First Coast Varsity Weekly: Gateway meet highlights Mandarin track dominance

Gavin Nelson saw the pressure was on, and kicked his stride into overdrive.

By the time it was over, the senior had completed the elusive distance sweep, among the highlights of a thorough victory for Mandarin at Thursday's Gateway Conference track and field championship at Wolfson.

Nelson found one more gear on the final lap of the 1,600 to pull away from Wolfson's Andrew Marello and Stanton's John Syla. He left little doubt in his other races, winning the 800 by more than three seconds and the 3,200 by more than 10.

Mandarin ran away with the boys team championship, amassing 170 points to outscore runner-up Ribault by more than 100, and also claimed the girls team title with 142 points to Sandalwood's 105. The Mustangs had also swept the boys and girls titles in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2019.

It was a day of orange-and-green in almost every type of event on the podium from Aliyah Robertson in the girls discus and shot put, plus a decisive 1-2-3 in the boys 100 for Jaylen Lewis, Stephen DeGregorio and Kieren Jackson. DeGregorio also won the 200 and Lewis the long jump, and the trio joined with Rayphel Cox for Northeast Florida's fastest 4x100 relay of the year as well.

Even in an event Mandarin didn't win, Danielle Pal's second-place finish of 5 feet, 2 1/4 inches in the girls high jump set a new school record.

The Mustangs' victories brought their Gateway trophy count to eight for the school year. Last year, the Mandarin girls placed second in the FHSAA meet at Class 4A.

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Sandalwood, Bolles among track leaders

Mandarin wasn't the only school celebrating track feats during the week.

Sandalwood pressed the Mustangs hard in the girls standings, which included double titles for Emani George in the 100 and 200 and for Selena Rutland in the high jump and triple jump. The Saints also recorded Northeast Florida's best girls 4x100 relay of the year, the 47.00 for George, Niobe Mims, Amani Jones and hurdles champion Brittney Jennings.

Westside senior Keshawn Porter delivered 28 points on his own for the Wolverines, winning the boys 110 hurdles and 400 while placing second in the high jump.

Meanwhile, host Wolfson also made a few splashes, none more dramatic than in the pole vault. Jenna McKee topped the girls event, and sophomore Leonard Schonfeld cleared a personal-best 11 feet, 5 3/4 inches to dominate the boys competition.

"When I felt myself kind of hang on for a little bit more [across the bar], I knew it was good," Schonfeld said.

• Fletcher's Tessa Massa brought home Gateway honors in the girls 3,200 and the 1,600, the latter in a gripping down-the-stretch sprint with Wolfson's Kiersten Dearing.

• Jackson achieved several top times at Gateway: Kaitlynn Webbe's personal-best 56.07 in the girls 400, Laila Brown's area-leading 1:05.13 in the girls 400 hurdles and the quartet of Alex Williams, Willie Hill, Brian Johnson and Dashawn Buist running an area-best 3:23.91 in the boys 4x400 relay.

• At the Don Hall Invitational in Orange Park, Columbia's Seth Stockton flew 50 feet, 2 3/4 inches in the boys long jump for the fourth-best high school mark in the nation this year.

• Creekside's Josh Howell ran 10.53 to win the boys 100 at the Sprint and Field Carnival, rising into the top five among freshmen nationwide.

• Freshman Miranda Campos set the Bartram Trail girls long jump school record, jumping 36 feet, 11 inches at the same event.

• Bryson Lewis set a Raines freshman record of 4:53.21 in the boys 1,600 at the Gateway meet.

• Finally, Bolles recorded four area-leading marks at their home sprint and field meet: Zee Curtis throwing 144-7 in the girls discus, Vivian Stovall clearing 12-1.25 in the girls pole vault, Presley Wolfe leaping 39-7 in the girls triple jump and Kemani Wilson recording 23-8 in the boys long jump.

Two-sport star Boylston picks FAU

From the late 1980s into the 1990s, Bo Jackson and later Deion Sanders took on the world in both baseball and football.

Kyle Boylston does, too — and he's planning to continue at FAU.

The combination wide receiver, defensive back and outfielder announced his commitment Tuesday to Florida Atlantic. The junior intends to pursue both sports with the Owls.

Boylston is in the middle of another strong St. Johns Country Day baseball season, batting .412 with a .915 OPS and 10 stolen bases. On the gridiron, meanwhile, he played both sides of the ball for Trinity Christian's football team, a school year split between two institutions.

The situation is uncommon, but is permissible under Florida High School Athletic Association rules. St. Johns Country Day does not currently compete in 11-man football.

Boylston caught 25 passes for 321 yards and five touchdowns lining up with 2024 prospect Miles Burris in the Conquerors' receiving corps, and grabbed a team-high six interceptions and three fumble recoveries in an All-First Coast season.

At 5-10 and 165 pounds, Boylston is listed as a three-star athlete by 247Sports. He becomes the Owls' fourth commit in the 2024 class.

Episcopal's Adams is Academic All-State

After four years of work on and off the court, Episcopal's Kate Adams is entering elite statewide company.

The senior is one of 24 athletes recognized statewide in the Florida High School Athletic Association's Academic All-State team.

Adams has competed in indoor and beach volleyball, lacrosse and basketball for the Eagles, and is a National Merit semifinalist and an Advanced Placement scholar. She also becomes a finalist for the FHSAA's Ronald N. Davis Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.

All 24 honorees will be recognized at a June 5 banquet and will receive a $1,700 scholarship and a commemorative medallion.

Around the area

Ribault named Cece Bailey, Shakera Gross, Rod Jackson, Tiffani Shields, Chris Terry, Chenette Tillman and longtime basketball assistant coach David Hudson to the school's athletic hall of fame. ... Impact Christian senior Isaac Edwards committed to St. Petersburg College men's basketball. ... For Fleming Island volleyball, junior middle blocker Rauly Eason committed to Harding and junior setter Leeann Maysonet committed to Maryville. … Bishop Kenny celebrated eight signings Wednesday for Mary Biagini (Appalachian State, women's cross country), Erin Buckley (Catholic, women's track), Ethan Eddins (Southern Illinois, football), Emilia Estrada (Le Moyne, volleyball), Jayden Harris (Shorter, football), Zach Jones (Davidson, men's swimming), Cody Morgan (Southeastern, bass fishing) and Barrie Snyder (Merchant Marine, men's swimming). … University Christian hired Jody Bailey, previously a college assistant at the University of New Orleans, as its new boys basketball coach. … Tocoi Creek announced girls basketball coach Billy Blackmon as its next athletic director, succeeding Jeff Holland. … Bartram Trail girls lacrosse attacker Ryann Frechette scored her 300th career goal. … Clay's Emma Heck won the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 2A girls weightlifter of the year award, while top coach honors went to Clay's Rodney Keller (Class 2A) and Suwannee's Brittney Shearer (Class 1A). … DeLand senior Mia Rhodes won the Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Weightlifting award. … John Mosure of Winter Springs was named Florida's girls weightlifting coach of the year. … Kissimmee Osceola senior Cooper Haase was named Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Wrestling and Jensen Beach's Tom McMath won boys wrestling coach of the year. … Fort Pierce Central senior Gaby Perez won Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Wrestling, with Mike Fries of Matanzas named girls wrestling coach of the year. … Orange Park held a jersey retirement ceremony Tuesday to honor the life of former baseball athlete Stephen Dandridge, who died after a battle with osteosarcoma in October 2005.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: First Coast Varsity Weekly: Mandarin track wins Gateway Conference