Dillard’s girls end Miami Northwestern’s long track and field state championship streak

One of the nation’s longest state championship streaks is over.

Fort Lauderdale Dillard entered the last event of the girls portion of the Class 3A track and field state championship only 4.5 points between itself and Miami Northwestern.

The Bulls won the 1,600-meter relay with a time of 3:42.02, but Dillard’s second-place finish was enough to secure a 2.5-point victory for the state championship Friday night.

Dillard’s 76 points were just enough, as Miami Northwestern ended the night with 73.5 points and had its state-best streak of 14 consecutive state championships snapped.

“They fought from start to the finish,” Dillard coach Davidson Gill said. “We knew it was going to be a tough outing against a quality team like (Miami) Northwestern, so we knew every point counts, every race counts.”

Miami Northwestern was disqualified from the 400-meter race after it had been completed, which cost the team five points toward its total.

“We were in position to be the champion again, but things happen in the meet,” Miami Northwestern coach Carmen Jackson said. “We got DQ’d in the 4x100, which I felt was unfair. A couple kids had some issues (so) they had to leave the podium and didn’t get back in time… so it came down to that.”

Fueling Dillard’s victory was senior Christiana Coleman, who accounted for 20 of the team’s points individually and was a part of the winning 3,200-meter relay team, which finished in 8:49.73 minutes. Coleman won the 1,600-meter with a time of 4:53.58 and the 3,200 with a time of 10:50.88.

“I knew we were capable (of being) in a position to potentially win the state title,” Coleman said. “But it was kind of a setback when a couple of days ago my hip started bothering me. We didn’t really know how today was going to go, but I knew that I was capable of (winning).”

While Miami Northwestern didn’t come out on top, the school still had a number of strong finishes on the boys and girls sides. The team finished in second in both groups, with 73.5 points by the girls and 68 from the boys.

Junior Tyra Cox refused to do anything but win. She earned first in the 100-meter dash (11.72 seconds), 200-meter dash (23.24 seconds) and 400-meter dash (52.26 seconds) for a state championship triple crown.

Her time on the 400-meter dash was No. 2 in the United States and met the qualifying time for the Olympic trials.

“I knew I ran fast, but not that fast,” Cox said. “I had no idea at all, but I’m really proud of myself because I worked hard.”

Miami Northwestern junior Kashia Hoo also won the 400-meter hurdles in 50.58 seconds.

The boys side earned contributions from sophomore J’Vari Flowers, who won the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.50 seconds, and junior Tywan Cox, who ran the 400-meter in 46.43 seconds for the gold medal. The boys 1,600 relay team also won with a time of 3:14.26.

American Heritage took home the state championship in the boys portion. The school scored 76 points, including one individual and one relay gold.

Sophomore Zamarii Sanders ran the 200-meter dash in 20.58 seconds. The boys 400-meter relay team completed the race in 39.39 seconds, setting a state record with the first sub-40-second time in Florida history.

“For sure, we thought it was going to happen. I knew it was going to happen,” American Heritage coach Greg Barnes said. “I’m the one that had the 4x100 record with the 2018 team with 40.13. I told them when this team was forming, it was going to probably be better than that team, and they set the bar high now.”

Somerset Academy notched a pair of gold medals when junior Lauren Kirby threw her discus 47.56 meters and threw the shot put 14.11 meters. Somerset senior Anya Carey jumped 12.03 meters in the triple jump for another gold medal.

Belen Jesuit junior Joseph Socarras beat the Florida high school record with a 4:04.53-minute time in the 1,600-meter race. North Miami’s girls 400-meter relay team won with a time of 46.55 seconds. Boyd Anderson sophomore O’Hara Tommie won the boys triple jump with a distance of 14.62 meters.

RESULTS

Boys’ team scores - Winner plus top 10 Dade/Broward: 1. Plantation American Heritage 76; 2. Northwestern 68; 3. Belen Jesuit 52; 9. Boyd Anderson 25.

