Cypress Creek's Alondra Rodriguez is motivated for FHSAA state track & field

When Alondra Rodriguez became Cypress Creek's first-ever track & field state champion as a junior last year, she seemed to be almost in a state of disbelief.

After finishing seventh in the girls 400-meter high hurdles state final race as a sophomore, she stamped herself as an elite runner by posting a career-best time of 58.98 seconds to win the Class 4A title at the University of North Florida. That performance, which is an Orange County record, took time to process amid the excitement she shared with a joyous gathering of coaches, family members and friends.

"I didn't expect to be the best of everybody from across the state," she remembers thinking.

One year later, Rodriguez is a confident, college-bound runner seeking a repeat championship in this week's FHSAA state meet in Jacksonville. She signed a full-ride scholarship to Mississippi State in November.

"It's a little bit of pressure now. I'm not the chaser, I'm the chasee," she said after cruising to victories in the 400- and 100-meter hurdles finals in last month's district meet at Cypress Creek.

With her dream of going to college fulfilled, she no longer needs to prove herself - but still wants to.

"Signing with Mississippi State motivated me to keep pushing every day, even if I'm tired," she said. "I definitely want to win, but I know it's going to be a challenge."

The two girls who finished second and third behind Rodriguez in last year's 400 hurdles final were Tampa Sickles' Nia Armstrong and St. Thomas Aquinas' Kyara Belfort. Both have run faster than this year's best by Rodriguez (59.91)

Armstrong, a sophomore, ran 59.61 to win at the FSU Relays by a slim margin over Rodriguez. Belfort, a junior, clocked a 59.40 to win at the Bob Hayes Invitational, where Rodriguez ran 59.94.

The 4A state meet is Saturday, following the Wednesday 1A meet, Thursday 2A meet and Friday 3A meet.

More girls

Foundation Academy senior Lee Peters, a small-school speedster signed by Tennessee, has Florida's fastest 100-meter dash time, a wind-aided 11.35. Her wind-legal best is 11.60 going into the 1A final.

Bishop Moore ninth grader Annabella Tomasic leads 3A qualifiers in the 1,600 with a 4:55.32 time and the 3,200 at 10:28.70. She also runs on a strong 4×800 relay.

Montverde Academy had the firepower to win the 2A team title. The Eagles deep roster includes eighth grade phenom Angelica Wolfe in the 800 (2:11.37).

Lake Minneola sophomore Vanessa Waite has run the 100 in 11.53 and has a 23.36 time in the 200 that ranks No. 1 in 4A.

Sanford Seminole's 3:48.22 time in the girls 4×400 relay is No. 2 in 4A.

Wekiva has the third best 4×100 relay time in 4A at 46.71 seconds.

Other highly rated area 4A girls include: Boone senior Naima Durandisse in the high jump; and Lyman junior Norah Garraughty in the pole vault.

Top boys contenders

Lake Mary senior Curtis Crowder-Woods has 4A's best triple jump (48 feet, 6 inches).

Ocoee senior Jayden Manning is No. 1 in the 4A boys 110 hurdles list with a 13.83 best. His classmate, Devin Matthews, is among 4A's best in the 400 (47.27) and 800 (1:52.27).

Lake Minneola senior Tyler Mullings is the 4A discus leader at 167-2.

Others to watch in 4A are Cypress Creek's Jonathan Machado in both hurdles events; Oak Ridge senior shot putter Abdiel Levasseur; and Oviedo's Colin Aysun and Horizon's Jacob Finch in the 1,600.

Montverde junior Samuel Johnson leads all classifications with a triple jump (50 feet, 9½ inches) that is among the best in state history. He's also a 2A favorite in the long jump with a 24-1¾ mark.

Geneva School's Duke Carpenter, a 6-foot-5, 252-pound football prospect, is top seed in the 1A boys discus. He has the state's No. 5 throw at 176 feet.

Bishop Moore (40.88) and Jones (41.62) are 3A threats in what should be a fast 4×100 relay. The Tigers won their region title with a 41.70 time ahead of Bishop Moore's 41.74.

For the first time in memory, no Orlando-area boy qualified for the 100-meter dash.

