Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
By GREG AUMAN
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 20, 2001
BROOKSVILLE -- Long after the stands had cleared, the final scores from Thursday's Class 2A, District 6 meet were announced. And Central's teams cheered on the field, held their trophies high and took a victory lap around their home track.
Most everyone else already had left, but that was almost fitting in that barely anyone had been able to run with the Bears all day.
Central's girls won their fourth consecutive title, running away from the field by 802/3 points, and the Bears' boys team took the title from Hernando, winning by 60 points.
"I thought we did well," Bears boys coach Vic Cervizzi said. "I thought Hernando would give us more of a challenge."
Tiffany Mobley led Central with four victories, winning the triple jump, 200 meters and running on the winning 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
The Bears also got wins from Erin Courtney (1,600 and 3,200), Jaimie Costanzo (400) and Christine Morana (high jump). But the team's real strength was its depth. Thirteen girls qualified for next week's Region 2 meet, including nine in multiple events.
Central's boys, who had seen Hernando win the district title the past two years, got their points in bunches. They outscored the runner-up Leopards by a combined 42 points in the 800, triple jump and 110 hurdles, getting at least three athletes in the top six in each event.
The Bears got individual wins from Trever Scales (800), Joel Crandall (3,200), Chris Dyer (110 hurdles), Jerry Daniels (triple jump) and Bobby Vasquez (shot put).
Hernando's boys got wins from Derrick Mobley (400), Willie Bates (300 hurdles) and Gabriel Boze (discus). But the Leopards lost 18 points to the Bears on relays.
Multiple winners included Pasco's LaShawn Vaughns (100 and long jump) and Jessica Robinson (110 and 300 hurdles), who helped the Pirate girls to a third-place showing, and South Sumter's Brandon Erving (100 and 200).
Despite rapidly dropping temperatures, Cervizzi was doused with a celebratory cooler of water after the meet.
"Just wait until Monday's practice," he said.