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Harbison top discus hurler in 3A region

4A javelin crown to OHS Linscomb

By Randy Lefko Sports Editor
Posted 5/11/23

JACKSONVILLE - Clay High senior discus thrower Annalee Harbison has already established her “big game” status as a Blue Devil weightlifter with her return to the sport after an injury a key …

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Harbison top discus hurler in 3A region

4A javelin crown to OHS Linscomb


Posted

JACKSONVILLE - Clay High senior discus thrower Annalee Harbison has already established her “big game” status as a Blue Devil weightlifter with her return to the sport after an injury a key element to the Blue Devils’ state weightlifting title.

Now, Harbison is a region champion discus thrower after Thursday’s region 1-3A championships held at the University of North Florida.

In her region 1-4A meet, Oakleaf High sophomore javelin thrower Madison Linscomb won her event with a 136’-11” throw to win by nearly three feet and own a tops in Class 4A rank.

Oakleaf also got a top five finish from senior sprinter Evan Brown who clocked 10.64 in the 100 (winner 10.45) for fifth and 21.98 for ninth in the 200 (winner 20.55). Shotputter Jordan Mitchell was third with a 54’5.25” put (winner 56’) and is ranked fourth in 4A.

At the other end of the spectrum, Fleming Island freshman triple jumper Mikayla Shavers, the Florida middle school champion last year for Green Cove Springs Junior High, won her first region title with a 39’-3.75” personal best to get a second in Class 3A ranking. Top jump in 3A is 50’-2.75”.

Another freshman, Ridgeview’s Avi Miller, finished fifth in the region in triple jump with a 36’-2.75” leap.

Fleming Island High’s boys and girls 4 x 800 relay teams were both region champions and will be seeded in the top five for the upcoming state championships. The Golden Eagle boys; Graham Myers, John Keester IV, Donavin Montoya and Roman Mollicone won in 7:55.95 over Choctowhatchee’s 8:03.01 while the girls; Katie Thompson, Reese Scott, Kaitlyn Scherer and Brooke Reynolds won their event in 9:30.66 over Fort Walton Beach.

In Class 3A, Fleming Island’s boys are ranked third behind Belen Jesuit and Miami Northwestern but very close with Northwestern at 7:55.07 and Belen at 7:52.98.

For the girls, Fleming Island is second ranked behind Dillard of Miami’s 9:19.98.

Fleming Island also got top performances from distance runners Graham Myers and John Keester IV who finished second and third in the 3200 behind Leon defending champion Patrick Koon, also twice the state cross country champion. Koon won decisively with a 9:02.23 time with Myers, second in Class 1A last year for St. Johns Country Day School, at 9:24.50 and Keester at 9:25.55.

In Class 3A, Koon is top ranked at 8:52.60 with Belen Jesuit’s Joshua Ruiz second at 9:03.43 and Myers third with a 9:03.45 best.

Fleming Island 800 meters ace Roman Mollicone lowered his best in the event to 1:54.68 for second in the region. Mollicone is third ranked in 3A with a 1:51.86 on top and 1:52.27 second.

Area track athletes will descend on the UNF track Sat., May 18-21 for the state track and field championships with events starting in the morning with throws and qualifying rounds and finals in the late afternoon. The state meet was moved a week due to schedule conflicts with the move from the University of Florida to UNF.

Harbison’s winning throw of 130’-2” was less than her season best of 130’-8” but enough to stay in front of region runnerup Madison Underwood of Middleburg who tossed 126’-6”. Harbison’s teammate, Kenya Tinajero, also a state champion weightlifter at Clay, finished 11th with Orange Park’s Mychalea Parker, third last year in shot put, finishing eighth at 100’-7”.

Harbison is ranked third in Class 3A with Underwood fifth.

In the girls shotput, Harbison edged Parker for fourth by almost a foot; 36’-5.75” to 35’-6.5”. Harbison is ranked eighth in 3A.

In the boys discus, Middleburg’s Wyatt Underwood, with a best of 163’-2” but only a 122’-2” at regions, is ranked fourth in Class 3A with Ponte Vedra defending champion Nathan Lebowitz on top with a 189’-2” toss at his district 4-3A meet.

In the boys 110 hurdles, Fleming Island’s Brenden Cook led area athletes with a fourth place finish in 15.17 seconds with the winner at 14.08; Mehki Dupree of Washington (Pensacola). Also in the

hurdlers, Orange Park freshman Nethan Verger finished seventh with teammate Elijah Craggette ninth.

The top 10 in Class 3A are all under 15 seconds.

In the 100 meters, Ridgeview sprinter Nappoleon Cion whipped up at fourth place 10.88 to stay within a whisker of the top time of 10.70. In Class 3A, the top 10 runners are all under 10.55.

In the 200, Orange Park’s Lawrence Thomas finished 10th in 22.32 (winner at 21.34) with Fleming Island’s Kaylib Singleton and Brenden Cook right behind him in 22.35 and 22.36.

In the 400, Ridgeview’s Franklin Brown finished 10th in 51.35 (winner 48.22) with Clay sophomore Alex Weiss 12th in 51.53.

In the 400 hurdles, Fleming Island’s Enrico Montero was sixth in 57.46 (winner 55.36) with Craggette eighth and Datilus 12th.

Orange Park’s 4 x 100 quartet of William Restall, Nolan Chambers, Jermel Brown and Lawrence Thomas placed fourth with Fleming Island sixth in 42.41 and 42.82 (winner 41.28 Choctowhatchee).

Fleming Island’s 4 x 400 relay was fourth in 3:24.98 (winner 3:17.79) with Ridgeview 10th in 3:33.81.4.

In Class 4A, Oakleaf’s 4 x 100 boys relay was second; Amarrion Grant, Devin Collins, Josber Stimphil (also 10th in 400) and Evan Brown in 41.41 for second to Seminole (40.89).

In region 2-1A, St. Johns Country Day School will send 400 meter specialist Ava Johnson to the state meet; 15th in 1A with a best of 1:03.90 (top rank 1:00.86).