Dillard track coach Davidson Gill was emotional after the school captured its first Florida State High School Athletic Association boys state title on Friday night at Hodges Stadium on the campus of North Florida University in Jacksonville.
“We have been trying for so long to win a team state title,” said Gill, who won individual state titles in the 800 (1992, 1993) and the 400 (1994) for the Panthers. “This is huge for Dillard because we always fell a little short in the past. My staff wanted to get this done for the Dillard community.”
Dillard’s boys swept all three relays and cruised to the Class 3A championship with 80 points, easily outdistancing runner-up Belen Jesuit Prep by 24 points.
Dillard won a Florida Interscholastic Athletic Association title in 1959 before being integrated into the FHSAA in 1968. Since then, the Panthers boys team’s best finishes had been runners-up in 1972, 1991, and 2006. The latter two were under longtime coach James Kirby.
“As far as the alumni and my coach, coach [James] Kirby that retired 10 years ago, and everybody that had been trying for so long, my staff and I just wanted to do it for them,” Gill said by phone from Jacksonville. “Especially for Coach Kirby.
“I am going to stop by his house and put the trophy on his table because he coached for a long time and just came up short,” Gill said of his mentor as he choked back tears. “He had a stroke some years ago and this is for him. I kept grinding and chopping away so I could give it to him before he moves on to his next life.”
Playing a key role in the Panthers’ championship run was senior Renand Jean, who signed with Southern University next season. In 2019, he only ran on the 4×800 relay that finished runner-up. He left the state finals with four gold medals, one individual, two relays, and a state team title.
Jean won the 800 with a personal best (1:53.70) and anchored the winning 4×400 and 4×800 relays. The 4×100 relay was also victorious.
“This is huge,” Jean said. “It is something we always wanted to do and it is a dream come true. It was nice to see everybody execute and do their part as a team.”
Dillard senior Jerry Philippe was also instrumental as he finished second in both of his events — 110 hurdles (13.77) and the 300 hurdles (37.69). He was also a member of the winning 4×100 relay. In his only other state appearance, Philippe was a member of the state runner-up 4×400 relay in 2019.
American Heritage senior Jada Joseph capped off her senior year with the Patriots by winning the Class 3A girls triple jump (39 feet, 8 3/4 inches), finishing second in the high jump (5-5 3/4) and fourth in the long jump (19-2 1/2). It was her first state gold medal.
“I did pretty well and I am happy with how it turned out,” said Joseph, who is headed to Brown University. “I did come in expecting higher marks but I got the win in the triple jump and performed well in the other two events.”
She helped the Patriots to a third-place finish at state with 61 points. Miami Northwestern was first with 78 points, while Miami Southwest was second with 72 points. Dillard was ninth.
In 2019, Joseph was second at state in the triple jump, third in the high jump, and didn’t make finals in the long jump.
Northeast sophomore Samantha Kavanaugh took second in the 800-meter run.
Other top performers at the Class 3A state meet: Dillard and American Heritage finished second and third respectively in the 4×800 girls relay. The American Heritage girls 4×100 captured the state title and the 4×800 finished third behind Dillard’s girls.
Archbishop McCarthy sophomore Sydney Nicholson was second in the pole vault; Blanche Ely senior Ja’Leah Williams was fourth in the girls 400-meter dash; American Heritage freshman Ashley Fitzgerald finished third in the 1,600 and fourth in the 3,200 meter runs.
Archbishop McCarthy senior Miguel Roque was second in the pole vault after tying with Merritt Island’s Dylan Peterson, but lost on fewer misses; Dillard sophomore Jake Shakir took third in the shot put, while Dillard freshman Edward Louis was third in the long jump; McArthur senior Khalil Murphy was second and Boyd Anderson junior Mateo Smith placed third in the triple jump; Pembroke Pines Charter senior Ahmari Avin was third in the discus.
In the 1A meet: Nicholas Veynovich only needed one throw in winning the Class 1A boys javelin title in the first year the event was sanctioned at the state meet. Previously, it was an exhibition event in the state series.
The Highlands Christian Academy senior heaved the javelin 180 feet, 2 inches to win by 10 feet over runner-up Lakeland Christian junior Ben Oxendine. He becomes just the second boys’ state champion in school history. Highlands Christian’s Ryan Davis won the 300 hurdles event in 2012 and 2013.
Just two weeks before the state competition, Veynovich injured his right throwing elbow at another meet at the National Training Center and was uncertain if he’d be able to compete.
“I always wanted to win state,” said Veynovich, who hopes to throw at Campbell University. “It wasn’t my best, but it’s pretty big because I was injured.
“I hurt my elbow and was trying to rest as much as I can,” he said. “It’s been hurting really bad. At regionals, I took one throw and I was done and at state, I did the one throw and made sure it was a big one and waited to see if anyone threw farther. I just kept passing. If I had to take another one, I would have.”
Benjamin School sophomore Micah Mays finished second in the 400-meter dash (49.88) and fourth in the triple jump with a personal best, 42-8 3/4 leap. It was his first time breaking 42 feet.
Benjamin School sophomore Darrell Sweeting was second in the boys’ long jump with a jump of 22-10 as Benjamin’s boys finished 11th with 23 points, while Highlands Christian was 15th with 14 points.
