Meet Florida's 4 All-Time Great Freshmen Girls

A total of four Florida freshman class records were set during the 2022 season. All four were girls and all four won state titles this past week in the FHSAA State Championships in Gainesville.

Aleesa Samuel of Somerset Academy Pembroke Pines consistently ran under 14 seconds for the last half of the season in the 100 meter hurdles including a 13.79 wind-legal victory to claim the 2A girls state title. She had signature wins earlier in the season at the Louie Bing Invitational and FSU Relays building into her big weekend at her first state meet. 

If she had not run as fast as she did on Thursday then Chelsi Williams of George Jenkins may have taken down the record herself on Saturday as the runner-up in the 4A race on Saturday with a personal best 13.88 clocking, which was also better than the old freshmen class state record prior to this season at 13.93 by Ebony Morrison from Miami Southridge.

The consolation for Williams is that she already has the best mark all-time for freshmen girls in Florida in the triple jump with her regional meet leap of 12.36 meters or 40'6.50" before winning state titles in 4A last week in both the long jump and triple jump.

Another field event winner and state champion for 4A that also has three more years of high school remaining is Nease's Alexandra Bohanon, who can claim ownership of freshmen class record in the girls javelin throw at 40.13 meters or 131'8".

With the javelin being a relatively new event commonly contested in the FHSAA series, expect Bohanon to chase after and reset the overall state record in the event several times before she graduates. 

Lastly, Maclay School's Elizabeth Dowdy switched to a different pole for the state meet and it vaulted her into a whole new stratosphere in the pole vault as she became Florida's best ever freshman ever clearing 3.71 meters or 12'2" to win the 2A girls state title. 

New Florida Freshmen State Records in 2022:

• Girls 100m Hurdles - Aleesa Samuel (Somerset Academy Pembroke Pines) 13.79
• Girls Triple Jump - Chelsi Williams (George Jenkins) 12.36m or 40'6.50"
• Girls Pole Vault - Elizabeth Dowdy (Maclay School) 3.71m or 12'2"
• Girls Javelin Throw - Alexandra Bohanon (Nease) 40.13m or 131'8"

It was a strong year as well in influx of freshmen boys champions including a pair of rare ninth grader state champion for boys in Dillard thrower Armando Blount claiming the 3A boys shot put state title with a mark of 16.48 meters (season best of 16.71 meters), while Christopher Columbus jumper Shaddai Carter won the 4A boys long jump with a leap of 7.12 meters or 23'4.75".

Carter's freshman teammate Adrian Cordero, who led all freshmen this year with a 48.25 season best in the 400, anchored and held off Sanford Seminole for Columbus to win the 4x400 meter relay state title in a US #3 time of 3:12.80. 

Probably the closet freshmen boy to breaking a Florida ninth grade class state meet record is Belen Jesuit middle distance runner Joseph Socarras, who ran 1:54.79 at the Florida Relays. He is just two tenths of a second off the freshmen state record of 1:54.57 by Darius Rainey of Hillsborough in the 2019 FHSAA State Meet if he chooses to race in the post-season to chase the time.

Ironically, Rainey just won a pair of UIL State Championships titles this weekend after moving to Texas following his ninth grade year in Florida with a remarkable 46.36 400 and 1:50.63 800 double. 

Several of the current graduating seniors among Florida's elite are the reigning freshmen state record holders including Rheinhardt Harrison in the boys 1600 at 4:12.59, Mary Ellen Eudaly in the girls 1600 at 4:53, and Alyssa Jones in the girls high jump at 1.85 meters (6'0.75") and long jump at 6.1 meters (20'0.25"). All three  broke state meet records last week. 

Florida Freshmen Class Boys State Records

Florida Freshmen Class Girls State Record

2022 Florida Freshmen Boys Leaderboard

2022 Florida Freshmen Girls Leaderboard