- March 12, 2025
Flagler Palm Coast track and field athlete Karina Marcelus broke a 45-year school record at the North Florida/South Florida Challenge on Saturday, March 8, at FPC.
Marcelus ran a time of 14.45 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles to break Debra McCaskell’s record of 14.73 seconds, set in 1980.
McCaskell stopped by school Tuesday, March 11, to congratulate Marcelus.
“Debra happened to be in town this week wanted to meet Karina,” FPC track coach David Halliday said. “She told Karina she has held the record for 45 years and it was time pass the torch.”
Marcelus, a junior, moved up to No. 6 in the state Class 4A rankings in the event. She finished second in the race to Miami Northwestern’s Kahalia Hoo, who ran a 14.14 and is ranked second in the state in Class 3A in the event.
The fourth annual North/South Challenge included just 11 schools, but the meet draws some of the top track and field programs in the state to FPC. Northwestern won the girls title, while Miami Columbus won the boys titles. The two runners-up came from North Florida schools with Tallahassee Lincoln placing second among the boys and Ponte Vedra finishing second on the girls side.
FPC’s girls placed fourth and boys placed fifth. The Bulldogs had three athletes in addition ot Marcelus place second in their events. Leilany Rosa placed second in girls pole vault (8 feet, 10.25 inches); Maya Tyson was second in shot put (36-feet-4.75) and third in discus (108-feet-3); and Tanner Cauley Bennett placed second in boys pole vault (12-feet-9.5).
Mainland’s boys track team placed second behind Sanford Seminole at the George Janan Invitational at Spruce Creek High School on March 8.
The Bucs placed first in four events, including the 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams. Raymond Shepherd won the 400 meters with a time of 51.74 seconds and Kajuan Curry won the 800 meters in 1:59.95.
