JACKSONVILLE - An explosive start got Oakleaf High freshman sprinter Jasmine Silkert just enough of an edge that she finished seventh overall in the FHSAA Class 4A track and field championships on Saturday at the University of North Florida.

"It was a great start and everything went according to plan," said Silkert, who edged out senior Rayna Lawson, who was ninth. "Rayna has been such a great mentor to me and made me better."
Lawson, headed to UNLV in the fall, was making up ground on the field in the 100 and finished just outside the podium with a 11.76 seconds split. Silkert's fast start got her in at 11.69 seconds with the winning time at 11.46.
In the boys 4 x 100, the Oakleaf High team of Miles Francis, Landon Nichols, Kashe Johnson and Emmanuel Souffrant, all underclassmen, got a tough third place finish in one of the closest races of the day with three teams faster than 41 seconds - Flanagan 40.75, Lakeland 40.76 and Oakleaf 40.95 - with Johnson exploding on his anchor leg to pass two runners at the tape.
"I felt really good on the anchor," said Johnson. "I'm telling you, we are all coming back next year."
For the girls 200, Lawson got her podium finish with a seventh-place in 24.08.
Souffrant was sixth in the boys 200 with a 21.29 split behind a 20.91 winning split from Kylen Monk of Largo.
In the 800, for the girls, Kennedi Proctor was 18th in 2:23.60 while Jelani Chester ran one of his best races in a very fast field with a ninth place 1:56.07. Winning time was 1:52.48.
In the field events, junior shot putter Rayna Autry finished fourth with a 39-2.25 throw that was just shy of two feet first place at 41-feet-9.25.
Oakleaf also had two triple jumpers with Khamari Harewood and Jace Jackson finishing 11th and 16th.
In discus, Dominic Aliaga was 17th.
In the final event of the four day championship series, Oakleaf's girls 4 x 400 finished 16th and the boys 4 x 400 (Johnson, Rodney Townsend, Jr., Chester and Souffrant) finished fifth in 3:17.99 with Flagler Palm Coast winning in 3:14.35.

Class 1A Track and Field

Spartans tracksters roll in 4 x 800, 400

JACKSONVILLE - St Johns Country Day School's Ella Rose Hanna, Matilda Morris, Olivia Morris and Kate Staten, all freshman, finished 14th out of 18 teams with a time of 10 minutes, 22.67 seconds.

Girls winners in the 4 x 800 was Rocky Bayou Christian in 9:28.81.
In the boys 4 x 800; St. Johns had juniors Nathan Kipnis, Arlo Kistner and Thomas Nichols with senior Wyatt Hollingsworth finishing 10th in 8:25.67. Winners were Providence in 7:59.12.
For the girls 400, Williams ran a 1:01.69 to place 13th with the winner, Jamaria Richardson of Pahokee, winning in 53.66 seconds.