ORANGE PARK — Fleming Island High track teams: boys and girls finished impressively with high point totals to dominate their district 3-3A track and field championships while Oakleaf's boys, in district 1-4A, punched in with big jumps to take the boys title on their newly refurbished track at Oakleaf High. Area teams will head to the region track championships on May 1-2 for a shot at the state meet at the University of North Florida on May 6-9.

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Track Regions Meets
Region 1-4A: OHS at Seminole HS in Orlando on May 2
Region 1-3A: FIHS, MHS, RHS, CHS, OPHS at Pine Forest HS in Pensacola on May 2
Region 1-2A: KHHS at Pine Forest on May 1
Region 2-1A: SJCDS (Districts April 25 at OPHS) Region at Wildwood on May 1
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Fleming Island, with a distance crew and six-deep roster led by junior JP Strombeck and senior Marcos Serrano all season, got winning performances from sophomores Ryder Muyres and Isaac Garrison in the 3200 for a 1-2-3-4 finish for the Eagles with juniors Camden Ghisolfi and Jack Loehr finishing 1-2 in the 800 followed by freshman Andrew Lou in third.

Last year, Fleming Island had Jacob Campbell 13th in the 3200 in 9:34 as the lone distance entry and a 4 x 800 boys' team that finished 14th.
For the Fleming Island girls, triple jump defending 3A champion Mikayla Shavers unloaded with wins in the long jump and triple jump with big gaps to second place —two feet in long jump and five feet in triple jump —to shake the state's challengers in their boots.

According to Fleming Island jump coach Konner Achors, also a state and collegiate track standout at Fleming Island High as well as the University of Indiana, Shavers brings a unique intellect to both of her jumping events.

"The difference in approaches for the long jump and triple jump make it very difficult to be good in both," Achors said. "The long jump has speed to the board, while the triple jump has control. Mikayla is very unique in that she can do both."

Achors noted that Shavers' last few triple jumps in recent meets —all over 40 feet with a state best at 42-plus feet —would win most collegiate meets. Note: A look at the NCAA list of best triple jumps has a 45-foot leap as the best in 2026 in NCAA Div. I.

Last year, in 3A, Shavers was fourth in long jump at 17-feet-7-inches and won triple jump at 39-feet-0.5 inches. Shavers won the triple jump at 41 feet-7inches with Ridgeview's Sarah Michel second at 36-feet-5.5-inches. Shavers won the long jump at 19-feet-75 inches with Michel second at 17-feet-4-inches.

In both events, Ridgeview's jump team of Michel, Avi Miller and Serenity Lee kept the pressure on Shavers and third placer Shaperia Ross of Gainesville with Ridgeview coach Carl Jackson optimistic of his squad making regions marks and getting state bids.

"All three have been jumping well all season and have been pretty close to each other," Jackson said. "We figure the Fleming girl is best in the state, but that still leaves a lot of medals on the table for us to grab."

In the triple, Michel was second ahead of Ross and Orange Park's Katelynn Joseph with Miller sixth.

Fleming Island's boys amassed 224 points with Middleburg second with 72 and Orange Park third with 70 and Ridgeview fourth with 62. Clay was fifth with 60 in the 10-team field.

For the girls, Fleming Island scored 194 with Ridgeview second at 139, Gainesville third at 103 and Middleburg fourth at 83. Orange Park was fifth at 41 with Clay 10th at 12.

Ridgeview got another outstanding sprint performance from sophomore Oja Riggs with wins in the 100; 12.41 to 12.65 over Columbia's Kensi Shaw, and also in the 200; and 25.66 to 25.76 over Fleming Island's Halle Steeves in one of the tightest finishes of the day. Steeves also won the 400 in 56.98 —six seconds ahead of teammate Jayla Mixon, about 40 minutes prior to the 200.

In the boys' sprints, in the 100, Fleming Island's Chase Donaldson edged a four-pack finish with an 11.18 split just ahead of Columbia's Tacori Allen, Orange Park's Jaden Fields and Clay's Jean Bastien —all in under 11.38.

