Track: Northside Christian wins boys, girls titles

Despite lost results for the girls triple jump, the meet ends Monday as the Mustangs win.

By DOUG KATES, Times Correspondent
Published March 11, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - After two days of competition and a few hours of re-adding scores, Northside Christian was declared the boys and girls champion at the Bayshore Conference track and field meet at Shorecrest Prep.

The event started Friday and ran into a lightning delay. The event continued Monday, ending when the Northside boys won the final race of the meet, the 4x400-meter relay, to clinch their title.

When everyone went home Monday evening, the girls title was still in limbo because the triple jump results were lost. At the time, Keswick Christian had an apparent seven-point lead over Northside.

By nightfall, however, scores had been re-added, and Northside emerged with a three-point lead over Keswick. At this point, Keswick coach Lance Lipham conceded, saying the triple jump would not change the outcome, whether the old results were found or the jump was replayed at a later day.

The girls score became final to give Northside a 190-187 win over Keswick. The Northside boys edged Calvary Christian 154 to 138.

Northside coach Jeff Goodwin was especially pleased with his boys team. He said his girls have been grabbing glory all season, and he challenged his boys to find a way to get themselves into the spotlight.

"I'm was amazed they stepped up and were able to perform like this," Goodwin said. "There were some kids who haven't done well all year."

Leading Northside was Tyler Stowell, who won the 110 hurdles Friday and added a title in the 300 hurdles Monday. Chad Rose won the shot put and discus titles, both Friday.

Calvary Christian had a late surge to move from third place into second. Joe Cathey had two long-distance wins Monday to give him three for the meet.

If the girls' triple jump results are never found, it won't affect the team standings, but it will take away a win from Shorecrest's Samantha Specht, who unofficially won the original competition Friday. Specht also won the long jump Friday and came back to win the 200 and 400 runs Monday. The win in the triple jump would have given her four individual titles for the meet.

Specht wasn't the only one with a big two-day meet. Northside's Katelyn Greenleaf picked up titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 runs. Keswick's Laura Hodupp won the shot put and discus.

[Last modified March 11, 2008, 00:49:44]