Flanagan boys deliver dominant performance to secure first state track title
Pembroke Pines Flanagan has had quality track and field athletes in the past.
But the Falcons have built a dominant boys’ squad in recent years.
On Saturday night at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Flanagan soared to new heights.
Led by stellar and gutsy performances throughout the Class 4A state meet, the Falcons boys secured their first ever state championship by a comfortable margin.
Flanagan recorded 77.5 points overall to finish well ahead of runner-up Boca Raton Spanish River’s 53 and defending state champion Columbus, which placed third with 47 points.
Sophomore Alijah McKenzie and junior Raymond Hawkins each secured individual championships in their respective events, and formed half of the Flanagan 400-meter relay team, which picked up one of the thrilling ones of the day when they won the state title in 40.75 seconds. The winning time edged Lakeland by one-hundredth of a second. Hawkins and McKenzie ran the first and third legs of the race while senior Ronald Daniels and junior Jacob Thomas ran the second and anchor legs respectively.
Hawkins began the day strong for the Falcons by winning the state title in the long jump with a leap of 7.33 meters. Hawkins would go on to finish third in the 100 meters with a time of 10.48 seconds that was just behind Thomas’ 10.43 seconds. Thomas also placed third in the 200 meters and Hawkins was seventh.
McKenzie won the state title in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 52.41 seconds, and Mekhi Chamberlain finished fourth. McKenzie was also the runner-up in the 110 hurdles in 14.15 seconds.
Junior Allan Harris finished fourth in the high jump despite battling the heat and fatigue. Flanagan’s 3,200 relay team of Jordan Evans, Brayden Hall, Jeremiah Holassie and Malcolm Spence finished third.
For Flanagan’s girls, junior Lenee Barbary finished second in the 400 and fifth in the 200.
St. Thomas Aquinas’ girls finished a close second with 45 points, which was two points behind champion Creekside’s 47 points. Kyara Belfort finished second in the 400 hurdles and fourth in the 100 hurdles, and Nekalia Watt finished second in the discus to lead the Raiders.
MORE CHAMPIONS
Columbus senior Gianluca Padilla capped his career on a high note by sweeping the discus and shot put titles. Padilla’s throw of 48.91 meters in the discus cleared the opposition. He later won the shot put with a throw of 15.79 meters.
Coral Springs junior Olivia Higgins was Broward’s lone individual girls’ state champion on Saturday. Higgins won the 800 meter race with a time of 2:09.09.
Braddock’s boys took home gold in the 3,200 meter relay with a time of 7:43.92. The Bulldogs’ winning quartet was junior Jacob Castanedo, senior Mauricio Escalona, junior Jaeden Liranzo and senior Jhonny Felix.
Southridge sped its way to the girls’ state title in the 400-meter relay. The Spartans’ group of seniors Janeise Guevara, Tamiya Mccoggle, Jalisa Marshall and Astaria Crawford ran a time of 46.25 seconds.
RESULTS
