Day 1 Highlights From Florida/Georgia Challenge

Saturday high school track highlights from the Florida/Georgia Challenge at the Alachua County Sports Events in Gainesville, Florida.

Not only did Michelle Smith run the nation's fastest high school time of the season and break the facility record with her 1:30.85 performance in the 600 meter run, but the Montverde Academy junior now moves up US #26 all-time in the event as well.

Last year's US #1 ranked indoors in the 400 meter dash is back to being this year's US #1 as Zyaire Nuriddin of Montverde Academy clocked a season best 47.06 to take over national leaderboard at the Florida/Georgia Challenge after being pushed by Aidan Dixon of Port Orange Atlantic as the runner-up in a US #2 indoor PR of 47.21.

Keep in mind the cut off to be US top 10 all-time is 7.26 for the high school girls 60 meter dash, yet Montverde Academy's Micayah Holland and Adeajah Hodge seem to run in that rare territory now on a weekly basis including in the 60 meter dash finals at the Florida/Georgia Challenge with Holland clocking 7.23 for the win besting her facility record and Hodge right behind her at 7.26 for second.
After flinch and bad start out of the blocks, US #2 all-time Issam Asinga (2nd, 6.74) was unable to recover in time and was dealt an upset defeat by IMG Academy's Jerrae Hawkins in the 60 meter dash finals with a US #8 PR of 6.73 by Hawkins for first.

Meanwhile, the IMG Academy boys are coming for that nation's best time in the 4x200 meter relay after running a US #2 1:27.80 this weekend at the Florida/Georgia Challenge despite missing one of their top legs in Davonte Howell. Howell was injured in the 200 meter dash finals last week at The Legends of Alachua County Meet. 

The first high school relay race winners ever at the Alachua County Sports Center were the girls 4x200 meter relay from the Team B.L.U.E. squad featuring Sophie Haag (East Lake), Aniyah Kitt (Land 'O Lakes), Ellis Weekley (Berkley Prep), and Mariah Taylor (East Lake) scorch a time of 1:40.88 with their All-Star club lineup at the Florida/Georgia Challenge. 

Sophomore standout and state champion Aleesa Samuel matched her US #4 8.41 season best and PR from December in Alabama with her victory in the 60 meter hurdles finals in Gainesville.

Matthew McKnight of Miami Norland and Jabari Armstrong of Gaither dueled it out for the 2nd time in 3 weeks in the 60 meter hurdles indoors with McKnight getting the slight edge once again and first time under 8 seconds with a US #15 clocking of 7.95 in the finals. Armstrong finished in second with a PR of 8.08.

We almost had 2 freshmen girls break 5 minutes for the full mile with a thrilling finish down to the line with Creekside's Alyson Johnson (1st, 5:00.91) just nipping IMG Academy's Huntley Buckingham (2nd, 5:00.98) in the final stride after Buckingham had led every step prior in a deep race that saw the top 6 all under 5:10 and the prior high school facility record of 5:11 held by Raquel Edwards of Dillard from the Jimmy Carnes Invitational.

When one thought Creekside's Alyson Johnson clocking a 5 flat indoor mile as a high school freshman was impressive, her 13 year old sister Sydney Johnson dropped a 5:14 mile to win the youth girls race only a few heats later to impress just as much if not more. Clearly plenty of talented running genes in that family.

Cambridge Christian senior Braxton Legg followed up his US #2 8:22 3K one week ago against collegiate competition by simply running away from a loaded high school boys mile field today at the Florida/Georgia Challenge with a US #16 PR time of 4:13.83 winning by a 7 second margin.

The race also saw an incredible feat collectively by Buchholz boys who had 4 runners in the race that ran 4:25 or faster with Emerson Miller (4:20), Riley Smith (4:24), Evan Fleming (4:25), and Mason Kawaja (4:25).

For the second week in a row, Matthew Raucci of Tavares is the boys 600 meter champion but this time did not have to time trial from a slow heat while doubling back from a hard 800 as he lowered his personal best time this week while fresh from the fast heat with a US #14 1:22.31 win.

Often competing in the shadows of her star studded Montverde Academy teammates, Alivia Williams got the spotlight on her today by winning the high school girls 400 at the Florida/Georgia Challenge with an indoor best time of 57.61.
Danielle Baig, a sophomore from Wellington High School racing for Impact Speed Athletics, won the girls 1000 meter run to start the day at the Florida/Georgia Challenge with a 3:17.33 performance.

Ponte Vedra's Colby Green went wire to wire leading the boys 1K onto a 2:38.42 victory just ahead of Bishop Moore's Liam Griffiths in a close second at 2:38.89.