Middleton, Fla. — The Villages High School track and field teams each left the regional meet with a pair of sixth-place finishes Tuesday in Mount Dora.

Both the Buffalo boys and girls squads placed sixth at the Class 2A-Region 2 meet on the campus of Mount Dora Christian Academy, earning 39 and 40 team points, respectively.

The effort by the VHS boys was led by a trio of top-three finishes on the day, beginning with the 4x800-meter relay team of David Probola, Nate Burton, Thatcher Clarke and Allister Clarke, who finished runner-up in the event. Probola went on to also finish third individually in the 800-meter run, while Bryton Russ finished second individually in the discus.

The Buffalo girls squad was paced by Natalee Elstad, who finished third in the 100-meter hurdles and fourth in the 400-meter hurdles. Taylor Fugate (second) and Katherine Probola (fourth) also placed in the javelin.

Qualifiers will advance to the 2024 Florida High School Track and Field State Championships on May 16 at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.


Cody Hills can be reached for questions or comment at cody.hills@tvcs.org or by calling (352) 259-6890.