JACKSONVILLE — Seffner Christian’s Seth Lewis stepped into the ring, spun and flung the discus high into the sky.
The metal Frisbee fell 149 feet, 11 inches away.
After looking at the dent in the dirt, Lewis knew he had a good chance of winning his first state title.
Lewis’ throw, his second in the finals, stood as he beat his closest competitor Friday by 7 inches at the Class A state meet.
“That throw felt really good,” Lewis said. “It was one of those throws that as soon as I let it go, I knew I might be good enough to win.”
Lewis, a senior, first attempted the discus in January 2012. He qualified for the state meet last year but did not place. He took five months off to concentrate on football before picking up the discus at the start of track season.
“I kind of had to re-teach myself everything again,” Lewis said.
He did well in the regular season before turning it on the past three weeks. Heading into Friday’s meet, he was tied with Canterbury’s Chris Olson for the top seed (155-10).
The biggest competition came from the bay area. Tampa Bay Christian’s Jamari Johnson was third in 147-1. Olson was fifth in 144-5.
“I know there was going to be some competition,” Lewis said. “I was a little surprised that I won but not really because I had so much work and dedication into it this season.”
Lewis said he is attending Hillsborough Community College in the fall and will work on the hammer throw in hopes of landing a college scholarship.
Bishop McLaughlin’s Camille Baumrucker continued her solid postseason run, finishing eighth in the triple jump (33-11), the highest among North Suncoast and Hillsborough County girls athletes. Baumrucker, the North Suncoast’s lone athlete, also was 12th in the long jump (15-8½).
Tampa Prep’s Carly Reiner, who entered with the top seed in the triple jump, finished fifth in her signature event, leaping 34-8. Reiner scratched on her first two attempts in the final and needed her final attempt to make into the top five.
“I didn’t do as well as I would have liked,” Reiner said. “I would have liked to be in the top two. It was tough because I was jumping back and forth with prelims in my running event, and that got to me mentally.”
Reiner was eighth in the long jump (15-8) and the 100 (12.62).
Seffner Christian’s Josh Keenan finished fourth in the 3,200 (9:39.60). Cambridge Christian’s Josh Wolcott (44-0) was fifth in the triple jump. Teammate Luke Steinle was eighth in the 300 hurdles (41.25).
Cambridge Christian’s Madison Cox was third in the 200 (25.93) and fifth in the 100 (12.48).
A meet at Jacksonville
Girls
Team results: 1. Maclay 76, 21. Cambridge Christian 10, 29. Tampa Prep 6, 42. Seffner Christian 3, 50. Bishop McLaughlin 1
Individual results: High jump: 1 Kilborne (HT) 5-04.00, 9 Plager (Sef) 5-00.00; pole vault: 1 A. Gale (FtL Cal) 12-06.00, 14 Whiting (Sef) 9-00.00; long jump: 1 McQueen (NFC) 19-07.00, 6 Whiting (Sef) 16-09.50, 8 Reiner (TP) 16-05.00, 12 Baumrucker (BM) 15-08.50; triple jump: 1 McQueen (NFC) 40-04.50, 5 Reiner (TP) 34-08.00, 8 Baumrucker (BM) 33-11.00, 16 Johnson (TP) 30-06.50; discus: 1 Paul (Com) 127-02, 13 Johnson (TBC) 82-07; shot put: 1 Scott (Jef) 38-09.00; 4x800: 1 Maclay 9:32.85; 100 hurdles: 1 Brown (Upp) 14.22; 100: 1 Trader (Sho) 12.12, 5 Cox (Cam) 12.48, 8 Reiner (TP) 12.62; 1,600: 1 Kurgatt (Mac) 5:06.26; 4x100: 1 Holy Trinity 48.59; 400: 1 Gayles (HT) 55.22, 9 Harris (CDS) 59.82, 10 Renaldo (Cam) 1:00.42; 300 hurdles: 1 Brown (Upp) 43.37; 800: 1 Kurgatt (Mac) 2:16.47; 200: 1 Wilson (Mac) 25.44, 3 Cox (Cam) 25.93, 9 Renaldo (Cam) 27.23; 3,200: 1 Candiano (Evan) 10:59.55; 4x400: 1 King’s Academy 4:03.14
Boys
Team results: 1. Holy Trinity 80.50, 15. Seffner Christian 15, 26. Tampa Bay Christian 6, 34. Cambridge Christian 5
Individual results: High jump: 1 Haynes (UC) 6-08.00; long jump: 1 Hylton (FA) 23-02.25, 10 Shell (Sef) 21-04.00; triple jump: 1 Warren (MDB) 46-04.00, 9 Wolcott (Cam) 41-08.50; discus: 1 Lewis (Sef) 149-11, 3 Johnson (TBC) 147-01; shot put: 1 Tucker (LM) 51-04.00; 4x800: 1 Holy Trinity 8:08.97; 110 hurdles: 1 Burgman (HT) 14.27; 100: 1 Smith (FA) 10.55; 4x100: 1 First Academy 42.15; 400: 1 James (Wes) 48.82; 300 hurdles: 1 Davis (HC) 38.04, 9 Steinle (Cam) 41.25; 800: 1 Cureton (SPC) 1:56.12, 15 Wajd (TP) 2:45.75; 200: 1 Philpott (NFC) 21.50; 3,200: 1 Salas (Trin) 9:17.85, 4 Keenan (Sef) 9:39.60; 4x400: 1 FtL Calvary Christian 3:26.26