Northwestern’s Tyra Cox wins state’s Miss Track award. Local track coaches honored, too
Tyra Cox of Miami Northwestern and Micahi Danzy of Florida High in Tallahassee are the state’s 2024 Florida Dairy Farmers Miss and Mr. Track, following a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school track and field coaches and media representatives.
Cox, a junior, swept the 100-meter (11.72), 200-meter (23.24) and 400-meter (52.26) titles and was a member of the Class 3A state champion 4x100 relay team. Cox’s time in the 400 meters was the second-fastest in the nation this year and qualifies her for a spot in this summer’s Olympic trials.
Cox, who was earlier named the state’s Class 3A girls’ track athlete of the year, finished ahead of Class 4A track athlete of the year and 2023 Miss Track winner Chelsi Williams of George Jenkins, Class 2A award winner J’Nia Simpson of Tampa Catholic and Class 1A award winner McKenzie Travis of Evangelical Christian.
Danzy, a senior, swept the Class 2A 200-meter and 400-meter titles. His winning time of 45.88 in the 400 meters was a personal best and the fastest in all classes at the state meet. He has signed to play football for Florida State University and will also compete on the FSU track team.
Danzy, who was earlier named the state’s Class 2A boys’ track and field athlete of the year, finished ahead of Class 4A award winner Evan Fleming of Buchholz, Class 3A winner Kai Evans of Lake Minneola and Class 1A track athlete of the year Henry Stark of Palmer Trinity.
Track state coaching honors
Greg Barnes of American Heritage School in Plantation and Davidson Gill of Dillard High School are the state’s Florida Dairy Farmers 2024 Boys’ and Girls’ Track Coaches of the Year, following a final round of voting by a panel of state high school track and field coaches and media representatives.
Barnes, the state’s Class 3A Coach of the Year, too, led his team to the boys’ state championship with a scoring margin of 76-68 over runner-up Miami Northwestern.
Other class winners were 4A Co-Coaches of the Year Todd Brigman of Niceville and Danny Areces of Miami Columbus, 2A COY Mike Acree of Florida High and 1A COY Barrett Saunders of The Benjamin School.
Gill led his girls’ team to the Class 3A state title by a slim 76.0-73.5 margin over Northwestern, ending Northwestern’s all-time state-record winning streak of 14 consecutive championships.
Gill, who was earlier named the Class 3A Coach of the Year, finished ahead of Class 4A COY Ricky Fields of Creekside, Class 2A COY Gerald Phiri of Montverde Academy and Class 1A COY Aaron Prather of Admiral Farragut.
The Florida Dairy Farmers Sports Awards program exemplifies Florida Dairy Farmers’ commitment to the state’s youth. This is the 32nd year of these unique awards as we honor the state’s top athletes and coaches in sanctioned FHSAA sports. The program also emphasizes to young people the importance of keeping dairy products a primary part of their diet in their overall nutrition plan.
Lacrosse state awards
Senior attack Ryann Frechette of Bartram Trail High School is the state’s 2024 Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Lacrosse.
Frechette, who was named Miss Lacrosse for the second straight year, scored 114 goals and added 32 assists for her Class 2A state championship team. She completed her high school career with 464 goals and posted 163 assists. She will play lacrosse for the University of Florida.
Senior attack Brooke Goldstein of American Heritage-Delray Beach repeated as the state’s Class 1A Girls’ Player of the Year after helping her team to the Class 1A state championship by scoring 64 goals and adding 34 assists. A finalist for Miss Lacrosse, Goldstein signed with Clemson University.
John McClain of American Heritage-Delray Beach was named the state’s 2024 Girls’ Coach of the Year for the second straight year after leading his team to a 22-1 record and the Class 1A state championship. He was also the state’s Class 1A Girls’ Coach of the Year.
First-year coach Megan O’Grady was named the state’s Class 2A Girls’ Coach of the Year, after leading Bartram Trail to an 18-5 record and the program’s third straight Class 2A state title.
More lacrosse state honors
Senior midfielder Caden Harshbarger of Lake Mary High School is the state’s 2024 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Lacrosse, and The Benjamin School’s Peter Cordrey is the state’s 2024 Boys’ Lacrosse Coach of the Year.
Harshbarger, who also won the award in 2023, helped his squad to its second straight Class 2A state championship by scoring 52 goals and adding 28 assists. Also a Class 2A Boys’ Player of the Year in Florida, he’s selected to compete in the Senior All-America game at Johns Hopkins University in July and signed with the University of North Carolina.
Sophomore midfield/attack Dylan Faison of Saint Andrew’s School was named the state’s Class 1A Boys’ Player of the Year and a finalist for Mr. Lacrosse, after scoring 97 goals and adding 45 assists for his Class 1A state Final Four team.
Cordrey, who finished his sixth year coaching Benjamin, led his squad to a 21-1 record and the Class 1A state championship, the program’s first state title.
Garrick Robinson of Lake Mary, who won the top coaching honor last year, was named the state’s Class 2A Boys’ Coach of the Year after leading his squad to a 24-1 record and a second straight state title.
Basketball camps
The Miami Heat offers youth basketball camp in Broward and Miami-Dade counties from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. throughout the Summer break.
Jr. HEAT Camps are for boys and girls, ages 7-17, of all abilities and skill levels. Camps focus on improving individual basketball skills and off the court character development. Campers will participate in a variety of competitions, fundamental drills and games.
About the camp
On the first day of camp, the campers will be split into teams of about 8-10 kids and assigned a coach. They will be on that same team for the entire camp unless they make a trade to make the teams fair. They will play two; full court, 5-on-5 games each day, and will learn various basketball skills. One day out of the week, a current HEAT player or HEAT legend visits the camp, takes photos and signs autographs with the kids. Lunch is included, and the campers will receive giveaways daily.
June 17, 18, 20, 21: Cooper City High School.
June 24-28: Cooper City High School
July 8-12: SLAM Miami High School.
July 8-12: Cooper City High School.
July 15-19: SLAM Miami High School
July 15-19: Cooper City High School
July 22-26: SLAM Miami High School
July 22-26: Cooper City High School
July 29-Aug. 2: SLAM Miami High School
Email Santi Echavarria at SEchavarria@HEAT.com.
Submit summer sports info
If you have summer sports results with local top performers (with stats) for high school or middle school-aged athletes in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, email hssports@miamiherald.com.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. Send after the game, the next day or weekly. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online.
New athletic directors, coaches
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have new sports administration and/or coaching hires to announce, email hssports@miamiherald.com.
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Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
