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Busy senior settles for second place

Wharton's Natalie Moser could not repeat as state pole vault champion.

GAINESVILLE - Wharton defending state pole vault champion Natalie Moser didn't just graze the bar Friday. She hit a wall.

"It was just the pressure," she said. "I've got take exams, I've got to graduate, I've got everything going on in my mind and I'm just trying to take it one step at a time."

There was the Advanced Placement calculus exam Wednesday, which is when the inner ear infection hit. By the time Moser got to the Class 3A state meet she was congested, sick to her stomach, red-eyed and barely able to make weight for her pole. Then, before competing, blood gushed from her nose.

An exhausting day, week and season ended with the silver medal. The defending 4A champion was second with a vault of 12 feet, her hip grazing the bar at 12-6 on her final jump. That was the winning height defending 3A champion Erica Hall of Leesburg cleared to win it again at Percy Beard Stadium.

Oh, and Moser has an A.P. biology test Monday.

"This really wasn't my year I guess," she said. "I had lots of problems all year, no-heighting, a new pole, an out of whack diet. But I'm happy."

Silver was Hillsborough County's favorite color Friday. Middleton's 4x100 relay team of Cryatal Williams, Alexandria Jones, Ebony Cansey and Michelle Fredrick were state runner-ups with a time of 48.91 seconds. Defending state champion Laura Bowerman of King also earned runner-up honors in the 3,200 (11:21.14).

Blake's Ebony Burch was third in the 800 (2:18.71) and helped 4x400 teammates Amelia Blue, Taronda Williams and Shenquia Pressley take fifth (3:59.37). Wharton's Victoria Michelotti placed fourth in the 100 hurdles (14.73) and was eighth in the 300 (47.40). Plant's Erigah Butler was sixth in the discus (116 feet, 2 inches) and the shot put (37-1 1/4). Sickles' Shannon Kelly was fifth in the 1,600 (5:16.71) and together with 4x800 teammates Marissa Hatcher, Angela Hegge and Jennifer Snyder finished sixth (9:46.95).