Northwestern girls extend streak while Aquinas boys dethrone Dillard at 3A state track
Not even the addition of three-time defending state champion St. Thomas Aquinas into the mix could halt the state’s longest ever championship streak in track and field.
Miami Northwestern’s girls reigned supreme over one of the most loaded meets in recent memory, adding another trophy to their track dynasty Friday night in Gainesville after they won the Class 3A state meet with 94 points.
The Bulls won their state-record 13th consecutive state championship and state-best 18th overall after topping longtime rival Southridge by 18 points. Aquinas, which had won the past three state titles in Class 4A, finished fourth with 50 points.
Aquinas did, however, finish on top on the boys’ side in dramatic fashion.
Thanks to its winning 1,600-meter relay, the Raiders edged defending state champion Dillard 62-61 in the points standings. Aquinas, a six-time state champion, won its first state title on the boys’ side since 2014.
Individually though, no one dominated the meet like Southridge’s Alyssa Jones, who won four state championships, winning the long jump, high jump, 100 and 200 meters.
Here’s a look at the highlights from a meet that had South Florida athletes win a combined 21 events and endure an over three-hour weather delay.
HISTORIC PERFORMANCE
Jones became only the sixth girls’ athlete all-time to win four state titles at the state meet and the second from South Florida, joining Miami Jackson great Robin Reynolds, who accomplished the feat twice.
Jones, who is committed to Stanford University, finishes her career with eight state championships, which gives her the second-most by a Miami-Dade female athlete behind only Reynolds’ state record of 14 titles. Jones’ total may have been in the double-digit range had she not lost the chance to compete at state in 2020 when the postseason was canceled due to COVID-19.
Jones started the meet by winning the long jump with a mark of 6.39 meters - her best jump of the season and the top-ranked jump in the state this season according to FLRunners.com.
Jones followed by winning the high jump at 1.77 meters. It wasn’t even her best jump as Jones had jumped 1.82 meters earlier this season.
Then, Jones took it to the track where she won the 100 meters in 11.70 seconds and later the 200 meters in 23.49 seconds.
HOW THE BULLS WON
Northwestern’s talent and numbers were again too great.
Aaliyah Butler and Paris Baker led the charge for the Bulls along with Shakynah Tresvant scoring key points.
Butler and Baker were each part of Northwestern’s winning 1,600 relay, which ran a time of 3:45.54 to beat Southridge and Aquinas, whose runners had the state’s fastest time in the event coming into the meet.
Butler won the 400 in 53.42 seconds, topping her state-best time in the event while Baker won the 300 hurdles in 42.75 seconds.
In addition to Jones’ dominance, Southridge also captured the 400-meter relay title by running a time of 46.11 seconds.
Dillard’s girls, who finished sixth as a team, won the 3,200-meter relay in 9:03.27, shattering their own top mark statewide this season. Aquinas’ lone state champion was Cha’iel Johnson, who won the 800 meters in 2:08.35.
DOUBLE WINNERS
While Dillard came up short for the team title, Chris Johnson had a strong meet to lead the Panthers as he won the 100 meters in 10.45 seconds and the 200 in 20.78. Armondo Blount became Dillard’s first-ever state shot put champion after a throw of 16.48 meters. Damario Allen also triumphed in the pole vault (4.60 meters).
Pembroke Pines Charter’s Kyvon Tatham was the other multiple event winner after bringing home the high jump (7.27) and triple jump (14.94) titles.
St. Thomas was led by King Mack, who was part of the 1600 meter relay, which clinched the title after running a state-best time of 3:12.80. Mack also won the 400 meters in 46.68 seconds.
South Florida swept the top four spots on the boys’ side with Northwestern placing third and Belen Jesuit fourth. The Bulls were led by their 3,200 relay which ran a time of 7:53.31 to beat Aquinas by less than a second. Northwestern also won the 400 relay in 41.49 seconds. Adam Magoulas led Belen, winning the 1600 meters with a time of 4:13.16.
RESULTS
Note: Events with no top 8 finishers in Dade or Broward not listed.
Team (Winner plus top 10 Dade/Broward finishers) - Boys: 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 62, 2. Dillard 61, 3. Northwestern 56, 4. Belen 41; Girls: 1. Northwestern 94, 2. Southridge 76, 3. Rockledge 65; 4. St. Thomas Aquinas 50; 5. American Heritage 40, 6. Dillard 33.
