ST. PETERSBURG — Lakewood’s boys won the St. Petersburg City Championships for the third consecutive year while host Northside Christian’s girls won for the second time in three years Thursday.
The Spartans earned 112 points, 19 more than second-place St. Petersburg, despite having only individual champ. Devontae Persha won the 800 meters in 2 minutes, 1.59 seconds after holding off the Green Devils’ Elliot Traxler.
But Lakewood thrived in the relays. It took first in the 4x100 (43.55), second in the 4x400 (3:38.27 to St. Petersburg’s 3:34.64) and broke the meet mark in the 4x800 (8:29.12).
Damien Daniels, Gibbs’ star with Trayvon Bromell now at Baylor, won the 100 (10.76), 200 (22.10) and 110 hurdles (14.83). His 100 time was 0.04 off Bromell’s meet record set last year.
“Last year, it was all about catching Trayvon,” Daniels said. “This year, I’m trying to duplicate what he did.”
Northside had 143.33 points, 54.33 more than second-place Shorecrest. It was led by Deterrica Simpkins, who won the 200 (meet-record 25.76) and took second in the 100 (12.45) to Shorecrest’s Assata Trader (12.42). Trader was third in the 200 (26.62).
Admiral Farragut’s Brittany McGee shined. Like last year, she won all four of her events: 100 hurdles (breaking her meet record with a 14.99), long jump (17 feet, 91/2 inches), 300 hurdles (46.88) and high jump (5-2).
“It’s very hard (competing in four events), first catching your breath,” McGee said. “Then you have to change your mind-set from all the techniques you just finished.”
Shorecrest’s Alex Eaton, a Georgia signee, ran 6,000 meters. She won three events — 4x800, 1,600 (by 10 seconds in 5:20.98) and 3,200 (by almost 30 seconds in 11:31.35) — and ran a leg for the third-place 4x400.
“What can I say?” Eaton said. “I like to run.”