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Find out who are some of the top individuals to watch in the 3A girls races on Friday at the FHSAA Outdoor State Finals.
Cydney Wright (Mainland) - Girls 100m, 200m
One of the state's top sprinters when it comes to range from the 100 to 400 meters this spring, Mainland senior Cydney Wright is coming into the state meet rolling in from Daytona Beach and her regional meet when she threw down wind-legal personal bests of 11.69 in the 100 and 23.46 in the 200. Her 200 meter time was the fastest wind-legal performance in Florida this year and fifth fastest nationally. Wright also ran 54.73 in the 400 at her district meet, but opted to keep her focus narrowed down to the 100 and 200 for the remainder of the state series. She finished 4th in the 100 and 3rd in the 200 at the 2019 FHSAA State Finals for 3A.
Aaliyah Butler (Miami Northwestern) - Girls 400m, 200m, 4x400m
The junior from Miami Northwestern in Aaliyah Butler set the state meet record for 400 meters as a freshman two years ago with a 52.25 performance. She is back again on the state stage to chase after her former glory as the current state leader in the event at a 53.05 season-best, which ranks third nationally. Butler also is a member of the current national leading 4x400 meter relay at Miami Northwestern, who threw down a stellar time of 3:43 at the 3A Region 4 Meet. Watch out for her in the 200 meter dash as well as competing against the likes of Wright and others having run consistently in the 23's for her last two meets in victories at the district (23.73) and region (23.91) meets.
Alyssa Jones (Miami Southridge) - Girls High Jump, Long Jump, 200m, 100m, 4x100m
Samantha Kavanagh (Northeast) - Girls 800m
After running 2:11 at the state meet as a freshman in 2019 while at Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale) in 2A, Samantha Kavanagh seems primed based off her regional meet PR race of 2:10 to join some elite company and push for a sub 2:10 race as well as her first state title on Friday in the 3A girls 800. Kavanagh has lost only one 800 meter race this season in a runner-up finish to Cha'iel Johnson of St. Thomas Aquinas before making a 3 second season best time drop at 3A Region 4 Meet last Saturday at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami. Kavanagh now ranks 4th fastest overall in Florida and inside the top 25 national rankings currently.
Caroline Wells (Winter Springs) - Girls 1600m, 3200m, 4x800m
Winter Springs junior Caroline Wells, the state's all-time fastest performer at 3200 meters (US #6 10:10.39) with two 10:10 performances this season, will be aiming to break the state meet record in the event as well previously held by East Lake's Parker Valby from 2019 at 10:10.45. After going all out last week in the 1600 meter run at her regional meet with a US #6 personal best time of 4:44.90 inserting her into Florida top 10 all-time territory, it would appear Wells might be trying to run a more tactical race this week in the 1600 meter run to potentially save for a state meet record chase in the 3200.
With the 3A meet finishing in the evening, conditions might be better for Wells anyways to go for a fast time in the 3200. Wells also is expected to run a leg on their 4x800 meter relay, which is the top seed and favorite coming in with a season-best time of 9:33 for their quartet.
Lucheyona Weaver (Dunbar) - Girls 100m Hurdles, 300m Hurdles, 100m, 4x100m
The adidas Indoor Nationals champion in the 60-meter hurdles, Lucheyona Weaver of Dunbar, will be in contention for a state title in all 4 events that she is slated to compete in for the 3A level leading off with the event that she is ranked US #3 in current with a wind-legal best effort of 13.57 in the 100-meter hurdles. Weaver will quickly be back on the track for the 100-meter dash, which she has consistently been running times just under or hovering around 12 seconds flat as a good sleeper pick in that event.
The 4x100 meter relay squad for Dunbar is one of only a handful of squads to have run in the 46-second range this season, but a loaded 3A classification with American Heritage and Miami Southridge also having run 46 seconds this spring. The 300-meter hurdles is an event she only presses when the competition requires it, but has shown how fast she can run in event with two 43 second performances coming into to make her a state title contender in her last event as well.
Breanna Moss (Miami Northwestern) - Girls 300m Hurdles, 4x400m, 4x100m
The Miami Northwestern girls come in as the team title favorites for 3A and one of the big reason why is their 300-meter hurdles crew with 3 of the top 4 ranked girls coming into the state meet with Breanna Moss leading the group from the 3A Region 4 Meet in a 43.33 PR narrow victory over her teammates Shakynah Tresvant (43.55) and Paris Baker (44.55). Despite Moss being one of the faster 300-meter hurdlers in the state, it was her first signature win at regionals running fast times in some loaded meets including the likes of 4A's best in Alexis Glasco, Amanda Kinloch, and Eddiyah Frye in other major meets.