ALL-AREA BOYS TRACK TEAM

All-Area First Team

Honorable Mention

Zach Burrows

Charles Ivory

Joey Ryan

Keith Demons

Justin Nathaniel

Salvatore Masciello

Yveneld Toussaint

AustinCox

Tyai Jackson

Justin Simmons

Jonathan Henriste

AlexRoberts

Sean Matheson

Justin Williams

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR JAKE BURTON

LAMONT BAILEYFort Pierce Central senior hurdler

LOUIS D’AVINOLincoln Park sophomore hurdler/mid-distance runner

KEENAN DIXONJohn Carroll senior hurdler

KELLY ETIENNEPort St. Lucie senior distance

RESHAWD FYNEMartin County senior sprinter

KARUS HUNTERFort Pierce Central, junior, sprinter

DEION JONESSebastian River sophomore hurdles

TRAVIS MCHALEJensen Beach junior mid-distance

MEKENDY MEDORFort Pierce Westwood sophomore sprinter

CHRISTIAN MOOREJensen Beach junior mid-distance

ISRAL NELSONTreasure Coast senior hurdler

TYLER O’BRIENMartin County sophomore distance

COLE RIPPLEVero Beach junior thrower

DERRICK WILLIAMSFort Pierce Central senior hurdler

DRAVIOUS WRIGHTVero Beach junior sprinter

ZACH BURROWSMartin County senior sprinterSeason bests: 10.99 in the 100 (Region 4-3A), 22.76 in the 200 (District 14-3A)Postseason finishes: District 14-3A runner-up in the 100 and 200, 6th in Region 4-3A in the 100, 14th in Region 4-3A in the 200, member of Martin County’s 4x100 relay team (seventh in Class 3A)

AUSTIN COXLincoln Park senior distance runnerSeason bests: 4:31.85 in the 1,600 (Region 4-2A), 10:12.01 in the 3,200 (Holy Trinity Elite Classic)Postseason finishes: District 13-2A champion in the 1,600, third in District 13-2A in the 3,200, fourth in Region 4-2A in the 1,600, 6th in Region 4-2A in the 3,200, 13th in Class 2A in the 1,600

KEITH DEMONSVero Beach senior distance runnerSeason bests: 4:29.80 in 1,600 (Region 2-4A), 10:18.30 in the 3,200 (Astronaut Invitational)Postseason finishes: District 8-4A champion in the 1,600 and 3,200, fourth in Region 2-4A in the 1,600, 13th in Region 4-2A in the 3,200, ninth in Class 4A in the 1,600

Anthony Simmons

School: Vero Beach Years with team: 7This season: Vero Beach was dominant in the District 8-4A meet, winning 12 of the 16 events. The Fighting Indians, despite having just a handful of seniors on the roster, had nine athletes advance to the Class 4A state meet. Quotable: “I think we had a successful season. We were very young; we have just about everybody coming back except Keith Demons and Charles Ivory. Some of the football players made a difference on the team. They all put out and tried to do their best.”

Coach of the Year

All-Area Spring Sports Schedule

SUNDAY

Girls TennisMONDAY

Boys TennisTUESDAY

Girls TrackWEDNESDAY

Boys TrackTHURSDAY

Girls LacrosseFRIDAY

Boys LacrosseSATURDAY

SoftballSUNDAY

Baseball

Jerandious Works

By Jon SantucciSpecial to Treasure Coast Newspapers

MARTIN COUNTY — If there was a signature moment for Jake Burton this spring, it came during the 4x800 race in the District 14-3A meet.

By the time Burton — who was running the an-chor leg for Martin County High School — got the baton, the Tigers trailed Jensen Beach by at least 60 meters.

Most runners would have been content to cruise through the two laps and finish second.

Burton, however, isn’t your typical high school athlete.

The senior sprinted out to a 1-minute, 53-second time in the first 400-meter lap and caught up to the Jensen Beach runner on the second lap.

Burton would win the race by more than 30 meters.

“I don’t have the men-tality of coming in second in a district race,” Burton said. “I know I can get first and my mind goes over the limits of my body. When I do that, I can catch who-ever I need to — within reason.”

Burton caught almost anyone who dared try to beat him this season and finished second in Class 3A in the 800-meter run at the Florida High School Athletic Associa-tion Finals.

For his efforts, Burton is the Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers All-Area Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

“I’m just so happy he finally reached his poten-tial,” Martin County assis-tant coach Mike Lehning said. “I’m extremely happy. It took four years, but it was worth it.

“It was a great ending to a high school career.”

Burton was always con-sidered a talented, but not elite runner.

That changed this year.He made the decision

to give up soccer, a sport he played for 13 years, so he could focus solely on running.

“I knew I had to (give up soccer) to get to the next level,” Burton said. “It defi-nitely was hard, but it was what I needed to do.

“I had to drop the sport and just do offseason con-ditioning.”

Burton’s turnaround be-gan the summer before his senior year.

He started running

more than he had in the past, and ran cross coun-try to primarily prepare for the track season.

Lehning told the senior that logging mileage is the way to get better and Bur-ton did just that.

The result was one of the best performances in the nation at the Florida Relays, when he ran a 1:52.83.

Burton followed that up with district and regional titles.

His shot at a state

championship came up short when he felt his hamstring tighten down the stretch.

“I realized after (the

Florida Relays) that I’m one of the top in the state,” Burton said. “This is what my calling is and this is where I need to be.”

