Estero's Hugh Brittenham, Fort Myers' Alexandra Chlumsky, Jacob Lemmon shine at regionals

The track at Charlotte High School has been a house of horrors for Estero junior Hugh Brittenham over the last few years. Now one of the top mid-distance runners in the country, Brittenham has dealt with heat exhaustion and injuries when running in Punta Gorda.

He was out to change that on Friday at the Region 3A-3 Track and Field Championships. Putting his past at the track behind him, Brittenham won gold in the 800 and 1,600 meters, which sets up an intriguing couple of months as he pushes to run a sub-1:50 800 against elite competition in the state and in the nation.

“It’s a redemption sort of thing,” Brittenham said of overcoming his struggles at Charlotte where he briefly blacked out his freshman year and a hamstring issue prevented him from advancing to state in the 800 as a sophomore. “I just had that one more year of experience.”

Brittenham posted a 1:53.75 in the 800 and 4:23.38 in the 1,600, making him a favorite at the Class 3A state championships May 4-5 at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. His performances earlier in the season at the IMG Invitational and the FSU Relays earned him an invitation to the Brooks PR Invitational Meet in June in Shoreline, Washington, which features the nation’s fastest runners.

“A lot of people ask me what it’s like to have the No. 1 time in the country and stuff like that,” Brittenham said. “That’s now how I measure myself. But when I go home and see that invitation to Brooks, that’s the stamp.”

The Fort Myers boys hoisted regional runner-up hardware with 63.50 points while Tampa Hillsborough won the regional crown with 79 points. Naples (56.50), Barron Collier (50) and Tarpon Springs East Lake (47) followed.

Fort Myers junior Jacob Lemmon keeps pushing ever closer to a throw of 200 feet in the discus. He reached 196-02 to win regionals by 44 feet. Naples junior Jett Su took third.

Lemmon’s throw of 49-07 was good enough for fourth-place in the shot put with Su (53-07.75) winning the event by three feet.

The Naples 4x100 relay team went 41.95 with anchor Wooby Theork taking the baton with the lead and closing it out for teammates Chez Mellusi, Jordan Persad-Tirone and Benny Laguerre.

“We’ve come a long way,” Theork said. “We’ve had some hiccups, some subs. But we’ve had guys step up and work so hard for this. Now, we’re going to states.”

Barron Collier senior Tyler Mansfield will make his first appearance at state after sweeping the hurdles competition, posting a 14.41 in the 110 and 39.62 in the 300.

“It’s something me and my coach have been preparing for all year,” Mansfield said. “I had to get a good, fast, hard start and then really needed perfect form to get over the hurdles down the stretch.”

Gulf Coast's Kayden Cecil set a school record in the pole vault, clearing 14-03.25 to place first.

Taejon Wright of Naples was third in 110 hurdles and Mariner’s Elijah Butz, Riverdale’s Jaylin Cochran and Sammy Faustin also qualified for state in the 300 hurdles.

Ida Baker junior Ryan Ringer defended his regional 400 title by running a 49.94. South Fort Myers’ Marvens Merisier finished third.

Ringer then teamed with Jesse Blow, Kennice Beaubrun and Brian McKellep to run 3:19.73 to win the 4x400 relay.

Golden Gate sprinter Jouvensly Bazile was a runner-up in the 100 (10.90) and 200 (22.28).

The Fort Myers boys 4x800 team checked in with a second-place finish (8:09.95) with Barron Collier coming in third.

Fort Myers’ Jordan Bergamn, Riverdale’s Anterieon Payne and Naples’ Benny Laguerre finished 2-3-4 during the high jump.

Lehigh’s Jeremiah Davis’ jump of 46-06.75 was good enough for runner-up honors in the triple jump.

Fort Myers’ Jonathan Cassamajor (22-11) was the runner-up in the boys long jump. He then went on to take fourth in the 200.

Nick Carpenter of Fort Myers finished fourth in the 800 and third in the 1,600.

East Lee County’s Brian Smith brought home regional crowns in the adaptive shot put and 200.

North Fort Myers will send its 4x100 team to Jacksonville after it took fourth in the event.

The Naples girls finished third with 47 points behind regional champion East Lake (75) and runner-up Hillsborough (49.75). Fort Myers (45) was fourth and Charlotte (44.75) rounded out the top 5.

The Naples girls 4X800 relay team, which includes Zoe Dantonio, Jillian Dempsey, Merlica Faustin and Julia Marceau, ran a strategic race en route to gold with a time of 9:38.25. Fort Myers was third.

The Golden Eagles 4x400 team posted a 4:06.10 to finish third in the event.

Merlica Faustin reached the top of the podium in the 400, turning in a time of 58.39.

Fort Myers pole vaulter Alexandra Chlumsky not only punched her ticket to state with a regional championship in the event, but the junior’s personal-best 11-09.25 vault also qualified her for New Balance Nationals in June.

Island Coast’s Precious Tillman will get a last shot at a state title next week after besting Palmetto Ridge junior Elizabeth Sculles in the discus by hitting 135-02. Tillman also won a regional championship in the shot put (40-07) with Barron’s Emily Weeks finishing runner-up and Gulf Coast’s Mikeila Joseph finishing third.

Despite losing top sprinter Mirlege Castor to graduation last season, the South Fort Myers 4x100 team – Myke’lah McMiller, Te’era Stewart, Armonee Brown, Khari Mitchell – won the relay in 48.45.

Stewart also ran a 12.42 in the 100 to finish third and McMiller was runner-up in the 400.

In the girls 3,200, Cape Coral’s Cheyenne Young recorded a personal-best 11:19.58 to reach second on the podium followed by Fort Myers’ Caroline MacKenzie in third.

Lehigh sophomore Jasmine Mellien solidified her spot at state in the long jump as she finished fourth by reaching 16-0.75, a half foot longer than Charlotte’s Eunice Noel.

Naples senior Autumn Mogelvang (5-01.75) and Barron Collier sophomore Sofia Laccetti (4-11.75) went 3-4 in the high jump.

Joilyn Lewis of Cape and Eviana Francois of Golden Gate were second and third, respectively in the triple jump, with jumps of 35-08.75 and 35-08.

Fiona Kurland, a Naval Academy signee, made a late push in the 800 for Fort Myers, finishing in 2:19.54 for third place. She went on to come in second in the 1,600 in 5:13.63 followed by Naples’ Jillian Dempsey and Estero’s Alayna Goll.

Baker’s Dashnie Dervil pushed herself to third in the 100 hurdles with a time of 15.44.

Fort Myers’ 4x100 team finished fourth.

Gulf Coast’s Sydney Eugene snuck in at fourth place in the 400.