Kayla Hale 5-Time State Track Champion

SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME

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KAYLA HALE – 2012 INDUCTEE

• 5-Time State Track Champion

• Lead Holy Trinity To State Title

• Nike All-American 2-Miler

FIVE PREP TRACK & FIELD STATE TITLES

With four consecutive Class 1A state titles in girls cross country, Kayla Hale’s name likely will never disappear from the Florida High School Athletics Association record book.

The same is likely true for her five Class 1A track and field titles in the 3,200 meters during her prep years at Holy Trinty Episcopal Academy.  Hale, a 2009 graduate of Holy Trinity, won her titles in 2005–2008.

“Kayla is special – she was as coachable as anyone could get,’’ Holy Trinity girls cross country coach Doug Butler said.

“She followed directions to a T. She would run whatever you asked her to run. Some runners will run too hard or farther than you ask. That’s when they get hurt. She never got hurt because she listened. She trusted me 100 percent.’’

The 5-foot-5 resident of Indialantic, Florida won her first Class 1A state title in track and field as a seventh grader in 2004, taking the  3,200 meters in 11 minutes, 31.41 seconds. In the fall of 2005, Hale won her first Class 1A state title in girls cross country with a 5K time of 18:30. Holy Trinity finished second as a team with 67 points.

In the spring of 2006 as a freshman, Hale won the 3,200 with a time of 11:00.30. That helped the Tigers win their first team title in track and field. Holy Trinity had 64 points and second-place West Palm Beach King’s Academy was second with 54 points.

That fall as a sophomore, Hale’s first-place time of 17:32.9 on the 5K course propelled Holy Trinity to the Class 1A cross country title. Holy Trinity had 37 points to outdistance second-place Maclay’s score of 113 points.

Hale repeated as the 3,200 champion in the spring with a time of 10:56.83. She also ran a leg for the championship 3,200-meter relay team as the Tigers won the team title with 59.3 points. Orange Park Country Day was second with 46 points. In the fall of 2007, Hale won the Class 1A cross country title with a time of 17:55. Naples Community School won the team title, beating Holy Trinity 47-63.

FIRST EVER TRACK DOULBE EVENT STATE CHAMP

That spring, Hale won two individual events for the first time ever in Class 1A track and field history.

She won the 1,600 in 5:03.68, and followed that with a winning time of 10:45.14 in the 3,200.  In cross country that fall as a senior in 2008, Hale won her fourth consecutive Class 1A Championship with a time of 10:41.25.

Hale capped her high school career with another double in the 1,600 and 3,200 in the spring of 2009. She won the 1,600 in 5:02.58 and the 3,200 in 10:41.25.

Hale, who was born on June 30, 1991, ran the prestigious Footlocker Cross Country Race three times in high school. In 2008 and 2009, she was a Nike Indoor National All-America in the two-mile run.

DRIVE TO BE SUCCESSFUL

Now a junior at Duke University, Hale has battled injuries since becoming a Blue Devil and was redshirted in the fall during cross country season, so she still has two seasons left of college cross country and two indoor track seasons.

“Kayla had the drive to be successful,’’ Butler said. “I think that’s what propels her to this day.’’

THE SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME Banquet and Induction Ceremony will take place at the Cocoa Beach Country Club on Friday, May 11 with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m. – and dinner and ceremony at 7 p.m.

FOR INFORMATION & TICKETS to the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame Induction dinner call 321-615-8111 or e-mail MaverickMultimedia@gmail.com

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE INDUCTEES

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