Collier continues blazing performances

Raiders: Two state best times (3A); 100, 4 x 400 relay

SJCDS Sage: Top hurdle time (1A)

By Randy Lefko

Sports Editor

ST. JOHNS - Orange Park High senior sprinter Alex Collier blazed a Class 3A-best split of 10.53 seconds to take top honors at the Creekside High Friday Knight Track Invite at Creekside High School.

Collier, who has been using 100 and 200 meter races in preparation for defense of his state title in the 400 meters, won over Columbia's Tracy White's 10.74 split with Paxon's Ethan Farrell third at 10.82. Top state time is 10.33 (set Feb. 14) by Miami Northwestern's Da'Marcus Fleming, the defending Class 3A champion in 10.62. 

"I believe I had more in me," said Collier, who was third in the Class 3A 100 last year in 10.75 seconds, "I believe it was more of just the wah I opened my stride."

For the girls, St. Johns Country Day School hurdler Courtney Sage took the top spot in Class 1A with her win in the 300 hurdles with a 45.87 split. Sage was second in 1A last year in 45.38.

Collier teammate Markez Sermons, who has been a step off of Collier throughout the season, took fourth in 10.84 as the top seven finishers at the meet were under 11 seconds. Fleming Island had two finishers in the top 10 with freshman Samuel Singleton sixth at 10.96 and senior Courtney Williams ninth at 11.07. 

One other standout performance came from Ridgeview sophomore high jumper Zoe Whaley, who improved dramatically from her 15th in Class 2A state meet performance of 4'-11.75" last year to a winning 5'-5" jump at Creekside that puts her fourth in Class 3A. Top high jump in 2A thus far is ". 6'-.75". 

In team scoring, Orange Park finished third behind Creekside and Nease; 112-89, with the Raiders scoring 87. Fleming Island was fourth at 71 with Oakelaf seventh at 37, Ridgeview at 10th with 23, Middleburg 13th with 20 and St. Johns Country Day School 17th with 14.

For the girls, Oakleaf finished third at 77 points behind a 1-2 finish by Bartram Trail and Creekside; 82.75-80, in a closely fought top three finishers. Fleming Island was fourth at 60.5, St. Johns 10th t 35, Orange Park 11th at 34, Middleburg 15th at 15.25 and Ridgeview 17th at 10. 

Collier did not run the 200 at Creekside, but ran a preliminary round in the 400s with a 52.01 heat win, but did run the final which was won in 50.28 by teammate Sean Dixon over Columbia's Derek Johnson, 50.84, and Fleming Island's Garrett Godfrey, 50.92. 

In the 200, with a 1-2 finish by Columbia teammates James Williamson and White, 21.96-22.37, with Oakleaf High's Ricky Embry third at 22.43. 

Collier, who won the 3A 400 with a 46.33 split last year, took his 400 meter split as a quick look for the rest of the season.

"Now, I feel like I can run a really fast time in my 400 so I'm holding off until it counts," said Collier. "Now, it's time to work out until we get back. I can kill my body and have a longer recovery time."

With his nearly-just-as-fast teammates; Dixon, Diego Soto and hurdler Joel Childs, the Raiders ran roughshot in the 4 x 400 relay with a state-best 3:21.64 split with Creekside a distant second at 3:27.31. 

"That was our first time with that lineup," said Collier, noting last year the Raiders finished fourth in 3A with a 3:18.76 split (Miami Carol City won in 3:11.50) with Dixon, Soto and Collier still on the track and graduate John Abate the lone non-returner. Childs is primarily a hurdler who finished fourth in 40.78 in the 300 hurdles and seventh in the 110 hurdles in 15.62. 

Orange Park was second to Creekside in the 4 x 200; 1:31.53-1:32.67, with a team of Lawrence Thomas, Dixon, Sermons and Kadin Elmore. Fleming Island was third at 1:34.08.

