11 athletes aim to defend state titles
Last season, MiamiDade and Broward had 22 track and field athletes win a combined 27 individual state championships.
With the Louie Bing Invitational in the books and the 2024 season officially beginning Thursday, the three-month push to state starts with half of those 22 athletes back and looking to defend their state titles.
Arguably at the forefront of that list is Somerset Academy junior Aleesa Samuel, the only person from either county to win state titles in three events last season. She took gold in the 100 hurdles as well as the 100- and 200-meter dashes to become just the sixth girls athlete from Broward County to ever win three individual events in a single state meet.
The others: St. Thomas Aquinas’ Sanya Richards in 2000 (100 dash, 200 dash, long jump) and in 2002 (100, 200 and 400 dashes); Coral Springs Christian’s Caitlin
Browne in 2007 (100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, high jump); St. Thomas Aquinas’ Danialle Leach in 1992 (100 dash, 200 dash, long jump); Westminster Academy’s Jennifer Garvin in 1988 (220 dash, 440 dash, high jump); and Northeast’s Cheryl Wilson in 1984 (110 hurdles, 330 hurdles, long jump).
Beyond Samuel, the only other player returning with multiple state titles in 2023 is Ransom Everglades distance runner David “Chuli” Serra, who won the 1,600-meter run and 3,200-meter run in Class 2A. He followed that up with an individual cross-country title in the fall.
The rest of the returning individual state champions from 2023, in alphabetical order:
Tyra Cox, Chaminade-Madonna (Class 1A 400 meters while at Chaminade-Madonna, has transferred to Miami Northwestern)
Raquel Edwards, Dillard (Class 3A 1,600 meters)
Takiyah Ferguson, Southridge (4A 400 hurdles)
Callia Harris, Flanagan (Class 4A high jump)
Brooke Hooper, Pine Crest (Class 2A 1,600 meters)
Lydia Kentis, Goleman (4A discus)
Lauren Kirby, Somerset Academy (Class 3A shot put)
Joseph Socarras, Belen Jesuit (3A 1,600 meters)
Shekinah Tresvant, Northwestern (3A 400 hurdles)
TOP TEAMS
Two area teams — Southridge’s girls in Class 4A and Northwestern’s girls in Class 3A — won state titles last season. For Northwestern, it was its 14th consecutive state title. Southridge won the team title for the first time since 2017.
Southridge will need to replace Cynteria James, who is now at the University of Kentucky, but Ferguson and Shanaii Gamble (sixth in high jump, seventh in long jump) form a good onetwo punch.
The Northwestern girls team returns three athletes who placed in the top eight at state in at least one event last year: Kimora Kinsey (fifth in 200 meters), Ida Smith (sixth in 200 meters), and Tresvant (400 hurdles champion and third in triple jump). Cox, who was a standout the past two years at ChaminadeMadonna, gives the Bulls another quality sprinter.
Five other local teams had runner-up finishes in 2023: the St. Thomas Aquinas boys in Class 4A; the Belen Jesuit boys and Dillard girls in Class 3A; and both the ChaminadeMadonna boys and girls in Class 1A.
The St. Thomas Aquinas boys’ team returns just one runner who had a podium finish in Tavius Horne Jr. (third in 200 meters). The girls’ team, which finished third at state last year, has two podium finishers returning in Lauren Thomas (third in discus) and
Grace Finneran (eighth in 1,600 meters).
Distance running and field events will fuel Belen Jesuit. All the key contributors from the Wolverines’ latest crosscountry state champion team — Socarras, Josh Ruiz, Joey Ruiz, Marcelo Mantecon and Evan Torres — and senior pole vaulter Henry Amador are among Belen’s projected top performers.
For the Dillard girls, Edwards and senior Christiana Coleman will lead the way. Both were pivotal in the Panthers winning their first team cross-country state title in the fall.
The strength of the Chaminade boys’ team will be the hurdles, and the return of senior Tyson Waters after missing the 2023 season with injury will be a boost. Junior
Troy Waters (100, 200 and 400 meters) and sophomore Jeremiah Adras (400 hurdles, long jump, triple jump) will also be critical for the Lions.
Chaminade’s girls are in a rebuilding stage but are expecting big years out of seniors Katherine Mettellus (100 hurdles, 400 hurdles, long jump, triple jump) and Nadya Grayson (100 hurdles, 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump).
In addition to these teams, Columbus has the depth and talent to compete for the Class 4A boys title with seniors Durian Moss (sprints) and Alejandro Romagosa (distance) plus juniors Adrian Cardero (400 meters) and Shaddai Carter (horizontal jumps, 110 hurdles) leading the way.
ELSEWHERE
Divine Savior senior Claire Davisson has qualified for state in the long jump each of the past three years and placed fourth in the event last season. She will also anchor Divine Savior’s 400 relay.
Senior Annabella Cardona (3,200 meters) will once again anchor the Braddock girls’ team that also expects big seasons out of juniors Kayla Feeney and Jasmine Trotz, who both compete in the 800-meter run. Seniors Andres Canas, Michael Gongora and Aidan Mendoza as well as sophomore Mauricio Escalona are players to watch on the boys’ team.
The Pace girls will be led by senior Zani Jean Giles (hurdles) and sophomore Tamia Howell (sprints), while the boys are helmed by seniors Michael Nozile (sprints), Justin Bridges (triple jump) and Dwardnesky Franck (high jump) as well as junior Gabriel Cline (triple jump, long jump, sprints).
Junior Fabian Mosely (100 meters, long jump), sophomore Nathaniel Ferninand (long jump, triple jump) and freshman Zion Fairchild (400 meters, 800 meters) are the top athletes on the Killian boys’ team. The girls’ team is led by underclassmen, including sophomore sprinter Jada Major and freshmen mid-distance runners Isis Watson and Sophia Bustamante.
Juniors Daniel Lopez (800 and 1,600 meters) and Kelsi Sell (400 and 800 meters) are Varela’s top athletes.