Here are this season's best performances by area state meet qualifiers:

Girls 100 meter dash

11.35 Lee Peters, Foundation

11.53 Vanessa Waite, Lake Minneola

11.85 Soriah Hicks, Wekiva

Girls 200

23.36 Waite

23.83 DaQuana Howell, MVA

23.85 Adriana Rodriguez, MVA

Girls 400

53.62 Rodriguez

53.91 Nakira Hudson, MVA

55.36 Layla Williams, Horizon

Girls 800

2:11.37 Angelica Wolfe, MVA

2:14.22 Layla Fuller, Lake Brantley

2:15.50 Jillian Davis, Apopka

Girls 1,600

4:54.62 Arabella Duffel, Lake Nona

4:55.32 Annabella Tomasic, Bishop Moore

4:59.08 Annabella Ekebergh, Windermere

Girls 3,200

10:26.75 Duffel

10:28.70 Tomasic

11:08.59 Lauren Susnis, Bishop Moore

Girls 110 hurdles

14.07 Alondra Rodriguez, Cypress Creek

14.12 Te'Ariel Harley, Wekiva

14.22 Jizelle Holland, MVA

Girls 400 hurdles

59:91 Rodriguez, CC

1:01.16 Holland

1:01.98 Te'Ariel Harley, Wekiva

Girls 4×100 relay

46.71 Wekiva

47.17 Ocoee

48.08 Osceola

Girls 4×400 relay

3:48.22 Seminole

3:49.39 Montverde

3:51.99 Cypress Creek

Girls 4×800 relay

9:16.13 Bishop Moore

9:23.93 Montverde

9:27.44 Lake Brantley

Girls high jump

5-8½ Naima Durandisse, Boone

5-5¾ Betsy Terrio, Lake Minneola

5-5¾ Helen Robertson, East Ridge

Girls pole vault

12-3½ Nora Garraughty, Lyman

12-3½ Julia Saelg, MVA

11-6 Kylee Brown, MVA

Girls long jump

19-2¼ Mariah Turner, Innovation

19-2¼ Nicole Oliveira, Osceola

18-9¼ Tamea Foster, Wekiva

Girls triple jump

39-11¾ Holland, MVA

39-6 Korbyn Jones, Osceola, Jr.

38-7¼ Laryn Coleman, Olympia, Sr.

Girls shot put

40-1 Saleigh Simpson, LHP

37-11¾ Julia Cota, Geneva

37-5½ Jaliya Porter, Olympia

Girls discus throw

134-10 Olivia Chapman, Oviedo

130-10 Kylah Session, Jones

123-9 Jamiyah Simpson, Seminole

Girls javelin

127-8 Kylee Sherman, Boone

121-4 Krista Hansen, DeLand

117-4 Sophia Meadows, Celebration

Boys 200

21.45 Marvin Brown, Jones

21.52 Malek Wilkerson, Lake Howell

Boys 400

47.27 Devin Mathews, Ocoee, Sr.

47.73 Elijah Cantero, Bishop Moore

47.82 Zydon Furbert, Montverde

Boys 800

1:52.27 Mathews, Ocoee

1:53.27 Jonathan Hall, Oak Ridge

1:56.30 Alexavier Davis-Medina, Oviedo

Boys 1,600

4:13.90 Colin Aysun Oviedo

4:15.44 Jacob Finch, Horizon

4:18.08 Maleik Lewis, Horizon

Boys 3,200

9:00.67 Colin Aysun, Oviedo

9:08.46 Aiden Aysun, Oviedo

9:17.01 Matthew Rutan, Lake Nona

Boys 100 hurdles

13.83 Jaiden Manning, Ocoee

14.09 John Machado, Cypress Creek

14.53 Akai Tonge, Windermere Prep

Boys 400 hurdles

53.71 John Machado, Cypress Creek

54.27 Jayden Viala, East River

54.54 Tonge

Boys 4×100 relay

40.88 Bishop Moore

41.62 Jones

41.73 Lake Howell

Boys 4×400 relay

3:17.05 Winter Park

3:19.27 Evans

3:19.41 Ocoee

Boys 4×800 relay

7:58.55 Ocoee

7:59.36 Oviedo

7:59.55 Boone

Boys long jump

24-1¾ Samuel Johnson, MVA

23-10 Kamahj Walker, Seminole

23-8¾ Maxwell Garcon, Gateway

Boys triple jump

50-9½ Johnson

48-6¾ Garcon

48-6 Curtis Crowder-Woods, Lake Mary

Boys high jump

6-7½ Wesley Morisseau, Lake Minneola

6-7½ Tucker Crawley, West Orange

6-5½ Jayden Aristile, Seminole

Boys pole vault

14-8 Grant Williams, MVA

14-1¾ Connor McCarthy, Lake Brantley

14-0½ Max Demo, Geneva School

Boys discus throw

176 Duke Carpenter, Geneva

167-2 Tyler Mullings, Lake Minneola

156-7 Amari Reams, Lake Minneola

Boys shot put

52-4¾ Abdiel Levasseur, Oak Ridge

51-1¾ Carpenter

49-3¾ Melvyn McIntyre, Tavares

Boys javelin

186-7 Connor York, DeLand

173-6 Bakar Costar, Geneva

173-2 Alexander Whitfield, Horizon

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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 3:05 PM.