TAMPA — For St. Petersburg senior Shantel Bentley, race time is rage time.
“I always get really, really angry before running,” the Green Devils senior 4x100-meter relay star said. “I don’t know why, I just think of a lot of stuff and I’ll be like, ‘This (anger) is what has to get (the baton) to the next person.’ ”
Lividness never seemed as fluid as it did Wednesday afternoon at Leto High.
Sparked by Bentley’s strong second leg, the Devils — Bentley, classmate Jaque Fields, sophomore A’leah Black and freshman Rayven Kirkland — notched a season-best time (48.9 seconds) to win the Class 4A, Region 2 title.
“We’re really competitive,” Black said. “My mom always taught me to leave it on the track, no matter what you’re going through. This is my life, so I have to.”
Operating with far less rage but no less resolve was Countryside senior Paul “Megadeth” McKenna. Shattering his personal-best time by more than 10 seconds, McKenna won the boys 3,200 (9:35.26).
He and the top four finishers in each of Wednesday’s events earned berths in the May 4 state meet in Jacksonville.
“It’s just my coach (Ray Friedman) and the way he’s been peaking me,” McKenna said.
Elsewhere, East Lake’s Artavis Scott rallied for a triple jump title, scratching on his first two tries before recording a 43-feet, 1-inch effort on his final attempt. Scott also finished second in the long jump (22 feet).
St. Petersburg’s boys, meantime, shined in the field events, with junior Jeremy Kerr finishing second in the shot put (47-5.75) and fourth in the discus (136-3.75). Senior Cayman Ellis prevailed in the pole vault.
Class 4A, Region 2
(at Leto)
Boys Team Results (top three): North Port 72, Newsome 70, Bradenton Manatee 53
Boys Individuals: 4x800 relay_Bloomingdale 8:05.53, Newsome 8:07.99, Countryside 8:08.37, Freedom 8:17.89; Discus_Aerion Caldwell (Wharton) 143-8.5, Tyler Webb (Plant) 142-1.75, William Glesge (North Port) 136-8.75, Jeremy Kerr (St. Petersburg) 136-3.75; Shot put_Derric Calloway (Manatee) 57-9.5, Jeremy Kerr (St. Petersburg) 47-5.75, Carson Steinberg (Newsome) 47-1, Willie Smith (S. Riverview) 46-8; High jump_Ibsen Marcial (North Port) 6-4, Luke Hogue (North Port) 6-4, William Taylor-Haynes (Alonso) 6-4, Connor Moore (Plant) 6-2; Long jump_Brandon Robinson (Alonso) 22-2, Artavis Scott (East Lake) 22-0, Gerard Trott (Bloomingdale) 21-8.5, David Thompson (TBT) 21-7; Triple jump_Artavis Scott (East Lake) 43-1, Richie James (S. Riverview) 42-4.5, Evenson Marcial (North Port) 42-3, Chris McAllister (Treasure Coast) 42-0.5; 110 hurdles_Ro'derick Spears (North Port) 14.13, William Taylor-Haynes (Alonso) 14.30, Caleb Chambliss (TBT) 14.44, Isreal Nelson (Treasure Coast) 14.64; 100_Brandon Carnes (Manatee) 10.49, Justin Williams (Treasure Coast) 10.68, Deontae Williams (TBT) 10.69, Chase McCoy (Riverview) 10.90; 1,600_Andrew LeBlanc (Bloomingdale) 4:24.88, Lars Benner (Newsome) 4:25.25, Jack Guyton (Plant) 4:28.13, Andrew Llewellyn (Countryside) 4:28.15; 400_Todd Jackson (Newsome) 