Makenna Estes becomes New Smyrna Beach's first track and field state champ since '87

JACKSONVILLE — MaKenna Estes became New Smyrna Beach's first female track and field champion in nearly four decades Friday.

The Alabama-bound pole vaulter, who placed third and second the previous two years, cleared 3.75 meters on her first attempt to clinch the outright title at the Florida High School Athletic Association's Class 3A meet in UNF's Hodges Stadium.

Estes becomes just the second Barracuda to win a state girls track and field championship, joining Melinda Taylor — a back-to-back gold medalist in the discus in 1986-87, according to FHSAA records.

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"This is really all I ever wanted and dreamed of," said Estes, who endured injuries to both of her shoulders earlier in the season. "Just to be able to get this today meant the world to me.

"I had to take some time off, which really affected my run. I wasn't able to pole vault, obviously, and it just took a lot to get back in the groove and get back to where I was with lifting and training. It took a lot, but I'm back and I made it."

Volusia County had another quartet of history-makers for their respective school. Pine Ridge qualified for the boys 4x100-meter relay for the first time in program history after posting a record 41.90-second time at regionals.

The Panthers — comprised of junior Quintin Grant, senior Caleb Ray, junior Ethan White and senior Elijah Thompson — ran 11th overall (42.04) and defeated county rival Mainland (42.28) in the first heat.

"Our goal at the beginning of the season was just to change the whole culture of the track and field team," first-year coach Ricky Cruz said. "They understood the process, and worked throughout the year. Every single practice, they pushed and pushed. And we used other schools to compete against, especially Mainland. It means a lot to me, and I'm sure to (the runners), just to make it here and compete against the best."

Nobody in Class 3A — or across Florida, for that matter — could catch up to American Heritage in the 4x100. The Plantation powerhouse broke the state record with an incredible 39.39 time.

"I've got to eat what they're eating, work out like they're doing, something," White said of the champion Patriots.

Mainland, which captured conference, district and regional boys track and field titles, had two individuals take home medals on the day. Marquis McCants closed a strong senior campaign with a new personal-best in the triple jump (14.12) and a fourth-place showing, and Demond Noelien snatched an eighth-place finish in the discus (45.52).

The Bucs' 4x400 relay team closed the meet with a ninth-place performance (3:21.90).

Seabreeze senior Chandler Mitzo produced his best javelin throw of the season (53.47) — more than two meters longer than his bronze-medal distance from a year ago — for a fifth-place finish. Mitzo, a three-time state qualifier, swept district and regional championships earlier this spring.

Sierra Howard put Matanzas on the podium, taking eighth in the girls 800 (2:15.71). Jordan Youngman just missed out with a 10th-place time in the 400 hurdles (1:05.10).