Sinclaire Johnson, who won five high school track state championships for Lake Brantley, has overcome adversity to become an American record holder on pace to make more noise in the World Championships meet in Tokyo, Sept. 13-21.
Several injuries spoiled her chances to reach the 2024 Olympics and Johnson made a big move to switch camps and enlist her fiancee, Craig Nowak, to be her primary training coach. Johnson’s move to Portland, Oregon, has given her second wind and hopes of making the 2028 Olympic Games in London.
The 27-year-old broke the U.S. women’s mile record when she clocked a time of 4 minutes, 16.32 seconds in a July 24 professional race in London.
“I was aiming for the American record going into the (mile) race,” Johnson said in an interview with DyeStat. “It was really exciting and definitely gave me a lot of confidence coming off the race. The main thing has always been to make the (national) team.”
She did just that with a second place finish in the USA Track & Field championship meet to secure her Tokyo berth for 1,500 meters. All international championship races are at metric distances.
“He has just a very calm demeanor,” Johnson said of Nowak. “He brings a lightness to practice, to race day and to life in general. It’s been really, really helpful.”
Johnson was the U.S. 1,500 champ and placed sixth in the world final in 2022 with a 4:01.63 time and matched that placement in this year’s world indoor meet. She then doubled as the U.S. 800 and 1,500 national champ in 2023, adding that to a resume that included an NCAA title for Oklahoma State.
In her record-setting mile, which is 1,609 meters, she finished fourth behind three of the best middle distance runners in the world: Gudaf Tsegay (Ethiopia, 4:11.88), Jessica Hull (Australia, 4:13.68) and Sarah Healey (Ireland, 4:16.26).
Johnson won Class 4A state titles in the 800 as a high school sophomore, junior and senior. She added two 1,600 titles.
Winter Park players celebrate during a preseason win against Bishop Moore. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Volleyball
For the second year in a row, Winter Park (8-1) lost only once in six matches at the 64-team Nike Tournament of Champions Southeast event in Gainesville. The Wildcats, 7A state champs last season, finished fifth among 32 teams in the top-tier National Division. The loss was to 3A power Calvary Christian (10-1) of Clearwater 17-25, 25-14, 15-8 in a Saturday quarterfinal.
Cornerstone Christian of Texas won the final over California power Mater Dei, which was ranked No. 2 nationally.
Orangewood Christian (7-2*, 4-2 in the National Division) rallied to deal Oviedo its first loss 19-25, 25-16, 15-8 in Friday’s first round of pool play. The Rams also topped 2024 state champ Lake Highland Prep (6-2*, 4-2).
Lake Brantley (6-3*) went 4-2, including a 28-26, 25-14 loss against Oviedo (6-3, 3-3).
Kissimmee Osceola (7-3*), which went 3-3 in Gainesville, scored a 25-23, 25-16, 25-23 win at previously-unbeaten Bishop Moore (4-1) Tuesday night.
Osceola All-Area senior Cate Palmi broke her school’s record for career kills with 12 in last weekend’s 25-20, 25-15, 25-12 win against Spruce Creek. That gave her 1,591 as a four-year standout – breaking a standard set by her older sister, Allison, who landed a coaching job right out of college play as a Bucknell University assistant.
Stefany Ortiz delivered 45 assists for Horizon (10-1) in a 3-1 rivalry win vs Windermere.
Lake Howell (5-1), which has lost only against Orangewood, hosts Hagerty (6-1*), which lost to Winter Park, on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Winter Park hosts unbeaten Olympia (7-0) on Thursday at 6 p.m. East Ridge (4-1) plays at Foundation Academy (5-0*) Thursday.
South Lake High School junior Dale Hull, warms up before the match— ..Leesburg, 2023 boys state champ, vs South Lake in boys and girls high school bowling matches at the Clermont Bowling Center, on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. ..(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)
Bowling
Brody Cartier bowled a 278 and Dale Hull added a 267 as the South Lake boys team knocked off reigning state champ Leesburg last week. Cartier followed up with a 266 game and Collin Linde rolled a 276 in a win vs. Villages Charter.
East River’s girls bowling team, state champions in 2023 and 2024, open its season Wednesday, Sept. 10, at Orlando’s Boardwalk Bowl in a tri-match vs. Boone and Freedom.
Golf
Winter Park’s Mattie Stevens shot 3-under-par 67 in a 288-330 girls win over Bishop Moore at Winter Pines Golf Club. Emma Sanabria shared medalist honors with a 67 for the Hornets.
Lake Nona’s Alexandra Snyder shot 3-under 33 in a win vs St. Cloud at Royal St Cloud Golf Links.
Cross country
East Ridge’s boys and girls swept Saturday’s 19-team Whispering Pines Invitational in Inverness. Knights junior Axel Sallault clocked a 15:54.9 time to win the boys race.
Depth was key for the East Ridge girls. Vanguard (Ocala) tied the Knights with 56-point totals for their first five runners. The tiebreaker is best sixth runner and Jessie Volz came through for the East Ridge victory.
Hagerty’s boys crushed the competition at the DeLand Invitational, giving the Huskies two wins in two races.
Lake Nona teammates Matthew Rutan (16:33.36) and Gabriel Lozano (16:33.37) had virtually identical times in going 1-2 at the boys Ocoee Invitational — which was won by Mill Creek of Georgia. Windermere won the girls race.
Timber Creek boys and girls swept titles at the Trinity Prep Invitational.
Saturday meets include the Winter Springs Invitational, Astronaut Invitational, St. Cloud Invitational, South Lake Invitational, Run Matanzas XC and Florida Horse Park races in Ocala.
Extra points
• Hagerty alum Riley Greene at age 24 is the first Detroit Tigers player to reach 100 runs batted in for a season since 2017. He was batting .269 with 101 RBI and 32 home runs through Tuesday.
• Montverde Academy boys lacrosse assistant Tom O’Grady, who was head coach for state runner-up teams at Lyman (girls) in 1997 and Winter Park (boys) in 2002, is set to be inducted into the National Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association (NILCA) Hall of Fame in October. His 40-year coaching career includes college jobs at UF, Texas and Adelphi and four out-of-state high schools.
(* Wednesday matches not included)
Detroit Tigers’ Riley Greene hits a singles against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 8, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
