KEY WEST TRACK AND FIELD SQUADS ARE DISTRICT CHAMPIONS Keys

Athletes Claim 13 Individual District Titles

Key West and Coral Shores traveled to Tropical Park in Miami on April 19 for the 2A district track and field championships. The Conchs had multiple district champions and collected enough points to secure team wins for both boys and girls.

A total of 25 runners, jumpers, hurdlers and vaulters will represent Key West at the 2A regional competition on May 3 at Calvary Christian High School. Athletes who finish in the top four places at district meets move on to the next level.

In addition to the team championships, the Conchs won 11 individual championships at districts. Sprinter Savannah Chadic won both the 200m and 400m events in arguably the fastest district in Florida. Suharevskis Niks-Davis took firsts in the pole vault and the 110m high hurdles, and teammate Kevon Mills won both the high and long jump events. Lucas Montiel won the 800m race. Abigail Cowen won the long jump and also qualified for the triple jump event. Throwers Valerie Thene, Abby Collins and Angeline Foster won the discus, javelin and shot put competitions, respectively. Foster qualified for regionals in all three.

Other boys regional qualifiers for Key West were Colbin Hill (3200m), Jeremiah Harvey (javelin, 110m and 400m hurdles), Anthony Jenner (400m hurdles, javelin), Brandon Etienne (high jump), Clerf Alexandre (triple jump), Josh Cantervury (pole vault, discuss), Liam Flores (pole vault), Benndy Ambrose (discus, shot put), James Reynolds (javelin) and Jean Louis (shot put). The boys 4x400m and 4x800m relays will also compete at regionals.

Rounding out the girls regional qualifiers are Nikole Tomita (100m), Jenesis Perloff (100m hurdles and 400m hurdles), Ruth Azard (100m hurdles), Anabel Portuondo (high jump, pole vault), Riley Richard (pole vault), Kaylee Matas Cabezuelo (pole vault, discus, shot) and Victoria Daley-Willy (javelin). All three of the Conchs’ girls relay teams will also move on.

Coral Shores had its own double district champ in Xavyer Arrington. Fresh from his state championship in weightlifting, the ’Canes’ strongman won first-place medals in the discus and shot put events. Arrington will be joined at regionals by Ethan Marguet

(400m), Sean Andrews (800m), Xavier Johnson (110m hurdles), Ambrose Sanchez (400m hurdles), Riley Froman (pole vault) and Evan Osipov (discus). The Hurricanes’ 4x800m and 4x400m relay teams also made the cut and will race at regionals. No Lady ’Canes took a top-four spot at districts, ending their season at Tropical Park.

1A Marathon traveled to Palmer Trinity on April 20 for its district championship meet. The Lady Fins ended the day ranked third of nine district teams, and the boys secured the runner-up trophy. Though there were no district champions this season, 14 Fins earned individual spots at the regional event held at Westminster Christian School on May 6.

Moving on for the Fins are Ava Merryman, Samantha Batzer and Cullen Coleman-Sayer in the pole vault event. Jumpers Kayesha Christian, Fabbianho Louis Jeune and Shamar Wright qualified in long jump. Louis Jeune also qualified in the triple jump, and Daysi Williams will represent Marathon in the high jump event. Throwers Nicole Merryman (shot put), Mason Buxton (javelin) and Justice Lee (discus) round out the field qualifiers for Marathon. Buxton also qualified for the 800m race. Two sprinters made the cut as Tinashay Cunningham and Jakub Bursa will compete in the 400m. Vance Bursa qualified in the 800m, 1600m and 3200m races. Aaron Dolton, who signed to continue his track career with Flagler College this week, will represent the Fins in the 110m and 400m hurdles. The girls 4x100m and both boys and girls 4x800m relay teams will also compete on May 6.