Boys’ individual (Winner plus top 8 Dade/Broward finishers) - Shot put: Armondo Blount (Dil) 16.48; 3. Khalil Hunter (STA) 16.08; Javelin: Cole Crkvenac (New Smyrna Beach) 58.33; 6. Luis Consuegra (Bel) 46.45; 7. Kevin Alpizar (Bel) 46.04; Pole vault: Damario Allen (Dil) 4.60; 2. Nicolas Suoto (Bel) 4.20; 8. Aidan Girado (Bel) 3.90; Long jump: Kyvon Tatham (PPC) 7.27; 2. Edward Louis (Dil) 7.11; 3. Claude Campbell (STA) 7.08; 7. Richard Dandridge (Hom) 6.61; Triple jump: Kyvon Tatham (PPC) 14.91; 5. Richard Dandridge (Hom) 14.04; 3200 relay: Northwestern 7:53.31; 2. St. Thomas Aquinas 7:54.17; 110 hurdles: Harrison Robinson (Raines) 13.80; 2. Claude Campbell (STA) 14.14; 4. Derick Brown (Ely); 4. Thurman McMullen (NW) 14.42; 8. Jameli Thomas (NE) 14.48; 100: Chris Johnson (Dil) 10.45; 3. Jamari Sharpe (NW) 10.63; 4. King Mack (STA) 10.64; 5. Shanard Walker (BA) 10.64; 6. Trimaine Brown (NW) 10.71; 8. Lebron Williams (SR) 10.76; 1600: Adam Magoulas (Bel) 4:13.16; 3. Julian Rodriguez (Bel) 4:15.98; 400 relay: Northwestern 41.49; 7. Dillard 42.09; 400: King Mack (STA) 46.68; 2. Mekhi Gammons (HML) 46.69; 5. British Wilkerson (STA) 48.53; 6. Raynell Chambers (STA) 49.04; 7. Jaylen Rogers (NW) 49.14; 300 hurdles: Maguire Neal (Zephyrhills) 37.31; 3. Derrick Brown (Ely) 37.89; 4. Jameli Thomas (NE) 38.19; 5. Matthew McKnight (Nor) 38.48; 8. Kristoff Small (NE) 38.77; 800: Luke Larkin (FWB) 1:54.62; 3. Jaccari Shakes (Dil) 1:55.55; 4. Joseph Socarras (Bel) 1:56.12; 5. Daniel Jean-Charles (NW) 1:56.63; 7. Anthony Herrera (STA) 1:57.53; 200: Chris Johnson (Dil) 20.78; 2. Trimaine Brown (NW) 21.15; 3. Mekhi Gammons (HML) 21.24; 4. Shanard Walker (BA) 21.33; 8. Jamari Sharpe (NW) 21.58; 3200: Patrick Koon (Leon) 9:11.50; 3. Joshua Ruiz (Bel) 9:19.21; 1600 relay: St. Thomas Aquinas 3:12.80; 2. Northwestern 3:13.90; 4. Dillard 3:17.76; 5. Boyd Anderson 3:19.45; 7. Norland 3:19.87.
Girls’ individual (Winner plus top 8 Dade/Broward finishers) - Pole vault: Kerry Seekamp (FWB) 3.75; 3. Sydney Nicholson (AM) 3.60; 8. Sophia McDonald (AM) 3.30; Long jump: Alyssa Jones (SR) 6.39m; 7. Shakynah Tresvant (NW) 5.51; Javelin: Ava Grace Wheaton (Santa Rosa Pace) 38.28; 3. Emoriah McHenry Scruggs (Nor) 33.77; 6. Alayna Herring (STA) 31.70; 8. Janist Daniel (NW) 31.07; Triple jump: Jazmyn Wajd (Hillsborough) 12.27; 2. Shakynah Tresvant (NW) 12.03; Discus: Johntavia Shaw (Countryside) 43.91; 3. Lauren Thomas (STA) 39.41; 4. Me’Kayla Rothmiller (NW) 37.28; 7. Shanell Hester (NW) 35.78; High jump: Alyssa Jones (SR) 1.77; 7. Leyanis Armenteros-Castillo (STA) 1.57; Shot put: Johntavia Shaw (Countryside) 13.57; 2. Jade Shakir (Dil) 13.22; 7. Kiara Moss (SM) 11.80; 3200 relay: Dillard 9:03.27; 2. St. Thomas Aquinas 9:20.58; 5. American Heritage 9:31.79; 6. Northeast 9:33.11; 100 hurdles: Jasmyn Wajd (Hillsborough) 14.16; 2. Paris Baker (NW) 14.24; 4. Gianna Hansen (AH) 14.51; 6. Leyanis Armenteros-Castillo (STA) 14.64; 7. Shakynah Tresvant (NW) 14.72; 8. Joe Modile (STA) 14.74; 100: Alyssa Jones (SR) 11.70; 2. Somiyah Braggs (SR) 11.79; 3. Jayda Bushay (NW) 11.80; 4. Cynteria James (SR) 11.82; 5. Shanyah Washington (AH) 11.88; 1600: Caroline Wells (Winter Springs) 4:50.56; 4. Ashley Fitzgerald (AH) 4:58.52; 5. Grace Finneran (STA) 5:00.78; 400 relay: Southridge 46.11; 2. American Heritage 46.73; 4. Dillard 47.93; 400: Aaliyah Butler (NW) 53.42; 2. Jayda Bushay (NW) 54.35; 7. Shanel Morgan (STA) 56.94; 8. Xhamani Thompson (Dil) 57.14; 300 hurdles: Paris Baker (NW) 42.75; 2. Shakynah Tresvant (NW) 42.96; 4. Leyanis Armenteros-Castillo (STA) 43.61; 6. Alexia Reid (Dil) 43.74; 8. Amaiya Samuel (AH) 44.56; 800: Cha’iel Johnson (STA) 2:08.35; 2. Samantha Kavanaugh (NE) 2:08.47; 3. Raquel Edwards (Dil) 2:08.84; 5. Sydni Studesville (AH) 2:17.17; 200: Alyssa Jones (SR) 23.49; 2. Aaliyah Butler (NW) 23.91; 3. Jayda Bushay (NW) 24.07; 4. Cynteria James (SR) 24.15; 6. Shanyah Washington (AH) 24.69; 3200: Caroline Wells (WS) 10:32.22; 3. Ashley Fitzgerald (AH) 10:42.60; 1600 relay: Northwestern 3:45.54; 2. Southridge 3:48.40; 3. St. Thomas Aquinas 3:49.98; 7. Boyd Anderson 3:58.34.
This story was originally published May 14, 2022 at 12:30 AM.
