- November 23, 2024
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Marquis McCants takes his first attempt in the long jump event at the Class 3A State Championship track and field meet. Photo by Michele Meyers
Marquis McCants chills before competing in the long jump event at the Class 3A State Championship track and field meet. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Marquis McCants places fourth in the triple jump and ninth in the long jump at the 3A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze's Chandler Mitzo placed fifth in the javelin throw at the 3A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sandcrab Chandler Mitzo watches where his javelin lands after he launches it into the air at the 3A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
3A State Championship state track meet javelin winners (from left to right) - Kaleb Williams, Chandler Mitzo, Jesse Winslette, Josiah Allen, Vincent Jackson, Trey Young, Thomas Horner and William Brockmeier. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Demond Noelien places eighth in discus at the 3A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers
3A State Championship state track meet discus winners (from left to right) - Kassen Bonamy, William Rothmiller, Deaven McDonald, Kendrick Scott, Bryce Davis, Christien Moreau, Yulkhari Yon and Demond Noelien. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Demond Noelien places eighth in discus at the 3A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Emmanuel Yisrael (center) runs in the 110 meter hurdles against Rickards Jeremy Mango (left) and Makhii Fleming (right) at the 3A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland athletes watch the running events at the 3A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Emmanuel Yisrael prepares to run the lead leg in the boys 4x100 relay at the 3A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Emmanuel Yisrael prepares to run the lead leg in the boys 4x100 relay at the 3A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Emmanuel Yisrael warmsup before running the lead leg in the boys 4x100 relay at the 3A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Kiera Williams runs the 400 meter dash at the 3A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's 4x400 meter relay team (left to right) Khalil Wilmore, Kajuan Curry, Ezaiah Shine and Drayden Wood prepare for the start of the race at the 3A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Marquis McCants shows off his fourth place medal he won in the triple jump at the 3A State Championship track and field meet. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Ezaiah Shine (right) runs the anchor leg in the boys 4x100 meter relay at the 3A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Khalil Wilmore passes the baton to Kajuan Curry in the 4x400 meter relay at the 3A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Aquila Rivers (right) passes the baton to Yasmin Polk in the 4x400 meter relay at the 3A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Marquis McCants placed fourth in the triple jump at the Class 3A state track and field championship May 17 at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
McCants set a school record with a leap of 14.12 meters (46 feet, 4 inches).
“It’s a really great feeling because I worked hard all year,” McCants said. “I was really trying to focus on beating the Mainland record which was a 13.81. I came out and my first jump was a 13.76. Then I was like, I’m right there, I can break it.”
Chandler Mitzo, Seabreeze’s sole representative at state, placed fifth in javelin after placing third last year. Mitzo threw 53.47 meters (175 feet, 5 inches).
Mainland's Demond Noelien placed eighth in discus with a throw of 45.52 meters (149 feet, 4 inches). He placed seventh last year.
“This year I came in a little nervous because I was in the first flight,” Noelien said. “Then I had to hope my 45 held on and it did.”
Noelien, a senior, hopes to see another state qualifier in the family. His sister, freshman Sydney Noelien, placed 11th in discus at the regional meet. He said he is teaching her the spin technique.
“That spin is going to get her to state,” he said.
Mitzo said he was proud to represent Seabreeze but disappointed with his performance.
We believe in our athletes and they believe in themselves. Work hard. Get better. Have fun.
—TERRY ANTHONY, Mainland head track and field coach
“It feels great (representing Seabreeze),” he said. “I wish some of my teammates were out here, but it’s a young team. They’re all pretty young, but they’ll get their shot at some point. Obviously it didn’t go the way I wanted it to, but I will miss high school. Thank you to Seabreeze and Deltona (his former school). Shout out to Logan (Smith, Seabreeze sophomore javelin thrower). He’ll be here next year.”
Mainland track coach Terry Anthony said he was happy to see Noelien back on the podium this year along with McCants who has worked so hard to beat the school record.
McCants broke it on his third attempt. He has been competing in triple jump for two years but began his jumping career with the long jump when he was in elementary school and competing with the Florida East Coast Supersonics in AAU.
He competed in both events at state. He finished ninth in long jump, getting knocked out of a podium spot by half an inch with a jump of 21 feet, nine inches.
“My legs were a little tight in the long jump because I was coming from a sleep,” he said. “But it was all good. I already knew I was coming out here for one thing which was triple jump. I just used long jump to warm up.”
McCants and Noelien are heading to college to play football. McCants will be attending Bethune-Cookman University and Noelien is going to Texas Wesleyan University.
Mitzo signed a track and field scholarship with Florida International University.
Anthony said even though there were a few mishaps during the meet, overall, the Buccaneers continued to be outstanding. The Mainland 4x400 boys relay team of Khalil Wilmore, Kajuan Curry, Ezaiah Shine and Drayden Wood finished ninth with a personal record 3:21.90.
Mainland's girls 4x400 meter relay team with Aquila Rivers, Taliyah Nixon, Yasmin Polk and Kiera Williams placed 19th and also ran a PR in 4:05.03. They have dropped their time a little over 12 seconds since the Coach Ernest McPherson Invitational on April 12. Williams also ran the 400 meters, placing 16th in 58.49 seconds.
The Bucs' boys 4x100 relay team with Emmanuel Yisrael, Jontrell Edwards, Corey Hill and Ezaiah Shine placed 12th in 42.28. Yisrael ran the lead leg after competing in the 110-meter hurdles where he finished 17th with a time nearly two seconds off his PR. Anthony said Yisrael hit the first hurdle and never recovered. Yisrael had finished ninth in the event last year at state.
“He (Yisrael) was out on the track already (after the race), practicing with Jonathon Williams,” Anthony said. “We believe in our athletes and they believe in themselves. Work hard. Get better. Have fun.”
Anthony said Mainland has had a medalist at the state championships every year since 2015 except in 2020 when there was no meet due to COVID. He said the program would not be where it is without his assistant coaches.
“Coach (Vern) Conaway and coach Ebony (Harris) are the backbone of the program,” Anthony said. “It could not exist without them."
