JACKSONVILLE - Fleming Island won big in the distance and hurdle events while Oakleaf scored big numbers in the field events with the opening of high school track getting a solid look at contenders for the upcoming track season during the Danny Byron Invitational on Saturday.

The event highlighted a handful of eye-opening finishes.

"We got some good splits and finishes for the first meet and now the work begins," said Fleming Island Coach Chris Otero. "We've been running and conditioning to this point, now we add a little bit of speed in our weekly miles."

Fleming Island and Oakleaf's boys teams finished just seconds or feet away from each other in team points—85.50 for Oakleaf; with a ton in field events, with a second-place finish to Raines at 104.5 with Fleming Island earning 83.75 points—with a ton on the track.

"We got strong boys in the field events coming from the football team so they are already lifting and conditioning," said Oakleaf Coach Shay Mensie. "Ezra Brown will be a state contender in the field events; javelin and shot put."

For Oakleaf's boys, high jump had winner Taron Smith at 6'-4.75'' joined on the podium with three teammates, Jelani Chester, third, and Khamari Harewood and Kashe Johnson tied for seventh, giving the Knights a big chunk of team points.

Fleming Island tallied big points with track wins in the 3200 by JP Strombeck (9:58.79) with Ryder Muyres eighth, 1600 by Marcos Serrano (4:32.82) with Muyres fifth (4:43.18) and an outstanding final 200 in the 800 for Jacob Sanders for third place in 1:59.76.

In sprints, Fleming Island got a scintillating second place in the 400 from Lennox Ivey in 49.11 in a shoulder-to-shoulder battle with Raines' Alexander Higgins in 48.98.

Oakleaf scored their ton of points in the long jump with Harewood fourth, Emmanuel Souffrant seventh, Elijah Edwards and Miles Francis 10th.
In hurdles, Fleming Island's Avery Savage also got a battle with Raines' Jason Williams to get second in 55.90 to 55.20.

Oakleaf's top track finishes came from Isaac Young with a fifth in 10.93 and a second place in the 4 x 400 to Raines in 3:21.65. Fleming Island was third in 3:29.63.

For Oakleaf, in the field events, Emmett Egger and Ezra Brown were second and third in 144'-7" and 143'-7" in javelin with Brown also sixth in shot put (42'-6.75") behind Clay's Jayshawn McCloud in fourth at 45'-4.5".

Oakleaf also won the 4 x 100 relay by more than a second in 41.68 over Riverside.
Oakleaf's Jacob Emlano was fourth in pole vault in 11'-3.75".

Fleming Island's David Fuentes won discus at 144'-11". For the girls, Fleming Island was fourth behind Bishop Kenny (101.50), Beachside (86.0) and Creekside (76.50) with the Golden Eagles fourth in 75.0.

Fleming Island got wins from Brooke Reynolds in a final surge in the final 60 meters of the 800, Meadow Schubert in the 100 hurdles and Juliannah Santana in the 400 hurdles. Halle Steeves ran a tough second in the 400, 57.85, with Milica Gobec of Creekside winning in 56.07. Oakleaf's Kennedi Proctor was third in 59.26.

Clay got solid performances from McCloud in shotput, Sayla Crow in 100 hurdles (third in 17.78), Annaliese Hovda (seventh in 1600), and Reimey Johnson (fourth in 400, 50.87).

Orange Park got a fourth in 1600 from Briley Mulder (6:13.03); fourth and fifth in triple jump from Katelyn Joseph and Elysah Hudson; ninth in 100 from Keyin Thomas (11.22); ninth in 200 from Lavarius Jones (23.23); fifth in long jump Samir Bates (19'-05"); third in triple jump from Kennedy Simons (39.-8.75") and second in pole vault from Aiden Ortega (11'-9.75").

St. Johns Country Day School's distance runners placed 11th and 13th in 800 (Kate Staten, Matilda Morris), 10th in 1600 (Ella Rose Hanna), second in 400 hurdles (Eleanor Myers) and seventh in 1600 (Arlo Kistner).

MHS, KHHS, RHS at Falcon Friday track in St. Augustine

RHS Oja Riggs dominates springs

On Friday, at Pedro Menendez High, Middleburg, Keystone Heights and Ridgeview got their chance to test out their running legs with solid performances from all three schools.

Ridgeview topped the girls field with 116 points to Palatka's 86 with Middleburg tied for third and Keystone Heights sixth. In the boys, Palatka was on top with Middleburg and Ridgeview fourth with Keystone Heights 10th.

Middleburg's girls got top finishes from Lauren Rosset (1st 3200 12:10.74), Mikayla Burns (1st 100 hurdles 16.44), Annabelle Underwood (third discus 30.65), with a second by Maysie Bader in the 400 (1:05.31) with Rosset and Erline Delia fifth and sixth.

For the Bronco boys, Lorelle Pitt was second in high jump and fifth in long jump (19'-9"), Ronnell Seward-Smith was second in discus and Dominic Swilley was third in shot put (40'-8.5").

Adam Ruoss was fourth in the 1600 for Middleburg with teammate Noah Biebel fifth.

Keystone Heights got a third in 100 hurdles from Kaylee Park after region soccer and weightlifting season finish, fifth in 800 by Olivia Griffin after an injury plagued cross country season and fourth in 1600 from seventh grader Ryleigh Thomas, also a soccer and cross country athlete. For Keystone Heights boys, Hunter Gray was fourth in the 3200 with Ryeland Wahl fifth in the 800. Luke Lewis was third in javelin (114'-1").

For Ridgeview, Oja Riggs dominated the field in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes with solid wins (12.67 and 26.43) plus was second in high jump (4'-8.25") with Sarah Michel winning long jump (17'-9.75"); Cailyn Crocker was fourth in 400 (1:06.42); and Rae Burnett was fourth in 800 (2:50.41) with Emily Turner second in 3200 (12:14.40).

In discus, weightlift state qualifier Naviah Mincey was second in shot put (30'-10") and ninth in discus.

Ridgeview got a fifth and sixth in the 100 from DeShawn Watkins (11.65) and Cornelius Crawford (11.70) with Watkins seventh in the 200 (23.62). Ben Smith was second in 110 hurdles (15.78) and third in 400 hurdles (1:02.05). Watkins was also fourth in triple jump.

Upcoming meets include the Providence Invitational and the Craig Speziale Memorial Invitational at Ponte Vedra High on Feb. 28. The Lewis James Invite is also Feb. 28 at Raines High. The Al Nesi Invite at Ridgeview High is scheduled for March 5 for iconic Ridgeview coach Al Nesi.