ST. AUGUSTINE - Led by junior distance ace Graham Myers, the top region seed in the 3200 meters, the Fleming Island High boys track and field team will be a formidable squad at the region 1-3A track and field championships to be held at University of North Florida on Thurs., May 4.

For the girls in 3A, Fleming Island soccer ace and 800 meter runner Kaitlyn Scherer had her school record 2:20.13 get her a second rank for the event. Fleming Island’s girls have three runners in the top 10 in the 800; Reese Scott and Brooke Reynolds.

Fleming Island senior miler Katie Thompson is within seven seconds of a top seed in the 1600 with her 5:19.09 split behind a 1-2 by Ponte Vedra at the top.

One of the top freshman performances came from Fleming Island triple jumper Mikayla Shavers who is the top seed for the region with a 38’-11.75” leap putting her more than foot ahead of her chasers.

Orange Park shotputter Mychalea Parker, third in 2022, is top seed by two inches with her 37’-11.25” put ahead of Rickards’ Jakarma Mitchell. Clay Highs dynamic shot put duo of Kenya Tinajero and Annalee Harbison are sixth and seventh ranked with Harbison top ranked in discust by nearly four feet; 130’-4”, ahead of Middleburg’s Madison Underwood.

With Leon defending state cross country and 3200 track champion Patrick Koon concentrating on the 1600 with his top region split of 4:14.54, Myers, second in Class 1A’s 3200 last year as a runner for St. Johns Country Day School at 9:26.84, will put his fast legs on the longer 3200 to try and get a gold medal to put next to his silver medal from last. Myers, at 9:33.80 to be the region top seed, finished second to Spartans teammate Matthew Stratton, now at the University of Florida, last year in Gainesville.

Myers also has teammate Jacob Campbell in the mix for a possible two medal effort for the Golden Eagles with Campbell sixth ranked with a 9:51.07.

In the 110 hurdles, Fleming Island also has two contenders in Brenden Cook, fifth at 15.31, and Enrico Montero, ninth at 16.02, with Mehki Dupree of Pensacola Washington on top with a fast 14.33.

Montero also is a top 10 in the 400 hurdlers; seventh, with Orange Park’s Timothy Barfield fifth ranked at 56.92. Ponte Vedra’s Jarrell Jiminez is top seed at 55.81.

Myers, Montoya and John Keester IV and Roman Mollicone, third seed in the 800 with a 1:57, have Fleming Island set for another medal in one of their strongest events; the 4 x 800.

In the jumps, Ridgeview’s T’Vario Willis is ninth in the high jump with Fleming Island pole vaulter Gideon Gillespy seventh.

In long jump, Orange Park freshman Nethen Verger continues his strong season with a fifth seed at 21’-8.25 with a 23’-1.75” the top jump.

Clay long jumper Kenley Hilaire is right behind Verger at sixth at 21’-8”.

For Orange Park, Carlder Datilus is third-ranked in triple jump just four inches from the second seed with his 45’-6.25, but two feet from top seed Seth Stockton of Columbia, who hit 47’-4.25”. Datilus is 10th in long jump.

In the discus, Middleburg’s Wyatt Underwood, seventh in 2022, has been strong in his return from injury with fourth seed on a 144’-3” toss with Ladarius Jackson of Fleming Island fifth at 144’-2”. Ponte Vedra’s Nathan Lebowitz, the defending champion, hit an astounding 189’-2” to be top seed.

For the Orange Park girls, hurdlers Aaliyah Abbasi in the 100 hurdles and Hope Carter in the 400 hurdles got top 10 ranks with fast times on a rainy track for their district meet; 16.27 and 1:09.79.

Orange Park’s Kayleanna Henry won her 400 meter district title with a late surge in the final 100 meters to get a 1”01.01 and a ninth ranking.

In high jump, Gabrielle Flores is third ranked with teammate Madie Thompson sixth.