Another banner year for the Jacksonville area in Class 2A track and field? It’s looking more likely by the day.
Athletes from the First Coast staked their claim for state honors during the week, with the Raines boys and Bolles girls taking the top spots in the District 3-2A team standings and Palatka coming out on top in District 4-2A.
Already the Gateway Conference boys champion team, Raines earned double victories for Owen Kaye (10.85 in 100, 21.18 in 200) and Iason Williams (14.66 in 110 hurdles, 55.91 in 400 hurdles) along with district titles for the 4×100 and 4×400-meter relays, Hamire Walker in the triple jump, Mario Butler in the long jump, Johdeem Jones in the shot put and new Bethune-Cookman commit Raheim Roberts in the high jump.
For the Bolles girls, whose 169 points held off Jackson’s 148, field events were the key. Bulldog winners there were Terrell McCoy (131-8 in discus, 42-9 1/2 in shot put), Evie Freeman (a PR 19-10 1/4 in long jump), Sienna Starks (11-7 3/4 in pole vault), Tori Sessions (4-11 3/4 in high jump) and Wynter Green (37-7 3/4 in triple jump). The marks for Freeman and McCoy were the best of the year in Northeast Florida.
But Bolles can’t count on cruising in regionals. They’ll again meet Jackson’s Danielle Hagans, who won a relay and swept the 100, 200 and 400, as well as Tigers double hurdle champion Nijah Garnes.
In District 4-2A, meanwhile, Palatka dominated the field, particularly on the boys side. That included a sprint sweep for Kedric Wright Jr. (10.31 in the 100, 21.08 in the 200 and 47.83 in the 400) and outstanding horizontal jumps for Sheldon Brown (45-3 3/4 in the triple jump) and Dequan Jackson (23-10 in the long jump). All three lead Northeast Florida’s season list in their respective events.
More from the week in track:
Bolles grad Hicks seventh in Boston
A Bolles distance star is quickly becoming a master of the marathon.
Bolles graduate Charles Hicks finished seventh at the Boston Marathon on April 20, running 2:04:35 in his latest accomplishment at the 26.2-mile distance. He finished slightly more than two and a half minutes behind John Korir of Kenya, who set a course record of 2:01:52.
It’s the second recent top 10 in a major marathon for the former state champion Bulldog, who ran 2:09:59 for seventh place in the New York City Marathon in November.
Hicks, who spent much of his youth in London and previously represented Great Britain to twice win the European Under-23 Cross Country Championships, earned the Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Track award while at Bolles. He competed in college track and field at Stanford.
FHSAA lacrosse to match rivals
Jacksonville’s private school lacrosse rivals are on a collision course.
When Bolles rolled 12-2 against Pensacola Catholic and Episcopal defeated St. Augustine 14-3 on April 21 in the opening round of boys lacrosse regionals, that set up a rematch for the schools on April 28, to take place at Bolles. Episcopal won last year’s regular season meeting 15-7, but the Bulldogs (21-0) have topped the Eagles in both contests since.
Elsewhere in Region 1-1A, Providence exited with a 19-5 loss to South Walton.
More from early-round postseason action in spring sports:
Wolfson, Mandarin, Fletcher pace Gateway soccer list
Following their winter wins in the Gateway Conference tournaments for soccer, Wolfson picked up plenty of selections on the All-Gateway team.
Wolfpack selections on the boys All-Gateway team are goalkeeper Leonardo Bustamante, defender Jordan Akhlaghi, and midfielders Adrian Daragjati, Kai Gehring and Grady Lewis.
State finalist Mandarin earned four boys selections in defenders Sebastian Chacon and Mateus DeBem, midfielder Artur DeFreitas and forward Robert Calazans.
Also on the boys team are Atlantic Coast’s Renis Joca; Englewood’s Alex Argueta; Fletcher’s Trey Forster, Samuel Romyanond and Justin Van Wie; Riverside’s Kevaughn Dyce; and Sandalwood’s Simon Castellanos, Geovanny Sanchez and Christian Vira.
The Wolfpack also received two Gateway girls selections in Avalon Miller and Lucy Pearson following their penalty-kick victory in the tournament final. Fletcher (Isabella Chavez, Ryann Clowers, Sienna Dancel and Anastasia Virata) and Mandarin (Lila Kessel, Cameron Latsko, Bella Rutherford and Madelyn Rutherford) had four apiece.
Joining the Gateway girls list were Atlantic Coast’s Sascha Brooks, Kendall Dixon and Mia Walker; Baldwin’s Yazmin Glasco; Englewood’s Amina Delic; First Coast’s Gabrielle Elliott; Paxon’s Saige Higgins; Sandalwood’s Kaitlyn Lavelle; and Stanton’s Ava Touchton.
Gamel announces Harvest move
One of Jacksonville’s longest coaching tenures in football is coming to a close.
Jamie Gamel announced on Twitter/X April 22 that he has taken a position with Harvest Community as head weightlifting coach, assistant athletic director and assistant football coach, following 14 years as football coach at Cedar Creek Christian.
Gamel had led Cedar Creek Christian football since 2012, with a cumulative record of 50-90. The Saints, who compete as a football independent within the Sunshine State Athletic Association, finished 0-10 in 2025.
During Gamel’s tenure, the Saints twice qualified for the FHSAA playoffs in 2015 and 2016.
Only two active Northeast Florida football coaches have continuously held their current position longer than Gamel: Trinity Christian’s Verlon Dorminey (since 1991) and University Christian’s David Penland III (since 2011). Demetric Jackson first coached Fort White in 2006, but he also spent two seasons at Columbia.
Around the area
Bishop Kenny held a signing ceremony for women’s track and field for Addison Evans (Newberry), Olivia Jansen (Wofford), Olivia Lumpkin (Nova Southeastern), Maddie Wilkey (Catholic) and Alexis Wilson (Emory). … Beachside’s Troy Mailly recorded his 1,000th career assist for Barracudas boys volleyball. … Big numbers in boys volleyball: Ross Bradley blasted 38 kills and Noam Akilov had 50 assists in Bartram Trail’s five-set district victory over Nease on April 21. … Bolles’ Madden Lutze pitched a seven-inning softball no-hitter with 18 strikeouts against Mandarin on April 21, and also homered in the victory. … Ridgeview’s Bennett Smith, Charles Finley, Cornelius Crawford and Michard Geffrard ran a school-record 3:27.69 in the boys 4×400 relay. … Oakleaf named Mark Lieberman head boys basketball coach. … Eagle’s View named Jessica Pierce head girls basketball coach. … Class 5A champion Beachside finished the year ninth in the United Soccer Coaches national boys rankings. … Perfect Game listed Trinity Christian 29th and Bishop Snyder 38th in its latest national baseball rankings. … In one of the wildest softball scores of the year, Eagle’s View defeated White 32-20 on April 21, with the Commanders getting their 20 runs from only one hit.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: FHSAA track and field meet nears. Which Jacksonville teams are on rise?
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