49.35, Richie James (S. Riverview) 49.46, Robert Davis (Countryside) 50.09, Roosevelt Lawrence (Alonso) 50.15; 300 hurdles_Ro'derick Spears (North Port) 38.81, Caleb Chambliss (TBT) 39.06, Darryl Brooks (Manatee) 39.95, Darrien Kelly (Durant) 40.10; 800_Andrew LeBlanc (Bloomingdale) 1:57.61, Justin Martinez (Newsome) 1:57.82, Kevin Heron (Bloomingdale) 1:59.25, Kyle Groh (Plant) 1:59.74; 200_Brandon Carnes (Manatee) 21.69, Chase McCoy (Riverview) 21.92, Deontae Williams (TBT) 22.00, Tracy Watson (Durant) 22.20; 3,200_Paul McKenna (Countryside) 9:35.26, Lars Benner (Newsome) 9:44.79, Sam Chandler (St. Petersburg) 9:49.54, Bryce Weaver (Plant) 9:55.87
Girls Team Results (top 10): Plant 106, Freedom 80.5, Wharton 72, Sarasota Riverview 72, Vero Beach 47, Pinellas Park 36, Fort Pierce Central 1, Bloomingdale 30, Alonso 28, Riverview 25
Girls Individuals: 4x800 relay_Plant 9:35.58, Bloomingdale 9:49.29, Newsome 9:52.21, Freedom 10:03.13; Discus_Kehtura Merrick (S. Riverview) 116-2, Jasmine Laska (Pinellas Park) 115-3, Ty'china Bush (Plant City) 112-7, Alicia Morgan (Vero Beach) 110-2; Shot put_Alison Gollnick (S. Riverview) 39-4, Chanye Edwards (Vero Beach) 38-8.5, Ty'china Bush (Plant City) 37-1.5, Claire Benninghoff (Alonso) 35-1; High jump_Faith Woodard (Freedom) 5-8, Sandra Akachukwu (Freedom) 5-8, Anna Peyton Malizia (Plant) 5-0, Emma Robinson (Countryside) 5-0; Long jump_Sandra Akachukwu (Freedom) 19-3.5, Charisa Powell (S. Riverview) 17-3.5, Juhnae Richardson (S. Riverview) 16-11.5, Gabrielle Falco (S. Riverview) 16-11; Triple jump_Jimeka Fair (Fort Pierce Central) 36-0.5, Quatasia Fantroy (Alonso) 36-0, Victoria Jackson (Countryside) 35-4, Tyler Watson (Wharton) 35-1.25; 100 hurdles_Mikayla Barber (Wharton) 14.98, Tyler Watson (Wharton) 15.13, Maia Carter (Riverview) 15.69, Ruthy Simpson (Plant) 15.78; 100_Sandra Akachukwu (Freedom) 11.9, Deterrica Simpson (Pinellas Park) 12.08, Quamesha Dixon (Vero Beach) 12.18, Whidney Desormo (TBT) 12.30; 1,600_Scarlett Fox (Plant) 5:09.63, Caroline Gibson (Plant) 5:13.70, Annie Barrett (Bloomingdale) 5:16.41, Mariah Henderson (Wharton) 5:19.75; 4x100 relay_St. Petersburg 48.9, Fort Pierce Central 49.02, Tampa Bay Tech 49.46, East Lake 49.64; 400_Kayla Woulard (Vero Beach) 56.67, Faith Woodard (Freedom) 58.14, Stevondria Hardy (Wharton) 58.96, Morgan Speicher (Riverview) 1:01.08; 300 hurdles_Tyler Watson (Wharton) 44.44, Mikayla Barber (Wharton) 44.49, Ruthy Simpson (Plant) 45.99, Kayla Propst (Centennial) 46.75; 800_Julie Roggeman (Bloomingdale) 2:22.48, Olivia Suski (Seminole) 2:23.50, Kali Clemmer (Bloomingdale) 2:24.01, Caroline Bado (Plant) 2:24.44; 200_Sandra Akachukwu (Freedom) 24.57, Tiara Robinson (Fort Pierce Central) 25.19, Deterrica Simpkins (Pinellas Park) 25.27, Kayla Woulard (Vero Beach) 25.36; 3,200_Anna Montgomery (Plant) 11:30.62, Caroline Gibson (Plant) 11:30.83, Bailey Sullivan (Plant) 11:32.63; Julia Rodriguez (Plant) 11:34.45; 4x400 relay_Wharton 4:00.37, Freedom 4:05.60, Plant 4:05.84, Alonso 4:07.66