Who are the top boys track and field athletes in Sarasota and Manatee counties for 2024
The high school track and field season is underway with a handful of meets in the books.
Already some of the area athletes have made their marks, either with top finishes or personal bests.
Some of the big meets in the area this season are the Pirate Booty Invitational on Friday at Braden River High, the Palmetto High Invite on March 11, the Spring Break Invitational on March 16 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, the Tarpon Classic on March 21 at Charlotte High, the ODA Thunder Classic on March 23, the North Port Invitational on March 28, the IMG Academy Invitational on April 5 and 6, the Wally Keller Classic on April 5 at Charlotte High, the Cardinal Mooney Invitational on April 12, the Palmetto High School Invitational meet on April 18 and the Sarasota County Championships on April 18 at Booker High.
Last Season: Introducing the Herald-Tribune 2023 All-Area Boys Cross Country Team
Here are some of the male athletes to watch in 2024:
Sprints (100, 200, 400)
Jayson Evans, Booker High, senior
An elite sprinter who finished sixth in the 100 and eighth in the 200 last year at the FHSAA State Meet, Evans excelled on his home track, winning both events at the Larry Richardson Memorial Invitational. That was coming off a second (200) and fourth (100) in his first meet of the season, the Calvary Christian Warrior Invitational. Evans also ran the 800 in Clearwater, placing eighth.
Damian Howard, North Port High, junior
In his first meet of the season, Howard picked up a first in the 200 (22.29) and third in the 100 (11.11) at the Charlotte Invitational.
Nathaniel Gates, Palmetto High, senior
Gates flirted with his personal best of 50.19 in the 400 with a second at the Lakewood Ranch Invitational in 50.78 and a first at the Larry Richardson Memorial in 50.43.
ALSO WATCH: Javon Moss, Parrish Community High, Taggert Sabo, North Port High, Ramsey Cole, Manatee High, Kei’Shawn Smith, Manatee High, Ty’Ron Jackson, Manatee High, Bon Bean, Manatee High, Jacobey Mobley, Booker High.
Hurdles (110, 400)
Jozell Bing, Palmetto High, senior
One of the top hurdlers on this coast, Bing already has a couple of double-doubles. He won both the 110 hurdles and the 400 hurdles at the Lakewood Ranch Invitational and the Larry Richardson Memorial. In between, Bing picked up a fourth in the 110 hurdles and a third in the 400 hurdles at the Dunbar Tiger Classic.
Julian Lazzara, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal, sophomore
Lazzara claimed a second and a fourth at the Larry Richardson Memorial. He was runners-up in the 110 (15.58) and fourth in the 400 hurdles. In his third event at the meet, Lazzara was second in the 200 in 23.87.
ALSO WATCH: Colin Baird, North Port High.
Distance (800, 1,600, 3,200)
Declan Fiorucci, Out-of-Door Academy, senior
Coming off a 22nd finish at the FHSAA State Cross Country Finals, Fiorucci posted a 4:41.24 in winning the 1,600 at the Larry Richardson Memorial.
Grayson Cicilioni, Sarasota High, sophomore
Cicilioni got off to a blazing start with a personal-best 4:41.99 in his only 1,600 race of the season, good for a second-place finish at the Larry Richardson Memorial.
Jonathan Leatt, Lakewood Ranch High, junior
Leatt has run all three distance races in his first two meets with seconds in the 800 (2:01.85) at the Charlotte Invitational and a 10:26.83 on his home track at the Lakewood Ranch Invitational. Leatt established a personal best of 4:28.89 with his third-place finish in the 1,600 at the Charlotte Invitational.
Derek Robinson, Lakewood Ranch High, junior
Robinson also ran all three distance races in his first two meets and recorded a couple of personal bests along the way. Both new marks came at the Charlotte Invitational, posting a 4:27.52 in the 1,600 and a 9:57.44 in the 3,200, both winning times. Robinson also has a first place in the 800, running 2:01.79 at the Lakewood Ranch Invitational.
ALSO WATCH: Vincente Rivera, Lakewood Ranch High, Ryan Purdy, Riverview High, Kevin Gyurka, Out-of-Door Academy
Jumps (long, triple, high)
Adryan Schuetz, Riverview High, junior
In his second year of competing, Schuetz captured victories in his first two high jump competitions. He opened with a personal-best 1,93 meters at the Bobcat Relays and followed it with a 1.77 at the Larry Richardson Memorial. In his first attempt at the long jump, Schuetz was 14th at the Bobcat Relays.
Chauncey Kennon, Booker High, sophomore
Kennon picked up firsts in his first two meets. He was on top in the high jump with a 1.87 at the Calvary Christian Warrior Invitational and the long jump with a 6.39 at the Larry Richardson Memorial.
ALSO WATCH: Derek Anders, Braden River High, Jahvani Vasquez, Southeast High, Colin Bosek, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal, Evan Brown, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal.
Throws (discus, javelin, shot put)
Luis Castaneda, Riverview High, senior
One of the top discus throwers in the state, Castaneda picked up where he left off with firsts in the Bobcat Relays (49.38) and the Larry Richardson Memorial (49.51). Castaneda is coming off a season where he won the discus at nine events and finished second at the FHSAA State Meet.
Jacob Kosko, Parrish Community High, junior
Kosko opened the season with a personal best in the shot put with a heave of 15.97 at the Bobcat Relays and followed it with a 15.85 at the Charlotte Invitational. Kosko came out on top at both meets. At the Charlotte Invitational, he set a personal best with a 43.41 in the discus, good for second place.
James Cummings, Lakewood Ranch High, senior
Cummings has firsts in the Lakewood Ranch Invitational with a 44.4 and Charlotte Invitational with a personal-best 44.83.
Levi Freed, Lakewood Ranch High, senior
Freed opened the season with a victory in the javelin at the Lakewood Ranch Invitational. During the same meet, he set a personal best in the discus with a 29.39.
Anthony Miller, Riverview High, sophomore
Miller set three personal bests at the Larry Richardson Invitational: 11.84 in the 100, 51.38 in the javelin, and 24.45 in the 200 for the first time. His 51.38 in the javelin was better than the 46.41 in his first meet at the Bobcat Invitational, also a first-place finish, and his best of 39.73 last year.
Tyreek’e Robinson, Manatee High, senior
Looking to qualify for the state meet in his second year of heaving the shot put, Robinson notched a first with a personal-best 14.87 at the Lakewood Ranch Invitational and a second with a 14.2 at the Larry Richardson Memorial.
ALSO WATCH: Kevontay Hugan, Booker High, Paeton Westmoreland, North Port High,
Vault (pole vault)
Chase Graziadei, Venice High, senior
A ninth-place finisher at last year’s FHSAA State Meet, Graziadei opened this season with a first place at the Bobcat Relays.
ALSO WATCH: Alexander Bates, Riverview High
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: The top boys track and field athletes for Sarasota, Manatee counties to watch in 2024
