- February 22, 2025
FPC's Isabella Tarsitano leads Buchholz's Eleanor Whisler in the 1,600-meter run. Tarsitano finished second behind Whisler. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Will Roberts gets ready to take the baton from Logan Jacobelli in the 4x100 relay. The Bulldogs placed second in the race behind Buchholz. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC freshman Olivia DiGuglielmo tosses the discus. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas junior Megan Rhee placed second in the third heat and 27th overall in the 1,600. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas sophomore Lupita Galeano placed third behind teammate Megan Rhee in the third heat and 33rd overall in the 1,600. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC junior Jack Wronowski gets ready for a practice throw in the javelin. Photo by Brent Woronoff
The runners in the 1,600-meter fast heat are clustered together. The top seven runners finished with times within seven seconds of each other with Gino Palazzolo of Buchholz winning in 4:20.66. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Palm Coast won its 14th boys championship in the 21st annual East Coast Classic track and field meet, but its first since 2020, on Friday, Feb. 20 at the Bulldogs’ stadium.
“In track and field and cross country, you’re trying to see steady improvement in your kids, but that being said, it’s nice to win,” FPC coach David Halliday said. “This is the big home meet, so it’s the one track meet you most want to win besides Five Star, district and state.”
It was a cold and breezy day which may have slightly slowed the sprinters who were running against the wind and could have hindered some throwing and jumping performances. But the chilly temperatures did not slow down the 3,200-meter runners with four girls breaking the meet record of 10:59.85 set by Grace Blair of Gainesville Oak Hall in 2018. Spruce Creek’s Mackenzie Roy is the new record holder. The senior won the event with a time of 10:38.39, finishing ahead of her twin sister, Arianna, who placed second in 10:54.68, followed by Jacksonville Bolles’ Estella Bruneau (10:59.29) and Jacksonville Episcopal’s Stella Krueger (10:59.41).
The boys 3,200 record of 9:25.76 set by Andrew Miller of Fleming Island in 2018 also went down. Charles Loftin of Jackonville Providence ran a new record time of 9:21.10.
DeLand’s Kylie Neira broke a meet record in girls pole vault at 11 feet, 9.75 inches, breaking the old mark of 11-feet-9.0 that was first set in 2014 and matched twice since.
“We had some amazing performances from the teams that were here,” Halliday said.
This is the big home meet, so it’s the one track meet you most want to win besides Five Star, district and state.
— DAVID HALLIDAY, FPC track coach
FPC won the boys title without winning an event, but the Bulldogs scored in 11 of the 18 events. Stacy Mitchell and Gethin Pritchard placed second and third, respectively, in shot put. Corinthians “R.J.” Watson placed second in triple jump with a personal record of 42 feet, 7 inches. The Bulldogs also placed second and third in pole vault with Aiden Baumert setting a PR of 11 feet, 9.75 inches for second and Tanner Cauley Bennett also vaulting 11-9.75.
FPC also placed second in the 4x100 relay with Ehimen Ajide, Logan Jaobelli, Will Roberts and Jordan Haymon clocking in at 45.37 seconds. Matanzas was third with Jezrahiah McCoy, Jermaine Whittick, Jeffrey Powell and Shai Scott finishing with a time of 45.75 seconds.
The Bulldogs scored 82 points to top Fleming Island (72.5 points), New Smyrna Beach (71), Gainesville Buchholz (63) and Ponte Vedra (61) in the top five among 18 teams. Matanzas placed 15th.
FPC’s Karina Marcelus won the girls 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.32 seconds and placed second in triple jump with a leap of 34 feet, 8.5 inches.
“Karina was a little slower (in the 100 hurdles) than she ran last week (to win the Sanford Seminole Open),” Halliday said. “The wind kind of scared her; she was afraid of hitting a hurdle, but she still ran her third best time ever. We expect to sec her run in the 14s pretty soon.”
FPC’s Isabella Tarsitano placed second in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:27.38 seconds, shattering her personal record by almost 17 seconds. She didn’t finish in the top 10 in the fast 3,200, but she broke her personal record in that event by 50 seconds with a time of 11:33.55. The Bulldogs, who finished sixth in the girls standings with 52 points, also placed second in the 4x400 relay with Jayden Wright, Ari Slaughter, Hazel Hutchison and Marcelus running a 4:28.44.
Matanzas’ Bryonna Bowdry placed fourth in girls discus.
Spruce Creek won the girls title with 103 points with Buchholz second with 75 points. Niceville's boys and girls both won team titles in each of the past three East Coast Classics, but the Eagles did not participate in the meet this year.
