Charter track teams win GCAC titles

Patty Poling Special to the Eagle Charter School's Patrick Michel turns the corner, heading for home as he wins the 200 meter dash at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships. The boys and girls won the titles.

Patty Poling Special to the Eagle The Marco Island Charter Middle School track teams show off their hardware after each team won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships.

Patty Poling Special to the Eagle Some members of the Charter School boys track team show off their trophy for winning the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Track Championships.

Patty Poling Special to the Eagle Marco Island Charter School's girls track team with their trophy for winning the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Track Championships.

The girls did as expected and the boys joined ranks as the Marco Island Charter Middle School track teams won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Track Championships.

The teams get a break, as in spring break, after each winning their titles, with second-place finishers at least 50 points behind on March 28 at Community School of Naples.

“It was a surprise that both teams won convincingly,” track coach Roger Raymond said. “Earlier in the season the Gulfview Middle School had won over our girls. And our boys, really fewer in number, really came on, making giant strides in winning.”

Josh Wagner and Rosie Poling led the teams. Wagner won the 1600 and 800 meter runs and was third in the 100-meter hurdles, won by Marco’s Jay Vanderjagt.

Poling won the 1600 and 800 meter runs. They didn’t have the 3200 meter run that she most likely would have won, as might have Wagner.

In the 1600, Emma Fernandez raced to second and Madison Bonfitto was fifth.

Katie Cookson scored points as she was second in the 100 and fourth in the 200.

Kalani Siler notched a second in the 100 and third in the 400 meter runs. Adriana Marroquin raced home third in the 800. Jaryn Pellant tossed her way to fourth in the discuss.

For the boys, Patrick Michel had a strong meet, winning the 200, placing second in the 400 and third in the 100 meter runs.

Colin McMullin, still nursing a sore right hip, won the 100 meter dash. Trevor Dye won the discuss and Caden Kouture was fourth in the 400.

“Josh Wagner is one of the toughest kids around, he just doesn’t quit,” Raymond said. “He’s tenacious. He was behind a Gulfview runner with 60 meters to go only to catch him and win, going away.”

Raymond said he doesn’t worry about his distant runners working out over spring break, he has Polling.

“She’s like having another coach,” Raymond said. “She sells her sport and pulls people in with her. They have a program to follow and with Rosie leading they’ll do it with her.”

On April 14 comes the Collier County Schools Athletic Conference South Division Championships.

The top four in each event advances to the conference wide championships the next weekend.

“I think we can get enough through in the South Division competition to give us a chance to do well in the championship round,” Raymond said.