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BOB PUTMANThe Boca Ciega sophomore sets personal marks in the long jump and triple jump at state.
GAINESVILLE - Boca Ciega's Neidra Covington sailed over the sand at Gainesville's Percy Beard Stadium, her feet clawing in the air in an attempt to defy gravity.
Once she came down, she saw her heel marks, the ones that left a lasting imprint for the Boca Ciega sophomore in her signature event, the long jump. Minutes later, the officials read her mark - 18 feet, 5 inches.
The mark was a personal record, surpassing her previous best by 10 inches.
During her final preliminary jump, Covington scratched. The mark was close to 19 feet. Had it counted, she easily would have won the state title. As it was Covington finished third, 13/4 inches from winning.
"I knew that jump in the prelims was a pretty good one," Covington said. "My toe barely stepped over the line. I knew I just had to come back in the finals and do well."
Covington also set a personal best and school record in the triple jump, leaping 38-91/2 to take second.
"I scratched on one of my marks in the triple jump that was pretty far," said Covington, the only county girl to place in multiple events. "But that's okay. I'm pretty happy with my marks."
But more than establishing top marks, Covington also was trying to keep up with her older sister.
Last season, Nadia Covington of Lakewood won the long and triple jump. She is now at Florida A&M.
Nadia came to Gainesville Friday to watch her younger sister. Nadia's former coach, Eileen Givens, also was hand and helped Neidra in both events.
"I figured if I helped one Covington, I had to help the other," Givens said.
Neidra capped her night by teaming with Bridget Pereyi, K. Alexander and Tiffany Williams to take fourth in the 4x400 relay. The Pirates' time of 3:58.23 beat the school record by 2 seconds.
Gibbs' 4x100 relay of Ivon Reed, Eboni Reed, Natalee Allen and Shaneka Jackson ran 48.92 to finish third. The Gladiators, second in the preliminaries, had a chance to finish there in the final but were .01 seconds behind Middleton.
"We were a little disappointed in how we finished," Eboni Reed said. "But everyone on the team is back, so we know we have another chance."
Gibbs coach Anthony Givens argued Middleton should have been disqualified because of a lane violation on the fourth leg. But Givens said officials did not see the infraction.
Countryside's Tracy Bancroft was the other county girl to place, finishing seventh in the 300 intermediate hurdles.
Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas set a state record by winning its seventh straight team title. The Raiders scored 69 points to beat Fort Lauderdale (47).