State-bound Lee tops mark

BROOKSVILLE -- For the past two months, Kurt Lee has been chasing his shadow.

He caught it again Friday.

The Central junior cleared 13 feet in the pole vault at the Class 3A, Region 3 meet, qualifying for state and breaking his school record for the second time this season.

"I can't even explain the feeling," Lee said.

He broke the record of 12-0 first set by Chris Carrington in 1989 with a vault of 12-0 1/4 March 14 in the River Ridge Invitational. Lee reached 12-1 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference meet before clearing 13-0 on his second attempt Friday. He missed at 13-6 to finish fourth.

"It's the adrenaline," Lee said. "Just the thought that I have to do it."

Lee, a first-time qualifier, hopes to place among the top five at state Saturday in Coral Springs. He was 59th in the state cross country meet in November after finishing 116th the previous season. Track teammates Joey Costanzo and Tiffany Mobley will join Lee at state. Costanzo placed second in the 800 with a time of 2:00.08. Mobley was second in the long jump, 16-5.

Springstead's Stephen Brooks narrowly missed qualifying in the shot put. He was fifth at 48-5 1/2, five inches behind Armwood's Charles Sallet.

Springstead's Lindsay Boldt (7th, 3,200) and Sentell McDonald (8th, triple jump), Central's Kyle Keene (8th, high jump) and Mobley (8th, 200) and the Bears' 400 relay team (8th) failed to advance out of the regional. The Springstead boys 400 relay squad -- Jamar Maner, Tommy Walker, Darnell Adams and Dan Webb -- was disqualified after Maner didn't report for the 100, eliminating him from competition the rest of the meet.

Eagles coach Fred Hudson said Maner, a sophomore who was considering opting out of the 100 to conserve his energy for the 200, was at the starting line but didn't get in the blocks.

Hudson said the relay team was no cinch to qualify for state.

"I don't know if we would have made it out of here," Hudson said. "This is an elite meet."

CLASS 2A: Hernando's 3,200-meter relay team of Katee Lukas, Danielle Churchill, Leela Hadsock and Olivia Murray took 14th at state in 5:44.01. Hadsock was 15th in the 1,600 run, 5:44.01.

-- Staff writer Frank Pastor can be reached at (800) 333-7505, ext. 1430.

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