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Vero's Michael Carter leads TCPalm's 2022-23 Boys Track and Field All-Area Team

bryan cooney, treasure coast newspapers
·5 min read

Track and field season for the boys of the Treasure Coast featured a bit of everything when it came down to who performed the best.

Vero Beach as a team produced a memorable season winning district and regional titles with a host of athletes in multiple events proving themselves to be among the best in 4A.

The year was a particularly strong one for field events up and down the area as several jumpers and throwers put together impressive seasons and having success at the state tournament.

As promising of a season it turned out to be locally, the future for a number of area teams will be very bright as several top performers from the area will have another go-around next season.

From seniors raising their level to end their careers on a high to underclassmen who made their mark, TCPalm brings you the 2022-23 Boys Track and Field All Area team.

Athlete of the Year

Michael Carter, Vero Beach

Vero Beach junior Michael Carter took fourth place in the long jump at the 4A FHSAA Championships and helped the 4x100 relay team take seventh place.
Vero Beach junior Michael Carter took fourth place in the long jump at the 4A FHSAA Championships and helped the 4x100 relay team take seventh place.

Year: Junior

Highlights: Carter's versatility proved invaluable to Vero's big season winning district and regional titles as a team. Carter in the long jump was a district and regional champion and also helped the 4x100 relay team win district and regional titles and at the 4A FHSAA Championship took fourth in the long jump with a mark of 7.04 meters and helped the 4x100 relay team finish seventh.

First Team

Efrem White, Vero Beach

Year: Freshman

Highlights: White showed why he's a coveted football recruit with his athleticism as he was great clearing the hurdles on the track. White was a district champion and regional runner-up before taking fifth at the 4A FHSAA Championships and helped the 4x100 relay win district and regional titles and take seventh at state.

Vero Beach freshman Efrem White enters the FHSAA 4A Track and Field Championships as a state title contender in the 110-meter hurdles.
Vero Beach freshman Efrem White enters the FHSAA 4A Track and Field Championships as a state title contender in the 110-meter hurdles.

Derrick Williams, Vero Beach

Year: Junior

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Highlights: Williams was another Vero runner who had a great season as he was a district and regional champion in the 200-meter dash before finishing seventh at the 4A FHSAA Championship and ran a leg of Vero's 4x100 relay team that won district and regional titles before finishing seventh at state.

Tyler Hughes, Fort Pierce Central

Year: Junior

Highlights: Hughes' improvement on the high jump from last season was evident early on with an increase of one meter higher in his first month of meets. Going higher and higher as the season progressed, Hughes won district and regional titles before finishing fifth at the 4A FHSAA Championships clearing 1.97 meters.

Yasnier Rojas, Vero Beach

Year: Senior

Highlights: Rojas took up the javelin this year and his improvement over the course of the season was remarkable going from marks in the 45-46-meter range all the way to throwing 50.28 meters to take sixth at the 4A FHSAA Championships after finishing second at districts and third at regionals.

Denzel Alexander, Martin County

Year: Senior

Vero Beach's Derrick Williams and Martin County's Denzel Alexander battle to the finish line in the 100-meter dash at the Treasure Lake Conference track and field championships on Friday, April 14, 2023 in Stuart. Williams clipped Alexander as the two had times of 10.77 and 10.78.
Vero Beach's Derrick Williams and Martin County's Denzel Alexander battle to the finish line in the 100-meter dash at the Treasure Lake Conference track and field championships on Friday, April 14, 2023 in Stuart. Williams clipped Alexander as the two had times of 10.77 and 10.78.

Highlights: Alexander was one of the area's top sprinters all season and performed at his best when it mattered the most. He won district and regional titles in the 100-meter dash and at the 4A FHSAA Championships tied a personal best running a time of 10.72 seconds to earn an eighth place finish.

Mikoy Holmes, Fort Pierce Central

Year: Senior

Highlights: Featuring as a triple jumper and a hurdler, Holmes shined brightest in the jumping pit as he was a district champion in the triple jump, finished sixth at regionals to earn a state berth and his mark of 13.68 meters placed him eighth at the 4A FHSAA Championships.

Kenan Willard, Vero Beach

Year: Sophomore

Highlights: Willard backed up an excellent cross country season with another with his track spikes in the distance events. He was the district champion in the 1,600-meter run and was third in the 3,200-meter, won the regional title in the 1,600 with a school-record time of 4:23.83 before finishing 11th at the 4A FHSAA Championships.

Nicholas Colbert, Jensen Beach

Year: Senior

Highlights: Colbert was another cross country distance ace that had an excellent transition to the track as he won district and regional titles in the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter run, setting a personal best time of 9:30.79 before finishing fifth in the 3,200 and took 14th at the 3A FHSAA Championships.

Chris Harris, Sebastian River

Year: Senior

Highlights: Harris put his arm skills he used as the Sharks' quarterback to good use in the javelin and the discus as he won both events at the District 13-3A championships and won the javelin at the Region 4-3A meet. Harris finished 12th at the 3A FHSAA Championships and had a personal best throw of 48.83 meters on the season.

Tromance Smith, Vero Beach

Year: Junior

Highlights: Smith was another Vero sprinter who was crucial to the team's success as he helped the 4x100 relay team win district and regional titles and take seventh at the 4A FHSAA Championships. Smith was second in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash at districts and took third and fourth respectively at regionals.

Boys and Girls Coach of the Year

Alonzo Phillips, Vero Beach

Highlights: It was a memorable season for Vero Beach runners under Phillips, who guided the boys program to district and regional championships. In total, athletes on the boys and girls teams broke eight school records and earned medals in six different events.

Honorable Mention

Akeem Pierre-Louis, Fort Pierce Central senior

Connor Critoph, South Fork junior

Jon Tumblin, Sebastian River junior

Anthony Clayton, Fort Pierce Central senior

Gerald Thompson, Fort Pierce Central senior

Brian Carter, Vero Beach sophomore

Justin Cannata, Jensen Beach senior

Parker Banzhaf, Vero Beach sophomore

Arkehl Beauford, Fort Pierce Central senior

Jurmain Mitchell, Fort Pierce Central senior

Braylon Vincent, Fort Pierce Westwood junior

Lamb Ngafeeson, Port St. Lucie senior

Blake Patch, South Fork junior

Affeon Rivers, Vero Beach sophomore

Anthowne Montgomery, Vero Beach sophomore

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Meet TCPalm's 2022-23 Boys Track and Field All-Area Team