Boys’ team scores: 1. Flanagan 77.5; 2. Boca Spanish River 53; 3. Columbus 47; Individual winners plus top 8 Dade/Broward - 100: 1. DJ Dobie (Lakeland) 10.24; 2. Jacob Thomas (Flan) 10.43; 3. Raymond Hawkins (Flan) 10.48; 6. Tyler Reid (STA) 10.53; 200: 1. Kylen Monk (Largo) 20.91; 3. Jacob Thomas (Flan) 21.19; 4. Alec Cruz (Col) 21.21; 7. Raymond Hawkins (Flan) 21.33; 400: 1. Devin Matthews (Ocoee) 47.24; 800: 1. Preston Sangley (Spanish River) 1:52.48; 4. Sebastian Gonzalez (SB) 1:54.18; 5. Alexander Lopez (Col) 1:54.41; 7. Jhonny Felix (Brad) 1:54.90; 1600: 1. Preston Sangley (Spanish River) 4:09.98; 3200: 1. Andrew Youssef (Vero Beach) 9:01.99; 6. Diego Eseverri (Col) 9:12.53; 110 hurdles: 1. Jaiden Manning (Ocoee) 13.92; 2. Alijah McKenzie (Flan) 14.15; 5. Josh Tucker (Pip) 14.48; 7. Michael McKenzie (STA) 14.51; 400 hurdles: 1. Alijah McKenzie (Flan) 52.41; 2. Jayden Carroll (Nova) 52.82; 4. Mekhi Chamberlain (Flan) 54.47; 400 relay: 1. Flanagan 40.75; 6. St. Thomas Aquinas 41.28; 1600 relay: 1. Flagler Palm Coast 3:14.35; 2. Columbus 3:14.35; 3. Homestead 3:15.29; 7. Flanagan 3:19.00; 3200 relay: 1. Braddock 7:43.92; 3. Flanagan 7:46.88; 4. Columbus 7:47.43; 6. Taravella 7:52.00; High jump: 1. Jeremiah Lysius (Park Vista) 2.02; 4. Allan Harris (Flan) 1.92; Pole vault: 1. Dylan Gourley (Gateway) 4.65; 5. Javier Marmol (SD) 4.35; Long jump: 1. Raymond Hawkins (Flan) 7.33; Triple jump: 1. Riley Michaud (Parrish) 14.91; 2. Jayden Jones (SR) 14.76; 4. Benjamin Joseph (CS) 14.25; Shot put: 1. Gianluca Padilla (Col) 15.79; Discus: 1. Gianluca Padilla (Col) 48.91; 3. Sheven Marshall (SD) 48.76; 4. Jeshua Raskin (West) 47.06; 6. Rickenson Bozier (Mon) 45.50; Javelin: 1. Chase Bureau (Park Vista) 59.18; 2. Lagarious Tyler (FTL) 55.22; 7. Jack Norman (Col) 51.76.
Girls’ team scores: 1. Creekside 47; 2. St. Thomas Aquinas 45; 5. Coral Springs 25; 7. Doral Academy 23; Individual winners plus top 8 Dade/Broward - 100: 1. Laiana McClinton (Largo) 11.46; 6. Jaelyn Jackson (Gol) 11.68; 8. Malikah Mais (STA) 11.70; 200: 1. Vanessa Waite (Lake Minneola) 23.17; 4. Jaelyn Jackson (Gol) 23.82; 5. Lenee Barbary (Flan) 23.94; 400: 1. Taylor-Nicole Overton (Vero Beach) 52.84; 2. Lenee Barbary (Flan) 53.87; 800: 1. Olivia Higgins (CS) 2:09.09; 1600: 1. Atrah Robinson (Venice) 4:46.50; 3200: 1. Arabela Duffell (Lake Nona) 10:29.10; 100 hurdles: 1. Nia Armstrong (Sickles) 13.41; 3. Patricia Costa (Tar) 13.80; 4. Kyara Belfort (STA) 13.82; 6. Samantha Bandres Chourio (CS) 14.15; 400 hurdles: 1. Nia Armstrong (Sickles) 58.88; 2. Kyara Belfort (STA) 59.77; 3. Samantha Bandres Chourio (CS) 1:00.15; 400 relay: 1. Southridge 46.25; 1600 relay: 1. Creekside 3:49.33; 3. Coral Springs 3:52.44; 4. St. Thomas Aquinas 3:52.76; 8. Taravella 3:56.06; 3200 relay: 1. Spanish River 9:05.49; High jump: 1. Mikayla Palmer (Spruce Creek) 1.72; 4. Ainsee-Aeshka Laurore (STA) 1.62; Pole vault: 1. Norah Garraughty (Lyman) 3.60; Long jump: 1. Hayden Higgins (East Lake) 5.83; 4. Anna Echevarria (Dor) 5.62; 8. Olivia Noel (Tar) 5.48; Triple jump: 1. Karina Marcelus (Flagler Palm Coast) 12.41; 2. Ana Echevarria (Dor) 12.23; 6. Gabrielle Pridgen (STA) 11.22; Shot put: 1. Olivia Celiscar (Winter Haven) 12.73; 3. Meghan McGinn (Dor) 12.34; Discus: 1. Jasmin Morgan (STA) 43.10; 2. Nekalia Watt (STA) 42.03; 5. Meghan McGinn (Dor) 38.75; Javelin: 1. Olivia Ennis (Plant City) 49.15.