In the 200, 400 specialist Lennox Ivey, who won his specialty in a quick 48.81 over Lavarius Jones of Orange Park, fended off challenges from Donaldson, Bastien and Columbia's Kyren Caldwell with a 21.87 split for the win.
Ivey also anchored the Fleming Island 4 x 400 to a dramatic come-from-behind win over Clay after getting the baton 10 yards in second place.

Brooke Reynolds surged to defeat Middleburg's Lauren Rosset in the 1600, then finished third in the 800. For the Fleming Island boys, Garrison was second with teammate Luke Janke in third behind ED White's Jeremiah Gamble's winning 4.48.40 time.

In the field events, Orange Park's Nethan Verger, second in 3A last year at 24-feet-1.5-inches, looks to be back in state form with a 24-foot-1-inch-long jump win by two feet over Fleming Island's Tysen Janda with Ridgeview's DeShawn Watkins winning triple jump in 44-feet-2-inches.

Ridgeview got double team points in girls shotput with Janelle Rouse and Naviah Mincey finishing 1-2 with Middleburg's Annabelle Underwood following cues from sister Madison (third in 3A last year) for a win in discus by 16 feet.
Fleming Island pole vaulters Hannah Forte got first and second with Theo Jackson finishing second with a sore hamstring. Orange Park's Aiden Ortega won the boys pole vault at 11-feet-3.5-inches.

In discus, Fleming Island's David Fuentes, 14th in 3A last year at 136-feet-6-inches, got a great throw at 149-feet-9-inches to edge out Westside's McArthur James who kept pace with a runner-up 148-feet-8-inches toss.

In javelin, Clay High's Markeetis Pierce continues his improving throws with a top throw of 128-feet-9-inches to outdistance Middleburg's Kayden Curengton at 123-feet-8-inches. Girls' javelin went to Ridgeview's Rhiyanna Dachoute by 15 feet with a 104-foot-2-inch toss.

In hurdles, Fleming Island's Meadow Schubert and teammate Juliannah Santana got the front quick and stayed with the pair going 1-2 in the 100 hurdles and 1-4 in the 400 hurdles with teammate Liz Marie Guzman-Torres third behind Ava Wilkes of Baker County.

Class 3A State Meet winners (2025)
BOYS: 100: 10.59; 200: 20.66; 400: 46.06; 800: 1:52.27; 1600: 4:10.11; 3200: 8:56.89; 100 hurdles: 14.45; 400 hurdles: 52.44; HJ: 6'-6"; LJ: 24'-3"; TJ: 47'-9"; PV: 14.76'; Discus: 218.4'; Jav: 198'3"; Shot: 59'-15".
GIRLS: 100: 11.74; 200: 22.99; 400: 51.44; 800: 2:09.85; 1600: 4:50.41; 3200: 10:54.17; 100 H: 13.70; 400 H: 59.59; HJ: 5'-6"; TJ: 39'-1"; PV: 11'-3"; Discus: 160'-7"; JAV: 145'-.25"; SP: 45'-3".

Oakleaf boys take track district with numbers

By Randy Lefko
randy@claytodayonline.com

OAKLEAF - Oakleaf High boys track had lots of guys in lots of events scoring top 10 finishes and also accumulated a 156.5-point total to outdistance runner-up Tocoi Creek's 130 points to take the district 1-4A track title Saturday.

The girls track team finished in a strong third chasing Bartram Trail while Creekside dominated with a 178.0-point total. Bartram Trail was second at 110.5 with Oakleaf third at 102.5.

"We went into districts trying to win it, but at the same time we had to play chess, not checkers," said Oakleaf coach Juba McCray. "We made some tough calls."

Oakleaf's boys scored double digit team points in eight events led by 20.5 points in the high jump; and an astounding 48 points in the 100, 200 and 400 races combined.

