Three Big Things: Week Four

Just when you thought it would be a relatively quiet weekend of high school distance running all heck breaks loose.  The usual suspects were on hand playing beat the clock along with some new names.  It was a pretty awesome week.

1.  Ava Povich, come on down.  The ECS sophomore standout scored a sparkling double at the CSN meet in Naples on Saturday.  First Povich tangled with the top dog in the girl's 1,600, Canterbury's Jessica Edwards.  For Jess it was another close but no cigar performance running 5:01.4 in her endless quest to break five minutes.  Povich ran a fine 5:18.19 to place second.

The sparkling run from Povich came in the 3,200.  Povich ran the fastest time so far this spring by a Lee County girl crushing an 11:18.54 to win. It's seems almost certain Povich should run under 11 minutes by the end of the season.  

And in case you were wondering, Jess Edwards doubled back in the 800 running a fine 2:17.18.  That's a powerful double so early in the season.

2.  Estero junior Kolton Pickard ran a stunning 1,600 Friday night at the Edison Relays.  On an awful track Pickard clocked 4:18.66.  Put him in spikes on a good track and that's worth sub 4:15 easy.  Just add icing to the cake Pickard doubled back on Saturday in Naples to anchor Estero's Distance Medley Relay.  Word is he ran around 4:23.  We don't have word on any other splits he might have recorded or if he ran in the 4x800 or 4x1600.

3.  Ethan Tank took down his school record in the 3,200.  Running 9:46.97, the SFCA senior now has the fastest 3,200 of the season in Lee County.  If Tank stays healthy low 9:30's should be in his future.

Finally, a shoutout to Fort Myers senior Anna Fischler who ran a big PR in the 3,200 at the Purrish Meet in North Fort Myers on Thursday.  Fischler's 11:54.74 puts her behind teammate Amy Meng and Povich as the fastest girls in the 3,200, although Edwards ran easily under 11:30 last spring in her lone 3,200.