Boys Team Race
Based upon what can be seen in the Virtual 2A Boys Team Team Projections, Bolles should win the team title. Montverde will challenge the Bolles boys and it just may come down to the 4x400m Relay to determine who the team champion may be. Montverde has the edge in the 4x400 being the 2A State leader with a 3:16.04. Bolles is #2 with a 3:19.74. Every point will count for these two teams and it will make for an interesting and competitive Team Championship.
Boys Top Athletes to Watch
SPRINTS
In the 100m, Eastside Sr. Kennith Martin has gone 10.40 and is the 2A State leader. His seed time is 10.42. Sr. Micahi Danzy of Florida HS comes in with a seed of 10.88, but he has gone 10.57. Jr. Synard Young of Miami Edison and Vernon Watson have seeds of 10.84. Sr. Daniel Hubner of Calvary Christian Ft. Lauderdale has a 10.78. The only returner to last year's finals is Sr. Jayson Evans of Booker who was 6th last year in 10.76. The race was won last year in 10.44. The 2A boy's 100m is up for grabs.
The boy's 200m has familiar faces from the 100. Micahi Danzy of Florida HS is the defending champion. He won in 2023 with a 21.16. He has run 21.02 this season. Kennith Martin of Eastside is ranked 2A #1 with a 20.94 that he ran last week in winning his region. Like the 100, its tough to make a prediction. The others to watch are Jr. Synard Young of Miami Edison, Sr. Jayson Evans of Booker, Sr. Delvion Zanders of Godby, Sr. Jayvian Greene of Montvede and Sr. Vernon Watson of Hernando. Heat 2 is loaded and should be fun to watch.
Throw out the seed times in the 400m. Two boy's have gone under 47.00. Florida HS Sr. Micahi Danzy is the defending champion. He ran a 46.11 in winning last year. He has run 46.77 this season. Tennessee signee Jayvian Greene of Montverde was 4th last year in 47.92 but has gone 46.99 this season. Greene is in lane 6 and Danzi in lane 7 in Heat 2 so Greene will be able to see Danzi. Another great race and too close to call.
Jr. Neiko Garnes of Andrew Jackson has been consistently under 55 this season in the 400mH. He comes in as the top-seeded boy with a 54.17 and has a state-leading PR of 53.38. Clean over the last two hurdles and he should take the title.
In the 800m only Jr. Jake Officer of the Episcopal School of Jacksonville has dipped under 1:55. this season. Office has run 1:54.28. Jr.'s Mabon Hatchette of Lake Highland Prep and Lucas Coan of Montverde have both run sub-1:56. 16 of the 18 boy's in the race have run under 2:00. Experience counts in a crowded field and Sr. Dashawn Buist of Andrew Jackson is the leading returner. He was 4th in 2023. The final 100m will be a mad scramble for the win.
Experience definitely counts at State and Ransom Everglades Sr. David Serra returns in the 1600m as the defending champion. He ran 4:12/10 to win in 2023. It will be crowded up front as 4 boys have run sub-4:20 this season. Jr. Liam Jordan of Berkeley Prep has gone 4:15.02, Jr. Jake Officer of the Episcopal School of Jacksonville has gone 4:15.43. Serra has run 4:16.32, Sr. Andrew Marello of Wolfson has run 4:19.14. The group should be tight through the 800m and expect someone to press with 600 to go. This one will come down to who has the best last 400 and it should go under 4:15.
The same group of boys from the 1600 will challenge each other again in the 3200m. David Serra who had struggled all season to return to last year's form, found himself at Regionals and went sub-9:00 for the first time this season with an 8:58.82. He is the defending champion in a lead group that have all run much faster than their seed times. Liam Jordan has run 9:02.56. Bolles Jr. Parker Adams 9:04.09, and Bolles Jr. Christopher Joost has gone 9:09.11. If Serra defend his title, he is gong to have to go sub-9:00 again in a race that wont be decided until the last 400m. maybe the last 200M.
FIELDS EVENTS
Sr. Alex Georgiev of Montverde easily won the Pole Vault in 2023 with a vault of 16-00.75. Georgiev has had a good senior season indoor and out and has gone over 5m (16-04.75). He will be challenged however this year by Terek Logan, a Sr. from Sante Fe who has gone 4.91 (16-01.25). Will we see a 17' vault this year?
In the High Jump, six boys come in with seed jumps of 1.92 (6-03.50). Of the six, Sr. Jaden Robinson of South Walton has jumped 1.98 (6-06.00). Junior Ralphel Smith joins Robinson with a 1.98 jump. It should be a very competitive event and as often is the case, it comes down to who is on that day.
Sr. Micahi Danzy of Florida HS is the top returner from last year when he was 4th. Jr. Ralph Smith of Titusville was 7th last year and leads the 1A State with a 7.36 (24-01.75) jump. Joining Smith with jumps over 7m (22-11.50) are Sr. Camren Williams of Palm Bay and Sr. Woodrow Smith of Space Coast. It will take a jump over 7.32m (24-00.00) to win.
In the Triple Jump, Ralph Smith of Titusville comes in with the #1 seeded jump of 14.03 (46-00.50). Watch for the 2A #2 ranked Sr. Elijah Kellum of Bradford to go head -head with Smith. He has a jump of 14.49m (47-06.50) to his credit this season.
Watch for Jr. Bryce Webb of Cardinal Gibbons and Jr. King Massey of Raines to battle in the Shot Put. Web has thrown 16.95 (55-07.25) and leads the State in 2A and Massey has thrown 16.38m (53-09.00) and is ranked #2. Sr. Garrison Butler of Bolles is just under the 16.00m mark with a throw of 15.98 (52-05.25) at Regionals.
In the Discus four boys have thrown over the 51M (167-03.75) mark. Jr. Ryan Peterson of Bishop Verot, Sr. Will Wainwright of Suwannee, So. Liam Marley of Calvary Christian Ft. Lauderdale. Peterson leads the 2A State rankings with a throw of 51.8m (169-11.25). Marley was 4th last year and Peterson was 5th.
Sr. Preston Kuznof of Port Orange Atlantic is the defending champion in the Javelin and should defend his State title. He has thrown an All Divisions State leading 65.51m (214.11.25).
4x800
The boys from Cardinal Newman should take the 4x800m Relay. They are the only sub-8:00 minute-seeded team. They have run 7:52.63.
4x100
.66 seconds separate Bolles, Bishop Kenny and Gibbs. Once again, it will come down to the exchanges. Bolles has run 41.19, Bishop Kenny 41,71 and Gibbs 41.85.
4x400