Prep Roundup: FWB has strong showing at 3A state meet

From staff reports

The Fort Walton Beach track team didn't take home any state titles at the Class 3A state meet at Winter Park on Friday, but the Vikings did come awful close.

Matt Bevil paced a solid team effort for the Fort Walton Beach boys' team, coming in second in the 800-meter dash with a 1:54.70 despite a nagging foot injury that's dogged him for much of the spring. Luc Lawrence, Bevil's 4x800 running mate, crossed the line fifth with a 1:55.68.

"It was a dogfight to the finish," Vikings coach Lissette Moller said. "It was quite an amazing race."

The Fort Walton Beach boys finished 12th overall with 15 total points split between three runners. Girding Fort Walton Beach's effort was Deiontrez Mount, who placed fifth in the 100 hurdles with a 14.75.

"With five guys, not a bad showing," Moller said. "Three of them come home with medals."

For Choctawhatchee, 800-meter runner Valerie Dixon turned in the best day, finishing sixth with a 2:19.43 to lead the Indians to a 43rd-place overall finish on the girls side with three points. Jasmine Jones, who competed in the shot put, finished just outside scoring position in ninth. Hakeem Tarpley, meanwhile, registered a seventh-place finish in the 1600 with a 4:23.66 to take home the Indians' lone top-eight on the boys side, as the Choctaw boys finished tied for 52nd overall with two points.

The Navarre girls finished 55th as Chelsea Chandler tied for eighth place in the pole vault.

For Crestview, Levi Hendrix had a personal-best throw of 47-06.75 in the shot put to place 11th. Meanwhile, Arquita Jernigan, a senior in her first season, fired the discus 98-07 to claim 14th place.

Baseball

l Malone 4, Paxton 0: The Bobcats ended their season on a sour note in the Class A regional semifinals, pounding out just three hits to Malone's six in a road loss.

"It was one of them crazy games," Paxton coach Jeff Bradley said. "Stuff that hurt us was little choppers out of the infield or balls hit off the bag. Its was just a crazy game."

Colby Forehand threw six innings, but Malone scratched across two runs apiece in the third and fourth innings.

Paxton finishes its season 17-4.