Columbus, Northwestern secure GMAC track titles; Southridge’s James sets two meet records
The Columbus track and field team ran toward what is usually the 50-yard line at Traz Powell Stadium in a wild celebration on Thursday night.
The Explorers’ 1,600-relay team had just capped an impressive overall meet with a victory, which sealed the championship on the boys’ side of the GMAC championships.
Columbus, a school which recently won its first state title in boys’ basketball, secured its first state titles in track before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2018 and 2019.
Much like the hoops’ squad, a freshman-led group highlighted by long jump and triple jump GMAC champion Shaddai Carter edged Miami Northwestern 191 to 143.5 in points after outdueling the Bulls in that last relay.
Meanwhile, the Northwestern girls celebrated moments later at midfield, although with slightly more calm and cool. The Bulls showed the poise of a champion ready to add more milestones to their lasting legacy when they outlasted a tough Southridge squad with 175 points to the Spartans’ 144 to secure the girls’ crown.
For the Explorers, letting out their emotions in such a joyous way has been a welcome sight after losing their longtime coach Fred Foyo, who passed away suddenly last year at the start of the postseason.
Columbus persevered and finished the season, and this year is back among the state’s top teams under the tutelage of co-coaches Danny Areces and James Hardwick.
“We just dedicated this whole season to coach (Foyo),” Areces said. “We even made shirts that say, ‘Fly High, Foyo’ on the back. All the boys understand why we are here and his presence is still felt.”
Four GMAC meet records were broken overall led by Southridge’s Cynteria James, who set new marks in the 100- and 200-meter races.
James ran a time of 11.60 seconds to break the prior record held by former Spartans star Ebony Shotwell (11.77) in 1999. Northwestern senior Aaliyah Butler, who came in second in that race, also eclipsed the previous meet record with a time of 11.72 seconds.
James later broke the 200-meter record previously held by former Northwestern star Lakayla Harris (23.69) by running a time of 23.48 seconds. Butler again also surpassed the prior record, finishing the race in 23.65 seconds.
On the boys’ side, Northwestern’s Jamari Sharpe also set a meet record by one-tenth of a second after winning the 100 meters in 10.41 seconds. Sharpe broke the record set by former Bulls’ runner Da’Marcus Fleming, now at LSU, in 2020.
The Bulls’ 400-meter relay team set another meet record when they ran a time of 41.19 seconds. Columbus also surpassed the previous record set by Miami Killian (41.30) in 1992 when its squad ran 41.29.
Carter won the long jump with a mark of 6.77 meters and took home the triple jump title with a jump of 13.84 meters. Carter and Adrian Cordero, another freshman who ran the anchor leg of the winning 1,600-meter relay and plays tight end on the Explorers’ football team, have provided a major boost to the team.
Columbus’ other individual champions included Gustavo Alfonso (discus), Darren McQueen (300 hurdles) and Daniel Garcia (3200).
Paris Baker led Northwestern by sweeping both hurdles events. She won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.47 seconds and the 300 hurdles in 43.27 seconds. Northwestern’s Shakynah Tresvant also won the triple jump, Jaday Bushay won the 400 meters and the Bulls won the 3,200 relay.
Southridge’s Alyssa Jones took home titles in the high jump and long jump while North Miami’s Tamaiah Koonce in the shot put and discus.
Hialeah-Miami Lakes’ Mekhi Gammons, a state runner-up last year in the 400 meters, continued his impressive season by bringing home championships in the 200 and the 400.
“This season has been pretty up and down time-wise, but I feel like I’m in the right position,” Gammons said. “As far as my conditioning, I feel like I’m pretty comfortable right now.”
RESULTS
Girls’ team scores: 1. Northwestern 175; 2. Southridge 144; 3. Norland 52; 4. North Miami 44; 5. Goleman 43.
Boys’ team scores: 1. Columbus 191; 2. Northwestern 143.5; 3. North Miami 39.5; 4. Norland 36; 5. Hialeah-Miami Lakes 32.
Girls’ winners - 3,200 relay: Northwestern 10.07.33; Long jump: Alyssa Jones (SR) 6.10m; Triple jump: Shakynah Tresvant (NW) 11.24m; High jump: Alyssa Jones (SR) 1.67m; Pole vault: Camryn Givens (Pal) 2.90m; Shot put: Tamaiah Koonce (NM) 12.62m; Discus: Tamaiah Koonce (NM) 42.48m; Javelin: Nicole Rodriguez (Gol) 37.24m; 100 hurdles: Paris Baker (NW) 14.47; 100: Cynteria James (SR) 11.60; 1600: Lucia Castillo-Rios (Pal) 5:37.14; 400 relay: Southridge 46.25; 400: Jayda Bushay (NW) 55.11; 300 hurdles: Paris Baker (NW) 43.27; 800 ambulatory: Sofia Elia (Pal) 4:06.70; 800: Sabrina Gomez (Sun) 2:17.36; 200: Cynteria James (SR) 23.48; 200 ambulatory: Sofia Elia (Pal) 42.36; 3200: Julia Alvarez-Drago (CR) 12:43.79; 1,600 relay: Southridge 3:52.24.
Boys’ winners - 3,200 relay: Northwestern 8:03.68; Long jump: Shaddai Carter (Col) 6.77m; Triple jump: Shaddai Carter (Col) 13.84m; High jump: Ethan Augustin (NW) 1.82m; Pole vault: Amani Marti (Col) 3.05m; Shot put: Tyler Washington (SM) 15.12m; Discus: Gustavo Alfonso (Col) 45.04m; Javelin: Aaron Boffill (Gol) 42.68m; Javelin ambulatory: Sofia Elia (Pal) 14.22m; 110 hurdles: Byron Holt (Jac) 14.18; 100: Jamari Sharpe (NW) 10.41; 1600: Lucas Oliveira (CR) 4:35.16; 400 relay: Northwestern 41.19; 400: Mekhi Gammons (HML) 47.56; 300 hurdles: Darren McQueen (Col) 38.32; 800 ambulatory: Marquis Jones (NW) 2:27.09; 800: Daniel Jean-Charles (NW) 1:55.17; 200: Mekhi Gammons (HML) 21.23; 3200: Daniel Garcia (Col) 9:49.56; 200 ambulatory: Marquis Jones (NW) 26.22; 1,600 relay: Columbus 3:15.89.
This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 10:07 PM.
