First Coast Varsity Weekly: Raines football star Solomon Thomas adds discus title to feats
Solomon Thomas knows about dreaming big — but a regional championship in his second sport wasn't always in his plans.
"I didn't think I would qualify for this meet [before the season]," he said. "So just to see my growth since then, it's really special."
The Raines sophomore lineman-turned-thrower did more than qualify. He earned top honors at the Florida High School Athletic Association Region 1-2A track and field championship at the University of North Florida's Hodges Stadium.
Thomas hurled the discus 149 feet, 5 inches, a personal-best mark that earned first place. Before this season, his best mark was just under 133 feet at last year's Chandra Cheeseborough Invitational.
"I definitely felt it, in the rotation in my feet, in my arms," Thomas said. "It was a good throw all around."
Success is nothing new for Thomas, although it's on the football field, rather than the track, that he is earning national acclaim.
Listed at 6-3 and 278 pounds, Thomas is ranked as a five-star offensive line prospect in the 247Sports composite, among the top 20 recruits overall in the Class of 2025.
He has one more week to prepare for the Class 2A state track meet at UNF on May 18, all while juggling life as a football recruit pursued by the likes of Florida and Florida State. Raines holds its spring football game May 25 at Parker.
"I'm not going to lie, it's tough, balancing them both," he said. "My bread and butter is football, but as a dual athlete, I can do both and I can go far in this."
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Haywood, Johnson shine for BK
Time to call it a winning week for the Bishop Kenny track pair of Ka'Myya Haywood and Gabby Johnson.
The seniors combined to win the four shortest girls flat events at the Region 1-2A meet at UNF. Johnson swept the 100 and 200, Haywood took the 800 and also led a 1-2 finish in the 400.
The two also combined with Clare Coyle and Addie Thorson on a 4x400 relay team that set a school record of 3:50.74.
Then, to complete the week, both committed to major college track programs. Haywood selected Tennessee, and Johnson is on her way to Wake Forest.
Bolles girls track rolling toward repeat
Is Bolles girls track Florida's unstoppable force? They're looking like it once more.
The Bulldogs dominated the Region 1-2A meet against strong competition with 160 1/2 points, stamping their position as favorites to bring home a third consecutive FHSAA trophy next week. The Bolles girls also won in 2014, 2016 and 2017.
They're setting the pace in field events and distance,. Senior Jillian Candelino won her final regionals in the 1,600, 3,200 and part of the 4x800 relay, while Zee Curtis won the discus and shot put, Vivian Stovall topped the pole vault and Presley Wolfe captured the triple jump.
The Bolles boys also earned first place, including victories for Aidan Ryan (3,200), Matthew Thomas (1,600) and major football 2024 prospect Garrison Butler (shot put).
A few other feats of note from the track:
Creekside's Christian Miller got edged out by Sanford Seminole's Amari Turner in the boys 100 but responded in the 200, running 20.55 for the fifth-fastest U.S. high school time.
Alyson Johnson and Janay Moorer lifted the Creekside girls into contention in Region 1-4A. Johnson won the 1,600 and 3,200, while Moorer captured the 200 and 400 and placed one-hundredth of a second behind Sandalwood's Emani George in the 100.
Providence's Skyy Dixon achieved a sprint double in the girls 100 (11.59) and 200 (24.31) for Region 1-1A.
Bolles broke its record in the boys 4x100 relay, with a 41.75 for the multi-sport quartet of Matthew Berry, Kemani Wilson, Kavon Miller and Naeem Burroughs.
Episcopal set a school record in the girls 4x400 relay, at 3:51.47.
For Fleming Island, Mikayla Shavers leaped 39 feet, 3 3/4 inches to surpass her own girls triple jump mark, Kaitlyn Scherer ran 2:17.60 in the girls 800 and both 4x800 relays also set school marks in advancing to state: 7:55.95 for the boys, 9:30.66 for the girls.
Mandarin's boys 4x800 team set a school-record 7:47.96 to win in Region 1-4A, with Dominic Geraci, Erik Lash, Charley West and University of Florida-bound senior Gavin Nelson combining on the win.
