McQueen, Carter lead Columbus to second place
After a difficult finish to the 2021 season both on and off the track for Columbus, the Explorers found their way back on the medal stand at the end of the Class 4A track and field championship meet on Saturday night in Gainesville.
The medals weren’t the color they most wanted and the trophy wasn’t the one they most coveted.
But for a program that had won back-to-back state titles before tragically losing their longtime coach Fred Foyo, who passed away suddenly a year ago, and finished eighth at state, it was a step back toward returning to the top of the mountain.
Led by senior Darren McQueen and freshman Shaddai Carter, the Explorers finished with 68 points to place second behind state champion Niceville, which won the boys’ meet with 77 points.
Niceville also won the girls’ title with a commanding 85.5 points. Flanagan was the top South Florida finisher, placing fifth with 35 points after an impressive performance from senior Jassani Carter.
Shaddai Carter set the tone for Columbus’ day early with a victory in the long jump when he posted a mark of 7.12 meters to win his first state title.
It would be the first of three event wins for the Explorers and eight overall for Miami-Dade and Broward County teams as seven athletes won individual state titles.
Carter would later place seventh in the triple jump as well.
McQueen followed early in the running events by winning the 100-meter dash in 10.56 seconds.
He then ran on the 1,600-meter relay team that won gold for the Explorers after finishing the race in 3:12.80 and tying the state’s fastest time in the event this season set the night before by St. Thomas Aquinas.
On the girls’ side, Jassani Carter was the lone double winner at the meet, securing the championships of the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
Carter, a USC signee, won the 100 in 11.59 seconds and later won the 200 in 23.43 seconds. It was the second consecutive season that she swept both events at the 4A meet.
And both of her times were the fastest run at this year’s state championships by a Broward County runner regardless of class.
MORE WINNERS
In the girls’ 3200 meters, Coral Park’s Penelope Sosa capped a historic career with another state championship. Sosa, who won the first individual girls’ cross country title and girls’ track and field individual titles in her school’s history repeated in the two-mile race by running a time of 10:59.28.
South Florida’s other individual winners were all first-time state champions.
In the boys’ high jump, McArthur’s Hasmar Francois won the title with a jump of 1.97 meters. He became the Mustangs’ first boys’ state champion since pole vaulter Joel Sarrett in 1966.
Deerfield Beach’s Nathan Metellus took home gold in the boys’ 400 meters by running a time of 47.37 seconds. Metellus became the Bucks’ first boys’ state champion since Juan Thomas won the high jump in 1990.
North Miami senior Tamaiah Koonce won the discus with a throw of
48.72 meters, which was the state’s best mark this season. Koonce also finished sixth in the shot put.
RESULTS
Note: Events where no Dade or Broward athlete placed in top 8 are not listed.
Team - Boys: 1. Niceville 77, 2. Columbus 68, 3. Nease 39; Others: 14. Fort Lauderdale, McArthur 15; Girls: 1. Niceville 85.5, 2. George Jenkins and Mandarin 43; Others: 5. Flanagan 35; 12. North Miami 15.
