Jackson’s Holt, Pompano Beach’s Walters among the winners at Class 2A state track meet
After a top five finish last season at the Class 3A state track and field meet, Miami Jackson’s Byron Holt wasn’t going to settle for anything short of a gold medal.
Holt, competing this season at the Class 2A meet, accomplished his goal on Thursday night when he won the 110-meter hurdles race in 14.24 seconds to secure his first state championship.
Holt’s victory was among the five events that South Florida athletes won at the meet which took place at James G. Pressley Stadium in Gainesville.
Somerset Academy’s girls posted the top finish of any South Florida squad placing third with 51 points behind state champion Jacksonville Bolles (68) and runner-up Montverde Academy (62).
Freshman Aleesa Samuel led the Panthers by winning the 100-meter hurdles in 13.73 seconds. Samuel finished two-tenths behind the fastest time run this season in the state in the event. She also finished third in the 100 and 200 meter races.
Holt, who also finished seventh in 300-meter hurdles, is a junior. He became the second-ever state champion in the 110 hurdles from Jackson High, joining Dwight Stanley (2007).
One of the closest finishes came in the boys’ pole vault where Calvary Christian’s Ty Noble edged Cardinal Gibbons Sam Mrky on a tiebreaker for the state title. Both Noble and Mrky jumped 4.50 meters but Noble won on a tiebreaker after he hit his mark on his first attempt after Mrky had not.
At last year’s state meet, Mrky finished ahead of Noble with a height of nearly a foot more as they finished third and fourth respectively.
Noble became the first-ever state champion for Calvary Christian in the pole vault.
Pompano Beach senior Avondre Walters made some school history by winning the 300 hurdles in 38.26 seconds. Walters became Pompano’s first state champion since pole vaulter Oren Woodward in 1958 and the school’s first in a track event.
Miami Killian’s boys’ 1,600-meter relay team secured the state championship of that event in 41.67 seconds. It was the first time the Cougars boys won that event since 1991.
RESULTS
Note: Events where no Dade or Broward competitor finished in the top 8 are not listed.
Team - Boys: 1. Montverde Academy 90; 10. Calvary Christian 19; 14. Pompano Beach 18; 15. Killian and Somerset Academy 14; Girls: 1. Jacksonville Bolles 68; 2. Montverde Academy 62; 3. Somerset Academy 51; 7. Cardinal Gibbons 30.
Boys - Individual winners and top 8 Dade/Broward finishers - High jump: Kyren Washington (Santa Fe) 2.02; 4. Eli Goldman (RE) 1.87; Christopher Levy (Pace) 1.87; Shot put: Wyatt Whalen (Bishop Verot) 16.32; 5. Alejandro Gimenez (Kil) 15.35; 7. Jackson Crozier (CG) 15.23; Javelin: Connor Wetherington (SantaFe) 61.00; 3. Brian Nasr (WC) 50.37; 6. Ashawn Medard (Hall) 49.10; Pole vault: Ty Noble (Calvary) 4.50; 2. Sam Mrky (CG) 4.50; Discus: Winston Sanders (Dunnellon) 47.79; 4. Jackson Baird (Calv) 46.01; Triple jump: Kyle Johnson (Montverde) 14.48; 5. Eric Trowbridge (Calv) 13.36; 7. Adren Roberts (NBP) 13.33; 8. Connor Clyatt (NBP) 13.30; 3200 relay: Bolles 7:50.43; 5. Sunset 8:09.60; 110 hurdles: Byron Holt (Jac) 14.24; 2. Avondre Walters (Pomp) 14.85; 100: Micah Larry (Montverde) 10.46; 6. Kaj Baker (Som) 10.75; 8. Jalen Brown (GP) 10.80; 400 relay: 1. Killian 41.67; 400 unified relay: Homestead 48.56; 300 hurdles: 1. Avondre Walters (Pomp) 38.26; 7. Byron Holt (Jac) 39.66; 200: Micah Larry (Montverde) 21.06; 2. Kaj Baker (Som) 21.25; 3. Jalen Brown (GP) 21.27; 1600 relay unified: Chiles 3:59.43; 2. Homestead 4:15.89; 1600 relay: Atlantic 3:16.31; 6. Somerset Academy 3:23.92.
Girls - Individual winners and top 8 Dade/Broward finishers - Pole vault: Jocelyn Eby (S. Walton) 3.30; 4. Paulina Guerra (GP) 3.15; Long jump: Victoria Hill (TrinityPrep) 5.79; 2. Shanaii Gamble (SomSP) 5.67; Javelin: Emily Rohan (Bolles) 41.18; 4. Alfonsina Santucho (LaS) 34.94; Triple jump: Victoria Hill (Trinity) 11.85; 6. Anya Carey (Som) 11.34; Discus: Zee Curtis (Bolles) 37.77; 4. Emma Ramsingh (CG) 36.02; High jump: Shakirah Edwards 1.67; 3. Morgan King (NBP) 1.62; 6. Shanaii Gamble (SomSP) 1.57; Shot put: Torryence Poole (Palatka) 13.07; 2. Lauren Kirby (Som) 12.25; 5. Alexandra Bruno (CSC) 11.08; 8. Aniyah Mosely (CG) 10.65; 100 hurdles: Aleesa Samuel (Som) 13.73; 2. Akerah Jones (CG) 14.20; 6. Wilnaya Taylor (Jac) 14.80; Ty’Yanah Adams (CC) 14.85; 100: Micayah Holland (Montverde) 11.26; 2. Ariyanna Griggs (Som) 11.74; 3. Aleesa Samuel (Som) 11.75; 7. Skye Jackson (Som) 11.96; 1600: Elizabeth Williamson (Holy Names) 4:54.43; 3. Brooke Hooper (PC) 5:01.98; 4. Emma Hencock (StB) 5:02.09; 7. Sabrina Gomez (Sun) 5:09.31; 400 relay: Cocoa 46.26; 2. Cardinal Gibbons 47.83; 300 hurdles: Michelle Smith (Montverde) 41.56; 4. Akerah Jones (CG) 43.67; 6. Arianna Garcia (Car) 46.06; 8. Wilnaya Taylor (Jac) 46.98; 200: Micayah Holland (Montverde) 23.13; 2. Skye Jackson (Som) 24.39; 3. Aleesa Samuel (Som) 24.49; 3200: Jillian Candelino (Bolles) 10:44.41; 2. Emma Hencock (StB) 11:01.30; 4. Brooke Hooper (PC) 11:07.26; 1600 relay: Bishop Kenny 3:55.00; 6. Cardinal Gibbons 4:03.71.
