-meter hurdle prelims to win with relative ease.
Asked about the abrupt decrease in her winning time (16.00, 63/100s of a second faster than prelims), Linn said, “I think it was just who was running in the heats. I felt good, I was really in my comfort zone.”
On the lead-up to the state meet, the freshman will work on her psychological game as much as her physical training.
“This race was all about focus, and I'll get mentally prepared, stay inside of myself, and be the best I can be,” she said.
Led by a third-place finish from triple jumper Britany Leroy, St. John Neumann was the top team finisher for the girls, coming in 10th with 26 points followed closely by FBA (24) and Marco Island (17).
The top four finishers in each event will travel to IMG for the year's final competition next Friday and Saturday.
Class 1A-Region 2 meet
State qualifiers
GIRLS
Triple jump – 3. Britany Leroy, Neumann
100 hurdles – 1. Susan Linn, MIA
4x100 – 3. FBA (Amanda Lines, Malaya Melancon, Samantha Shemavonian, Nicole Smith)
300 hurdles – 3. Sydney Beam, FBA
BOYS
High jump – 2. Nick Tompkins, FBA; 4. Zachary Brecher, FBA
Pole vault – 1. Kane Aldrich, CSN
Triple jump – 3. Ray Pierre, FBA
Discus – 2. Christopher Kimble, Neumann
110 hurdles – 4. Jack Tabar, Neumann
100 – 3. Joe Lang, CSN
4x100 – 2. CSN (Lang, Alex Murphey, Jason Beauplan, Aldrich)
300 hurdles – 4. Keean Burlison, FBA
200 – 4. Murphey, CSN
1,600 -- 4. Peter Charles, Seacrest