Boys’ individual results - Winners plus top 8 Dade/Broward finishers - High jump: Hasmar Francois (McA) 1.97; 4. Amani Drayton (McA) 1.92; 6. Maxwell Servius (CS) 1.87; Shot put: Mitchell Ratley (Niceville) 17.15; 5. Narrson Tulloch (Mir) 16.15; 8. Kendley Raymond (FtL) 15.54; Javelin: Aidan Boyd (Niceville) 57.40; 3. Gustavo Alfonso (Col) 55.35; Shot put ambulatory: Giovanni Jones (Carol City) 9.11; 4. Tavares Washington (CC) 6.52; Pole vault: Samuel Martins (Bartram Trail) 4.35; 5. Elijah Smith (Mir) 3.90; Long jump: Shaddai Carter (Col) 7.12; 8. Elijah Rowe (Tar) 6.73; Discus: Massimo Grisotto (Niceville) 53.81; 4. Kendly Raymond (FtL) 51.08; 6. Narrson Tulloch (Mir) 46.22; Javelin ambulatory: Brett Bolton (Rockledge) 18.73; 2. Giovanni Jones (CC) 18.24; 4. Tavares Washington (CC) 12.54; Triple jump: Jaden Lippett (Winter Haven) 14.39; 7. Shaddai Carter (Col) 13.41;
3200 relay: Creekside 7:46.86; 3. Columbus 7:54.03; 110 hurdles: Cyrus Ways (Nease) 13.53; 7. Carlos Pellicer (Dor) 15.04; 100: Darren McQueen (Col) 10.56; 5. Durian Moss (Col) 10.73; 200 ambulatory: Andreas Schulz (Orlando University) 24.37; 3. Tavares Washington (CC) 25.81; 4. Giovanni Jones (CC) 25.82; 5. Marquis Jones (NW) 25.88; 7. Liam Moore (CP) 35.23; 1600: Brayden Seymour (Hagerty) 4:11.76; 7. Gian Valentin (Flan) 4:20.07; 400 relay: Seminole 40.57; 5. Columbus 41.66; 800 ambulatory: Andreas Schulz (Orlando University) 2:20.52; 2. Giovanni Jones (CC) 2:28.20; 4. Tavares Washington (CC) 2:31.95; 6. Marquis Jones (NW) 2:38.48; 7. Liam Moore (CP) 3:11.27; 8. Jonathan Mizrachi (CR) 3:16.39; 400: Nathan Metellus (DB) 47.37; 300 hurdles: Cyrus Ways (Nease) 36.26; 4. Darren
McQueen (Col) 38.22; 7. Jonathan Carter (Flan) 39.27; 200: Christian Miller (Creekside) 20.82; 3. Darren McQueen
(Col) 21.11; 4. Durian Moss (Col) 21.16; 6. Malik Knight (FtL) 21.46; 7. Elijah Rowe (Tar) 21.51; 8. Nathan Metellus (DB) 21.59; 3200: Michael Toppi (Viera) 9:08.04; 6. Gabriel Garcia (Brad) 9:22.30; 1600 relay: Columbus 3:12.80; 3. Fort Lauderdale 3:14.25; 6. North Miami 3:21.38.
Girls’ individual results - Winners plus top 8 Dade/Broward finishers - Long jump: Chelsi Williams (George Jenkins) 5.87; 7. Zaniya Wilson (NM) 5.46; Pole vault: Lily Chouinard (Niceville) 3.90; 6. Camryn Givens (Pal) 3.30; Discus: Tamaiah Koonce (NM) 48.72; 4. Lydia Kentis
(Cooper City) 40.48; Shot put ambulatory: Sofia Elia (Pal) 7.91; High jump: Rachel Legett (Navarre) 1.67; 2. Callia Harris (Flan) 1.62; 4. Jolie Dormus (MB) 1.57; Shot put: Damoni Kelly (Mandarin) 14.01; 6. Tamaiah Koonce (NM) 12.14; Javelin ambulatory: Sofia Elia (Pal) 13.38; 3200 relay: Evans 9:22.10; 6. Braddock 9:38.20; 100: Jassani Carter (Flan) 11.59; 5. Jade Brown (Tar) 11.87; 8. Hannah Taylor (FtL) 11.97; 200 ambulatory: Sofia Elia (Pal) 37.71; 400 relay: Palm Beach Central 46.47; 2. Fort Lauderdale 47.13; 7. Taravella 48.26; 8. Flanagan 48.35; 800 ambulatory: Sofia Elia (Pal) 3:50.26; 400: Terren Peterson (Mandarin) 54.51; 4. Jaellene Burgess (CR) 55.98; 300 hurdles: Jasmine Dereje (Niceville) 42.75; 3. Terica Boyd (Mir) 43.10; 200: Jassani Carter (Flan) 23.43; 5. Hannah Taylor (FtL)
24.42; 8. Meara Rasul (CR) 24.91; 3200: Penelope Sosa (CP) 10:59.28; 3. Annabella Cardona (Brad) 11:04.61; 1600 relay: Evans 3:49.70; 3. Flanagan 3:53.71.