FLORIDA STATE MEET

Montverde Academy's Micayah Holland Cruises To 11.26/23.13 Double In Class 2A

By Todd Grasley of DyeStat

If you're choosing a female athlete of the year in the Sunshine State, there are several top contenders, but Micayah Holland of Montverde Academy may have cemented herself as the frontrunner. The junior continued her dominance in the sprints with a new Florida state meet record and US#1 wind-legal 11.26 in the 100-meter dash and US#3 23.13 in the 200 to complete a Class 2A sweep at the Florida state championships last weekend.

Holland's year-over-year improvement is incredible as well, going from an average best of 12;04 to 11.35 in the 100 and 24.20 to 23.13 in the 200.

In the field, athletes flew in the long jump pits. Holland's male teammate, Micah Larry, who transferred to Monteverde from North Carolina, nearly cleared the sandbox with a state meet record, and US#1 leap 25-11.50. Larry nailed the jump, which ranks No. 11 all-time, on his final attempt. He added wins in the 100-meter dash (10.46) and 200-meter dash (21.06,) which played a massive role in the Eagles' team championship. Teammate Zyaire Nuriddin was runner up in the 100-meter dash (10.52) and champion in the 400 (46.89).

While Larry racked up three individual titles, Alyssa Jones of Southridge did him one better with a total of four. Reminiscent of the Robin Reynolds sprint/jump days, Jones was dominant winning the girls long jump in a state meet record 20-11.75. The Stanford commit followed that up with a victory in the high jump clearance of 5-9.75. Jones defended her 100-meter crown as Southridge finished 1-2-3. She ended her day with her fourth state title and a new personal best of 23.49 in the 200 meters after finishing second last year.

The Miami Southridge girls finished second behind Miami Northwestern with 76 points.

The only thing missing in Nease senior Rheinhardt Harrison's high school career was an 800-meter state title. Not only did the future Oregon Duck win the event, but he posted a state meet record time of 1:48.62. The top seven runners in the final all ran under 1:54. Harrison's time was the second-fastest ever in Florida history behind only Andres Arroyo, who ran 1:47.78 in 2013.

Another distance standout at the FHSAA Track & Field Championships was University of Arkansas signee Mary Ellen Eudaly, who picked up her second 1,600-meter title, this time in a state meet record time of 4:48.27, her sixth time under five minutes this season, and just off of her personal best of 4:44.76.

The record Eudaly broke belonged to three-time Olympian and former world champion Jenny Barringer-Simpson. 

Eudaly, a Cambridge Christian senior, added 10 more points winning the 800 in 2:14.85 and was an integral part in the school's winning 4x800 meter relay and the overall team title in Class 1A.

The Dillard girls 4x800 meter relay runners added their names to the record books with a sizzling 9:03.27 to break Northwestern's meet record of 9:05.90 st in 2007.

Javelin is the newest event added to the FHSAA Track & Field schedule. Sonoma Kasica of Shorecrest Prep launched the implement 136-6 for a state-leading mark and Class 1A title.

Connor Wetherington of Santa Fe won the 2A boys title with a US#7 throw of 200-1.

In addition to the eight state meet records that went down, four Florida freshman class records also fell. 

Best of the Rest: Decisive 4x4's, Photo Finishes & More

How do you end an epic 3A state championship? With a boys 4x400 meter relay that decides who wins the overall team title. Enter St. Thomas Aquinas and Miami Northwestern, two teams that have duked it out all season long. King Mack, who won the 400 meters final in a photo finish, anchored the Raiders to a US#4 time of 3:12.80 and a crucial 10 points. St. Thomas Aquinas, Miami Northwestern and Raines all went under 3:15 in the race. St. Thomas Aquinas leap-frogged Dillard to win by one point with 62, meanwhile Northwestern finished third overall with 56 points in the 3A team standings. 

The Miami Northwestern girls tallied 94 points to give legendary coach Carmen Jackson yet another team title. She'll be the first to tell you though, that the credit doesn't go to her, rather her assistant coaches, and the young ladies who put in the work. 

In 4A, the Niceville girls dominated the team championship with 88.5 points, nearly double second place. It was the first girls track and field championship in school history and the team scored in 11 of 18 events, while the Niceville boys repeated as champions. 

Individually, Cha'iel Johnson, the daughter of former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson, ended her junior year with a photo finish victory in the 800 meters. Her new personal best of 2:08.35 was her second state title in the event and she dove at the line to edge fellow competitors Samantha Kavanaugh of Northeast (Oakland Park), who ran 2:08.47, and Raquel Edwards of Dillard (2:08.64). 

George Jenkins freshman Chelsi Wlliams made her presence known with an outstanding 36 points winning the long jump and triple jump and finishing runner-up in both the 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles. 

Fellow freshman Aleesa Samuel, of Somerset Academy, who will be competing at Brooks PR this summer, won the 100-meter hurdles in a Florida freshman class record and US#7 time of 13.73. 

On the boys side, hurdler Cyrus Ways had a big weekend. Ways, who will compete for Penn State next season, dominated the field in the 300-meter hurdles winning by over a second with a US#2 time of 36.26. The time is also the fifth fastest ever in state history. Ways also won the 110-meter hurdles in a wind-aided 13.53.

The 4A boys 4x800 meter relay was blazing with SEVEN teams under eight minutes as Creekside was victorious in 7:46.86, a state leading and top 10 national time.

University of Georgia commit Aaliyah Butler ended her high school career on a high note with her third 400 meter state title in an incredible US#3 53.42. 

Team Champions

Class 4A - Niceville boys 77 points, Niceville girls 85.5 points - RESULTS

Class 3A - St. Thomas Aquinas boys 62 points, Miami Northwestern girls 94 points - RESULTS

Class 2A - Montverde Academy boys 90 points, The Bolles School girls 68 points -  RESULTS

Class 1A - The Benjamin School boys 65 points, Cambridge Christian girls 65 points - RESULTS