Potential achieved■■ Martin County senior caps career as state runner-up in 800

ALEX BOERNER/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS

Martin County High School’s Jake Burton is the 2012 Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers All-Area Boys Track and Field Player of the Year.

Jake BurtonMartin County senior mid-distance runnerSeason best: 1:52.83 in the 800 (Pepsi Florida Relays)Season highlights: Burton was the District 14-3A and Region 4-3A champion in the 800 meters and was the Class 3A state-runner up. He posted a personal-best 1:52.83 at the Florida Relays, which was one of the fastest times in the nation this year. Burton has signed with Florida State.Assistant coach Mike Lehning: “His talent is incredible. He was born with a gift to run. If you were to design a runner, it would look like Jake – long, thin, strong, smart. What else can you say? To be honest, he is more talented than the people who beat him. It’s just that Jake didn’t work as hard the first three years. When he gets into college and starts working, look out. Jake has more potential to do something in college than any kid I ever coached.”

Athlete of the YearThe TeamThe 2012 All-Area Boys Track Team was compiled by Jon Santucci.

JONATHAN HENRISTELincoln Park senior jumperSeason bests: 23-0 in the long jump (Holy Trinity Elite Classic), 45-6 in the triple jump (Holy Trinity Elite Classic)Postseason finishes: District 13-2A champion in the long jump and triple jump, Region 4-2A champion in the long jump, fifth in Region 4-2A in the triple jump, runner-up in Class 2A in the long jump

CHARLES IVORYVero Beach senior jumperSeason bests: 21-4.5 in the long jump (District 8-4A), 42-0 in the triple jump (District 8-4A), 22.79 in the 200 (District 8-4A)Postseason finishes: District 8-4A champion in the long jump, District 8-4A runner-up in the triple jump, third in District 8-4A in the 200, 9th in Region 2-4A in the triple jump and 200, 13th in Region 2-4A in the long jump, member of Vero Beach’s 4x100 relay team (16th in Class 4A)

TYAI JACKSONJensen Beach senior mid-distanceSeason best: 50.29 in the 400 (Jensen Beach Invitational)Postseason finishes: District, 14-4A champion in the 400, 10th in Region 4-3A in the 400, member of Jensen Beach’s 4x800 relay team (eighth in Class 3A)

SALVATORE MASCIELLOLincoln Park junior throwerSeason best: 140-6 in the discus (St. Lucie County Championships)Postseason finishes: District 13-2A runner-up in the discus, fourth in Region 4-2A in the discus, 14th in Class 2A in the discus

SEAN MATHESONMartin County senior pole vaultSeason best: 12-0 in the pole vault (Martin County Invitational/Jensen Beach Falcon Classic)Postseason finishes: District 14-4A champion in the pole vault, 5th in Region 3-4A in the pole vault

JUSTIN NATHANIEL Sebastian River senior jumperSeason bests: 6-3 in the high jump (Region 4-3A), 41-9 in the triple jump (District 13-3A)Postseason finishes: District 13-4A champion in the high jump and triple jump, fifth in Region 4-3A in the long jump, 11th in Region 4-3A in triple jump

ALEX ROBERTSCommunity Christian junior sprinterSeason best: 10.84 in the 100 (Conrad Classic)Postseason finishes: District 13-1A champion in the 100, Region 4-1A champion in 100, fourth in Class 1A in 100

JOEY RYANJohn Carroll senior sprinterSeason bests: 22.30 in the 200 (Class 1A), 49.73 in the 400 (Class 1A)Postseason finishes: District 13-1A runner-up in the 100 and 200, Region 4-1A runner-up in the 200, third in Region 4-1A in the 400, fourth in Class 1A in the 400, seventh in Class 1A in the 200

JUSTIN SIMMONSMartin County senior jumperSeason bests: 45-6 in the triple jump (Jensen Beach Invitational), 6-3 in the high jump (Martin County Invitational), 20-11.25 in the long jump (Jensen Beach Invitational)Postseason finishes: District 14-3A champion in the triple jump and high jump, fourth in District 14-3A in the long jump, Region 4-3A runner-up in the triple jump, fourth in Region 4-3A in the high jump, ninth in Class 3A in the high jump, 13th in Class 3A in the triple jump

YVENELD TOUSSAINTVero Beach junior hurdlerSeason bests: 15.08 in the 110 hurdles (District 8-4A), 41.02 in the 300 hurdles (Region 2-4A)Postseason finishes: District 8-4A champion in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles, fourth in Region 2-4A in the 110 hurdles, sixth in Region 2-4A in the 300 hurdles, Class 4A state qualifier in the 110 hurdles

JUSTIN WILLIAMSTreasure Coast junior sprinterSeason best: 10.88 in the 100 (Region 2-4A), 22.50 in the 200 (St. Lucie County Track & Field Championship)Postseason finishes: District 8-4A champion in the 100 and 200, fourth in Region 2-4A in the 200, Region 2-4A qualifier in the 100 (did not run due to injury), Class 4A state qualifier in the 200 (did not run due to injury)

JERANDIOUS WORKSFort Pierce Central junior throwerSeason best: 47-1.5 in the shot put (Class 4A)Postseason finishes: District 8-4A champion in the shot put, fourth in Region 2-4A in the shot put, ninth in Class 4A in the shot put

First Team

Season reviewCheck the meet results from the season at PrepZone.

6C » Wednesday, June 6, 2012 » S C R I P P S T R E A S U R E C O A S T N E W S PA P E R S » T C