In the 4 x 100 relay, Columbia edged out Orange Park; 42.04-42.25, with Stewart Udell joining Soto, Sermons and Collier. Fleming Island was tird at 42.54 with Oakleaf fourth, Middleburg fifth and Ridgeview sixth. 

Top performance for area girls athletes was from Sage who won the 300 hurdles by nearly two seconds with a 45.87 split of Bartram Trail's Carolina Minozzi (47.08). Fleming Island's Isabelle Flores was third at 47.17. Sage's time is ranked 28th in Florida with Miami Northwestern's Markalah Hart number one at 41.84. Sage's time is tops in Class 1A. 

Staying with flat out speed, Oakleaf's girls team was led by sophomore Arianna Eason, who was a freshma member of the Lady Knights 4 x 100 relay team at the Class 4A state meet, who whipped up a 12.58 second place finish in the 100 to Paxon senior Shaniya Berry. Eason then returned to the track to take fifth in the 200 in 26.74 with Fleming Island's Lily Amsden a step off in sixth at 26.74. 

Top times in the state, accoring to TFRRS Florida, are 11.75 for the 100 and 24.35 for the 200. 

Creekside Friday Knight track

Top Five Performances (Boys)

400: 5. Trystan Ayers, FIHS, 52.80

800: 3. Landon Opp, FIHS, 2:02.75

1600: 3. Matthew Stratton, SJCDS, 4:31.00

3200: 2. Matthew Stratton, SJCDS, 9:48.06

4 x 100: 2. OPHS, 3. FIHS, 4. OHS, 5. MHS

4 x 200: 2. OPHS, 3. FIHS, 5. RHS

4 x 400: 1. OPHS, 3. OHS

Distanc Medley: 2. FIHS, 4. RHS

High Jump: 2. Ezra McCollum, FIHS, 6'-.75"; Roger Anderson, RHS, 5'-10.75", 5. Trevion Sermons, OPHS, 5'-10.75"

Long Jump: 3. Markez Sermons, OPHS, 20'-9.75"; Anthony Taylor, OHS, 19'-9.5"

Triple Jump: 1. Anthony Taylor, OHS, 44'-.75"; 2. Calvin Suggs, MHS, 43'-5.75"; 5. Diego Soto, OPHS, 39'-8.5"

Shot Put: 3. Kendy Charles, OPHS, 47'-9"; 5. Jeremiah Jackson, FIHS, 44'-4"

Discus: 3. Kendy Charles, OPHS, 133'-0"

Javelin: 5. Grant Bisbee, FIHS, 137'-8"

Creekside Friday Knight track

Top Five Performances (Girls)

400: 3. Nathalie Philogene, OHS, 1:02.67; 5. Ava Johnson, SJCDS, 1:04.19

100 Hurdles: 3. Emahne Pogue, FIHS 17.10; 4. Isabelle Flores, FIHS, 17.12; 5. Diamond Mccree, OHS, 18.17

300 Hurdles: 1. Courtney Sage, SJCDS, 45.87; 3. Isabelle Flores, FIHS, 47.17; 4. Emahne Pogue, FIHS, 50.48

4 x 100: 2. OHS 49.51; 3. FIHS, 51.88; 4. OPHS, 52.00

4 x 200: 1. OHS, 1:52.91

Distance Medley: 1. FIHS, 13:18.45; 4. OHS, 15:14.32

High Jump: 1. RHS Zoe Whaley, 5'-5"; 2. Sydeny Brown, OHS, 5'-1"; 4. Jailin Johnson, OPHS, 4'-9"

Long Jump: 1. Maliyah Deas, FIHS, 16'-8.75"; 4. Arianna Eason, OHS, 16'-2.5"

Triple Jump: 3. Trenity Gilford, OPHS, 33'-5.75"; 5. Kendall Sage, SJCDS, 31'-4.5"

Shot Put: 1. Tanzania McKay, OPHS, 36'-4.75"; 3. Adrionna Coleman, OHS, 32'-2.75"

Discus: 4. Tanzania McKay, OPHS, 99'-0"