Boys’ individual winners plus top 8 Dade/Broward - 100: 1. Flowers (NW) 10.50; 2. Bran. Bennett (AH) 10.57; 3. Lucas (AH) 10.62; 4. Bray. Bennett (AH) 10.64; 6. Theodule (NW) 10.72; 7. Parris (AH) 10.73; 8. Smith (Dil) 10.74; 200: 1. Sanders (AH) 20.58; 2. Flowers (NW) 20.91; 3. Bran. Bennett (AH) 21.07; 4. Bray. Bennett (AH) 21.08; 5. Cox (NW) 21.08; 6. Parris (AH) 21.12; 7. Smith (Dil) 21.39; 400: 1. Cox (NW) 46.43; 6. Watson (BA) 48.96; 800: 1. Mollicone (FI) 1:50.52; 2. De Bastos (PPC) 1:50.77; 4. Jones (NW) 1:53.87; 6. Diaz-Quintero (Bel) 1:54.98; 1600: 1. Socarras (Bel) 4:04.53; 3. Mantecon (Bel) 4:10.88; 5. Joshua Ruiz (Bel) 4:16.76; 3200: 1. Koon (Leon) 8:56.92; 2. Joshua Ruiz (Bel) 9:13.85; 4. Justin Ruiz (Bel) 9:16.57; 5. Joseph Ruiz (Bel) 9:17.47; 6. Mantecon (Bel) 9:27.64; 110 hurdles: 1. Evans (LM) 13.81; 3. Fleming (NW) 14.43; 4. Arthurs (NOR) 14.48; 5. Honeywood (NOR) 14.60; 7. Rock (NOR) 14.65; 400 hurdles: 1. Evans (LM) 53.02; 4. Scott (NOR) 54.45; 6. Fleming (NW) 55.05; 7. Davis (Cen) 55.43; 8. Montgomery (Cen) 55.81; 400 relay: 1. American Heritage 39.39; 2. Northwestern 40.51; 8. Norland 41.68; 1600 relay: 1. Northwestern 3:14.26; 3. Boyd Anderson 3:17.34; 7. Dillard 3:21.74; 3200 relay: 1. Fleming Island 7:43.03; 2. Belen 7:48.18; 5. Boyd Anderson 7:51.42; Pole vault: 1. Desanto (PV) 4.50m; 8. Amador (Bel) 4.05m; Long jump: 1. Johnson (Choc) 7.22m; 2. Lucas (AH) 6.93m; 5. Volmar (AM) 6.79m; 8. Sterr (AM) 6.64m; Triple jump: 1. Tommie (BA) 14.62m; 6. Sterr (AM) 13.89m; Shot put: 1. Davis (Leon) 17.64m; 2. Moreau (AH) 17.50m; 8. Miller (NW) 15.30m; Discus: 1. Scott (Linc) 52.91m; 4. Moreau (AH) 49.84m; 5. Rothmiller (NOR) 47.88m; 7. Bonamy (BA) 45.62m; Javelin: 1. Allen (Rock) 61.56m; 4. Young (McA) 54.51m.

Girls’ team scores - Winner plus top 10 Dade/Broward: 1. Dillard 76; 2. Northwestern 73.5; 4. Somerset Academy 32; 8. North Miami 24. 10. American Heritage 22.

Girls’ individual winners - 100: 1. Cox (NW) 11.72; 2. Brown (NM) 11.79; 3. Compere (NE) 11.91; 6. Frazier (BA) 12.15; 200: 1. Cox (NW) 23.24; 2. Compere (NE) 24.19; 3. Brown (NM) 24.36; 6. Smith (NW) 24.99; 7. Jean (NE) 25.14; 8. Kinsey (NW) 25.20; 400: 1. Cox (NW) 52.26; 2. Frazier (BA) 54.41; 3. Collins (Dil) 54.68; 8. Mullings (NE) 57.31; 800: 1. Nunez (Bayside) 2:10.82; 5. Edwards (Dil) 2:14.08; 6. Richards (Dil) 2:14.66; 1600: 1. Coleman (Dil) 4:53.58; 3. Alvarez-Coia (AH) 4:57.39; 3200: 1. Coleman (Dil) 10:50.88; 4. Alvarez-Coia (AH) 11:01.31; 5. Gill (Dil) 11:09.12; 100 hurdles: 1. Waters (Atl) 13.72; 2. Reid (Dil) 13.72; 4. Kah. Hoo (NW) 14.17; 8. Samuel (AH) 14.76; 400 hurdles: 1. Kas. Hoo (NW) 1:00.58; 2. Reid (Dil) 1:00.74; 3. Kah. Hoo (NW) 1:00.74; 4. Wildgoose (AH) 1:01.72; 5. Johnson (Cen) 1:02.21; 7. Samuel (AH) 1:03.53; 400 relay: 1. North Miami 46.55; 4. Dillard 47.44; 1600 relay: 1. Northwestern 3:42.02; 2. Dillard 3:46.58; 5. Norland 3:55.59; 6. American Heritage 3:59.08; 3200 relay: 1. Dillard 8:49.73; 5. Northwestern 9:31.21; High jump: 1. Flores (FI) 1.70m; 6. Vassell (NW) 1.52m; Triple jump: 1. Carey (Som) 12.03m; 7. King (Som) 11.44m; Shot put: 1. Kirby (Som) 14.11m; Discus: 1. Kirby (Som) 47.56m; 6. Scott (NW) 37.80m.

This story was originally published May 18, 2024 at 12:24 AM.