Lakewood Ranch’s John Rivera wins state gold in Class 4A boys 800

John Rivera raised his right index finger to the sky and kept his head straight forward as he crossed the finish line at IMG Academy Field. No one was within at least a dozen meters as the Lakewood Ranch High School senior pumped his fist to celebrate a Class 4A championship in the 800-meter run.

Throughout an exceptional career with the Mustangs, the 800 run has been Rivera’s signature event even as injuries chipped away at his opportunities and denied him a state championship. Friday in Bradenton was his final chance, and Rivera secured his first state title with one of the most dominant victories of the day.

“This was my goal. This is what I set at the beginning of the year,” Rivera said. “It’s a dream come true.”

Rivera, who is committed to run at Mississippi next year, finished in 1 minute, 53.16 seconds, edging Miami Columbus’ Deshay Fernandes by nearly two full seconds. The time was his best since setting a personal record of 1:50.38 at the Pepsi Florida Relays in March and surpassed his time of 1:53.88 at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet when he first returned to full strength from the foot injury that limited him during his junior year.

Rivera may not be finished with just one gold. He runs the anchor leg of Lakewood Ranch’s 3,200 relay, which will have a chance to win a 4A title Saturday at IMG Academy, and is among the top seeds in Saturday’s 1,600, as well. As a whole, the Mustang boys plan to be in the mix to win a state title as a team, and the 800 gave them 13 early points: Jonathan Reid finished seventh and Andrew Dean eighth.

Even if the 800 is all for Rivera, though, it would be a fitting cap to a career built around the event. The Rivera-anchored 3,200 relay briefly held the fastest time in the nation this season. Rivera became the Herald’s All-Area Athlete of the Year in cross country because of the closing speed he had during the final 800 meters of races. High-level college programs all across the nation chased his services because of what he can do in the 800 on the track.

“That’s his bread and butter,” Lakewood Ranch head coach Mark Napier said, “and he’ll tell anybody that.”

Gold, however, waited a year longer than Rivera had hoped. A fractured foot during cross country season as a junior kept him sidelined in the 800 until April of 2016, when he returned for the Pre-State at IMG Academy. Rivera finished first there, then took first in both his district and region to qualify for the state championship.

He stood on the podium that afternoon, too, only it was for an eighth-place finish after a run of 1:58.64. A month later, he was nearly five seconds faster at New Balance Nationals. His time in Greensboro, N.C., would have put him four spots higher at the state championship.

“I know if I wasn’t hurt last year, I could’ve been competing for that state title,” Rivera said. “This year, to come in as a senior, the biggest moment of my high school career, probably — it’s surreal.”

Rivera and his two 800 teammates were three of seven Manatee County boys to win medals on the opening day of the state championships. Saint Stephen’s won two 800 medals in Class 1A with Andrew Csubak taking second and Henry Howell finishing fifth, Manatee’s Chase Main won bronze in Class 4A in the high jump, and Harry Barthelemy gave the Mustangs another point with his eighth-place finish in the high jump.

Lakewood Ranch sits in second place after Day 1 with 14 points. Sarasota leads the way with 16 and Miramar holds third with 12.

Holding off the rest of the field will still fall largely on Rivera and his two events Saturday. It will be a tall ask, but after returning from injury stronger than ever he’s elevated expectations for an already-successful senior campaign.

“You couldn’t ask for a better kid,” Napier said. “To watch a very deserving kid come back from something like that is very neat.”

This story was originally published May 5, 2017 at 4:03 PM with the headline "Lakewood Ranch’s John Rivera wins state gold in Class 4A boys 800."