In the high jump, Taron Smith won at 6-feet-3.5 inches with teammate Landon Nichols second at 6-feet-1.5-inches and Jelani Wright sixth at 5-feet-9.75-inches.
In the sprints, the 100 went 2-3-4 for Oakleaf with Kashe Johnson, Miles Francis and Emmanuel Souffrant in behind Creekside 4A fourth in 100 and 200 runner-up Josh Howell (10.89) in a batch at 11.15, 11.18 and 11.21.

"We took Kashe Johnson and Emmanuel Souffrant off the 4 x 100 so they could focus on scoring in multiple events and be ready for the 4 x 400 if we needed it," McCray said. "We took our top 400 guy (Rodney Townsend) out of the 200 so he could lock in on the 400 and be ready for the 4 x 400."

In the 200, Howell winning again in 21.48, Oakleaf got 2-5-6 with Souffrant, Johnson and Francis all in under 22.39.

In the 400, behind Mandarin's Jace Kemp in 47.59, Oakleaf went 3-4-6 for team points behind Townsend (48.34), Johnson (48.41) and Souffrant (49.45). Townsend was 12th in 4A last year in 2025.

"Now, going into regionals, it's a different focus," McCray said. "We tightened everything up with guys focusing on one or two events plus a relay. Kashe Johnson will go 100, 200 and 4 x 400; Souffrant will go 200, 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 and Townsend will focus on 400 and 4 x 400."

For the girls triple sprint threats of their own: Rayna Lawson, Jasmine Silkert and Timia McMillan in the sprints and Kennedi Proctor in the 400 and 800, the Lady Knights owned the gold medals with five led by two from shot putter and discus champion Rayna Autry with three more from Lawson in the 200 (Silkert fifth, McMillan eighth), Aniya Bussey in long jump (sixth in 400), and Proctor in 800 by three seconds with a 2:15.98 split.

"Our region is tough and, even with the strong times, Timia McMillan and Jasmine Silkert didn't make it out in the 200," McCray said. "That just shows how deep it is. Because of that, we are shifting the focus and locking in on what gives us the best shot. Aniya won the district long jump so we're letting her focus on long jump and sprinting. She was balancing a lot before with the 4 x 100, 400 and long jump."

Lawson, third in 4A 100 and ninth in 4A 200 last year, was second by .01 second in the 100 to Creekside's Peyton Ganther; 11.66-11.67, with Silkert third and McMillan fifth for Oakleaf team points.

Autry, seventh in 4A last year in shot put, won the shotput with a 37-foot-8-inch toss and the discus in 102-feet-3-inches with Dominic Aliaga taking second in discus at 132-feet-8-inches behind Mandarin's Ayden Bui's 145-feet-6-inches.
Oakleaf got double team points in javelin with Emmett Egger fourth and Ezra Brown fifth; 153-feet-3-inches and 152-feet-10-inches.

Pole Vaulter Jacob Emlano got second at 11-feet-9.75-inches with Atlantic Coast High's Ramell Walley going 15-feet to win.

In the jumps, Oakleaf got team points with top 10s from Landon Nichols, Khamari Harewood and Elijah Edwards finishing third, fourth and eighth in long jump then got a second from Jace Jackson and fourth from Harewood in triple jump behind Fletcher's Jalani Thomas' winning jump at 46-feet-2.5-inches.

"Freshman Landon Nichols has been stepping up big lately," McCray said. "He earned the lead leg of the 4 x 100."

Class 4A State Meet winners (2025)
BOYS: 100: 10.34; 200: 20.59; 400: 46.68; 800: 1:53.66; 1600: 4:14.93; 3200: 9:14.93; 110HH: 13.75; 400H: 51.69; HJ: 7'-1"; LJ: 32'-2"; TJ: 47'-.75"; PV: 14'-7"; DISCUS: 184'-4"; JAV: 198'-5"; SHOTPUT: 62'
GIRLS: 100: 11.75: 200: 23.67; 400: 53.19; 800: 2:14.47; 1600: 4:49.18; 3200: 10:34.70; 100H: 13.38; 400H: 58.98; HJ: 5'4"; LJ: 20'-2"; TJ: 41'-1"; DISCUS: 141'-3"'; SP: 42'-2"