Montverde pole vaulter, Lake Highland hurdler win state championships

Montverde Academy’s Alex Georgiev was the boys pole vault champion, as expected, and Lake Highland Prep’s Cedric Johnson Jr. was a surprise winner of the 400-meter hurdles race in Thursday’s Class 2A state track and field championship meet in Jacksonville.

Johnson, who was the runner-up in his district and region meets, took a full second off his previous best to win with a time of 55.62 seconds at the University of North Florida. He was the state runner-up in the 300 hurdles as a junior last season.

The Florida High School Athletic Association replaced that event with the college and Olympic distance this year.

Georgiev, the top vaulter in the state, cleared 16 feet and of an inch — more than 2 feet higher than the runner-up.

Trinity Prep sophomore Victoria Hill placed third in the girls high jump (5-3 ), fourth in the triple jump (37-9 ), and fifth in the long jump (17-9).

Eustis senior Amare Williams ran a career-best 10.56 to finish fourth in the boys 100. He was sixth in the 200 at 21.56, also a personal record.

Lake Highland Prep, with brothers Camren and Romero Ware, finished fourth in the boys 4×100 relay at 42.20.

Montverde, which didn’t use its national level athletes in the FHSAA postseason, finished fourth in the boys team standings and sixth on the girls side. Jacksonville Bolles swept both titles.

Montverde ran 7:57.00 for second in the boys 4×800 relay and Eagles standout Alivia Williams was runner-up behind Ka’Myya Haywood of Bishop Kenny in a photo-finish girls 400. Both were timed in 54.84 with Haywood winning by one-thousandth of a second.

Montverde got third-place girls showings by its 4×400 foursome (3:56.88) and Ellise Dickinson in the 200 (24.45).

The Class 3A meet was Friday, followed by 4A on Saturday.