T&F Roundup: Booker T. Washington's Kayden Engel and Ariyana Williams bring home state titles

Any program that ends its track and field season with one of its athletes standing at the top of the podium is a major achievement.

To have it happen with two athletes, that's special. And at the end of Friday night, Booker T. Washington's special season was cemented.

Wildcats seniors Kayden Engel and Ariyana Williams each collected a state title on Friday after competing in the Class 3A State Championships from Hodges Stadium on the University of North Florida campus. Engel was victorious in the high jump while Williams claimed first place in the 400-meter dash.

Led by that duo, the Booker T. Washington girls team finished seventh overall with 26 points.

"It feels great, it's the best way I could've gone out on my senior season," Engel said. "The experience was just amazing. And all the girls on high jump, they are very supportive. They help you and cheer you on; I think that's what really pushed me over the top."

Williams and Engel becomes the program's first state champion since Tytavia Hardy captured the high jump in 2018.

Wildcats preview: Can Booker T. Washington produce its first state champion since 2018?Class 1A State: PCA's Therron Percival wins the pole vault at the Class 1A Track and Field State Championships

As for the school's latest high jump winner, she earned the championship with a personal-record mark of 5 feet, 5 3/4 inches. The senior finished two inches ahead runner up Brooke Hawkins, of Fort Walton Beach.

Engel, who will compete collegiately at the University of South Alabama next year, won despite only being seeded 10th in the event. However, she credits a lighter-than-normal workload for her performance. Instead of participating in other field events, the senior qualified for just one event: the 400 hurdles, where she finished 10th.

"Just having my main focus on high jump and being loose and stretched and my legs were feeling good, I think that's what really did it," Engel said.

Williams path to gold was as the favorite, coming in as No. 1 seed in the 400. She crossed the finish line with a blistering time of 54.41 seconds, nearly a second and a half faster than second-place finisher Desiree Frazier, of Boyd Anderson. It was also 1.55 seconds ahead her personal-record mark.

"It was a very surreal feeling, but shocking at the same time. I didn't expect to get first, even though I was the top seed. I think we were all really close with our pr's. But once I hit the finish line, I just looked up at the time and was in shock. My mouth was wide open."

Williams actually trailed Frazier through the midway point of the race.

"At the 200 mark, I kicked it into gear and give it all I had," Williams said. "Then, once we got to 100 meters to go, I was just heading for the finish line trying the past the girl in front of me."

Williams' night wasn't finish as she claimed a fourth-place finish in the 200 (24.83), an event that she doesn't have much experience in, but was good enough to turn in an impressive result.

"I kind of expected to place a little bit lower because of the competition in the field. So I was actually surprised that I placed fourth," she said.

Elsewhere for the Wildcats, Elyse Carmichael made it to the podium by finishing eight in the 1,600 (5:09.39).

The area's next best performing squad was Pine Forest, who claimed 11th with 17 points.

The 400-meter relay team of Mauricia Howard, Chrishonna Bargaineer, Ta’nae Henderson and Dezire Gee led the way for the Eagles. The foursome collected second place with a time of 46.66.

Two of the girls from that relay team placed in individual events. Gee took home fourth place in the 100 (11.92) while Henderson was seventh in the triple jump (37-3 3/4). Lastly, Cassandra Jones earned seventh in the shot put (38-3 1/4).

On the boys side, Escambia's Ladarian Clardy was excellent in a marathon day. The Gators sophomore started his Friday with a second-place finish in the long jump (24 1/4). He then made the five-hour trip back to Pensacola, arriving just in time to catch a touchdown pass during Escambia's spring football game.

Other placers include Pine Forest's D'Antonio Warren (100 - 10.49, 200 - 21.53), Booker T. Washington's Teddy Robinson (110 hurdles - 14.69) and Gulf Breeze's Ashton Wyse (sixth - 1:56.74).

Class 4A

Pace senior Ava Grace Wheaton barely missed out on repeating as state champion in the javelin on Saturday.

Wheaton, the 2022 PNJ Girls Co-Track and Field Athlete of the Year, uncorked a throw of 133-0, which was more than seven feet further than her winning performance a year ago. Palm Beach Gardens' Selena Calix won the state title by putting up a mark of 137-8.

The Patriots had another strong effort in a throwing event as Rylee Henderson took fourth in the discus (131-7). It's the second-straight year the junior has placed in the discus (sixth in 2022).

Behind Wheaton and Henderson, the Pace girls placed tied for 15th with 13th points.

Meanwhile, the Patriots' success in the javelin carried over to their boys team as Sean Drummond and Brayden Gates placed fourth (170-11) and fifth (166-5), respectively.

Class 2A

West Florida was represented by four athletes placing on Thursday, including a runner-up finish from its star junior.

Jennifer Mims took home second in the 400 hurdles (1:02.5). That run comes off a fifth-place finish in the 300 hurdles.

Also for the Jaguars, Christina Lett earned a third-place medal in the shot put for the second year in a row. She turned in a mark of 38-1, which was nearly two feet off her personal-record throw at state last season.

Lastly, after qualifying for the event in 2022, Skyy Beeks placed in the pole vault in 2023. The senior was tied for eighth with a mark of 9-10.

The West Florida girls team finished 15 with 14.5 points.

On the boys side, Armen Truitt placed in two events. The sophomore was seventh in the 400 hurdles (57.47) and eight in the pole vault (13-9 1/2).

Elsewhere on the field, Northview's Maliki Haynes leaped seven spots from his seeding in the high jump, earning eight (6-1 1/2).

Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached at (772) 985-9692, on Twitter @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com. 

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Booker T. Washington's Engel and Williams nab Class 3A state track titles