LAKELAND — Lakeland senior DJ Dobie has been setting personal and school records all season, and he went event bigger at the state meet.
Dobie set a county record in the 100-meter dash as he and Winter Haven’s Olivia Celiscar were the only two state champions from Polk County on Saturday at the 2026 FHSAA Class 4A Girls Track and Field State Championships at the University of North Florida.
Dobie blew away the competition in running 10.24 to win the 100, beating Flanagan’s Jacob Thomas, who ran 10.43. Lakeland’s Jaace Moore won the slow heat in 10.50 and finished fourth overall.
In winning the 100, Dobie set another personal and school record. He broke Auburndale sprinter Chauncy Smart’s overall record of 10.26 set in 2017. Lake Gibson’s Keith Strong also ran 10.26 in 1987. Dobie also broke the wind-legal record of 10.30 set by Mulberry’s Arian Smith in 2018.
Dobie’s time also was the fastest winning time in the 100 at the four state meets this season. Rickards’ Davion Crumitie won the 100 in Class 3A in 10.30, Palatka’s Cedric Wright won 2A in 10.60, and Blowntstown’s Curtis Ellis won 1A in 10.89.
Dobie fell short of a second gold medal by one-one hundredths of a second. He and Moore ran on the 4×100 that finished second in 40.76. Flanagan won with a time of 40.75.
With Dobie leading the way, Lakeland finished eighth in the team competition, also getting points from Caelin Bailey, who finished seventh in the high jump (22-08.5), and Jave Jean-Louis, who finished eighth in the long jump and (49-11.75).
Also for the 4A boys, Haines City’s BJ Alston finished sixth in the shot put (50-04.75), and Yvenerson Elizee was eighth in the long jump and (22-03.75).
George Jenkins was eighth in the 4×800.
For the girls, Winter Haven senior Olivia Celiscar repeated as the state champion in the shot put. She won with a throw of 41-09.25. Celiscar, who set the county record last month with a mark of 44-03, won gold last year in the event with a throw of 42-02.50.
Winter Haven senior Desirae Murray scored points for the Blue Devils in two individual events and one relay. Last year, she won the slow heat to finish second. This year, she moved up again. Seeded eighth, she ran 11.62 to finish third. Although she finished one spot lower than last year, her time was a personal record. She ran 11.96 last year.
Murray also finished eighth in the 200, and ran on the 4×100 team that took sixth in 47.19.
Also for the girls, George Jenkins junior Michaelah Williams finished sixth in the long jump (18-03.25) and teammate Natalie Moss finished tied for sixth in the high jump (5-01.75), and Tori Gibson finished eighth in the 400 hurdles (1:03.28).
Jenkins also took sixth in the 4×400.
2A: Tenoroc win first state title in school history
Tenoroc’s 4×100 team did more than win a state title at the Class 2A state meet. The Titans won the event in 40.57 seconds, which gave them the first state title in any sport since Tenoroc opened in the fall of 2008. And the winning time was worthy of such an honor as it set a county record in the event.
The four runners who made school history were Tyree Garrett, Demetrius Jones, Jaden Furman and Lamari Poole.
Garrett got off to a strong start and was even with the leaders at the first exchange. By the time Jones handed off to Furman after the second leg, the Titans were in control.
The Titans went into the meet with confidence.
“I knew especially having watched them practice all week that if the first exchange was good they were going to win,” Tenoroc coach Trevon Thompson said. “They were in the right mindset, and we were gonna win this.
Tenoroc easily defeated Jacksonville Raines (40.85).
“They told me that they wanted to go make some history, and they went out there and did it, so I’m very proud of them,” Thompson said.
The Tenoroc coach said it took about half the season for him to settle on the lineup as they were dealing with injuries early. Even with the lineup on flux, he felt good about the team’s chances to finish high in the event. Last year, the titans were sixth and Poole transferred in from Auburndale to give the team a boost.
In the Para State Championships, Frostproof’s Mason Berry won the 100, 200, 800 and javelin.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Track: Dobie, Celiscar win gold in 4A, Tenoroc makes school history in 2A
Reporting by Roy Fuoco, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