Miami fight shakes up 3A track
The high school sports world has seen football fights. Baseball fights. And now, a track fight — one that took place more than 300 miles away but could carry significant implications for some Northeast Florida athletes.
As reported by Florida Today, the FHSAA disqualified the boys track teams of Miami Northwestern and Rockledge after a brawl that followed Friday's Region 4-3A track championships at Miami's Traz Powell Stadium.
Both Rockledge and eight-time state champion Miami Northwestern placed in the top 10 at last year's Class 3A meet. Pending the outcome of a potential appeal to the FHSAA, every athlete on both boys squads would miss next week's 3A meet at UNF.
If the exclusion stands, Ponte Vedra's boys could be among the chief beneficiaries. The Sharks won the Region 1-3A title last week with a series of field victories, including Vincent Jackson in the javelin, Nathan Lebowitz in the discus, Landen Scott in the pole vault and Layne Swafford in the shot put.
The Ponte Vedra girls also took the top spot in Region 1-3A, including titles for the 4x400 relay team, Isabella Madaffari in the javelin and Lindy White in the 1,600.
The uncertain fallout from the Miami altercation has left Class 3A athletes statewide in limbo. As of Tuesday evening, the FHSAA had yet to announce its list of qualifiers for the Class 3A meet, while the other three classes are confirmed in full.
Sandalwood's Jones plans for JU
For the second time in two weeks, a Gateway Conference center is confirming plans for Division I women's basketball.
Sandalwood center Jada Jones committed Monday to stay on the First Coast with Jacksonville University women's hoops. She becomes the first local commitment for newly-hired Dolphins coach Special Jennings.
A four-year starter at Sandalwood, the 6-4 Jones towered over her opponents in the paint and averaged double-doubles in three of her four Sandalwood seasons (14.2 points and 10.4 rebounds in 2019-20, 15.0 points and 11.2 rebounds in 2020-21, 14.0 points and 10.8 rebounds this year).
She would become the third Division I signee from the Saints' program since 2020, following forward Caitlin McGee (Ole Miss) and guard Amari Wright (Seton Hall).
A week ago, Mandarin center Yakiya Milton committed to Auburn following her senior season.
Toros charge to trophies
It looks like Tocoi Creek didn't need much time to make an impact on both diamonds.
The second-year St. Johns County school has already begun to fill its trophy case in baseball and softball after bringing home district titles in both sports last week.
Jacksonville University signee Tatum McCool has led the charge for Toros softball, batting .439 for a squad that picked up momentum down the stretch to upset top seed Menendez in districts.
Last week, Tocoi Creek baseball wrapped up its own title by upsetting top seed Alachua Santa Fe. Enrique Castillo (.468) and Brayden Pfieffer (.384) have been consistent bats for the Toros, while Riley Barker has struck out more than a batter per inning with a 1.08 ERA.
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Around the area
Oakleaf forward Dylan Lewis committed to USC-Beaufort men's basketball, and center Cameron Coachman committed to Daytona State College. … Fleming Island's Enrico Montero signed with Southeastern men's track and field. … College of Central Florida outfielder Carson Bayne (Sandalwood) committed to Charlotte baseball. …Bolles junior linebacker Trent Carter named a top five of Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Louisville, Memphis and Pitt. … Former Nease midfielder Ashton Wood, now at Mercer, was selected to the ASUN first team in men's lacrosse. … Former Bartram Trail quarterback Kyle Parker, a two-sport athlete at Clemson, was selected to the Tigers' athletic hall of fame. … Suwannee's Marquavious Owens was named Florida Dairy Farmers Class 1A boys weightlifter of the year, and Suwannee coach Dan Marsee was named Class 1A weightlifting coach of the year. … The Florida Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association selected Mandarin athletic director Brian Rado as Section 1 athletic administrator of the year, while Englewood athletic director Cynthia Bateh received the Chris Hixon Sportsmanship Award.
Clayton Freeman covers high school sports and more for the Florida Times-Union. Follow him on Twitter at @CFreemanJAX.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Solomon Thomas, Raines offensive tackle, wins regional discus title
