FHSAA state championships: Omaria Gordon sets record in 4A track

JACKSONVILLE — Omaria Gordon clinched her long-awaited girls long jump state championship with a monster third leap of 20-feet, 5 ¾-inches on Saturday at UNF. With that in mind and three more events to go on her loaded Saturday schedule, the Olympia High senior could easily have passed on her fourth allowed attempt and moved on

No way.

Gordon, the best long jumper in Central Florida history, was determined to hit an even bigger mark and got it by soaring to a career-best 20-9 on her final try.

“I knew I wanted to end my senior year with a PR [personal record],” Gordon said of that fruitful decision.

She did that and more. Gordon broke the Orlando area record and climbed to No. 2 on the Florida all-time wind-legal list behind current Stanford standout Alyssa Jones, a Miami Southridge product who jumped 21-2 ¼ to win the New Balance Nationals title in her final high school meet in 2022.

According to MileSplit.com , only three girls in the nation have surpassed 20-9 this year. No. 1 is a 20-10 ¾ two weeks ago by Louisiana state champ Tristen Harris.

Gordon surpassed 20 feet in two meets before Saturday and finished undefeated in what she called her “redemption year.” She was disappointed in her eighth-place showing as a junior.

She is unsigned but expects college interest to pick up now. Titans coach Patrecia Daniley-Porter, who has trained Gordon since she was 7 years old, said the same.

“She’s a 3.9 GPA,” Daniley-Porter said. “This should show colleges how good she is.”

Gordon finished fourth in the 100 hurdles with a 14.28 time. She also qualified for the triple jump and 400 hurdles.

Sanford Seminole senior Sidney Allen, a Southern Miss signee, placed fourth in the long jump with a 19-1 ½ mark. That was one of the day’s first events and was completed before stormy weather forced competition to be suspended just before 2:30 p.m. Action resumed an hour later.

DeLand junior Kylie Neira cleared 12-9 ½ to repeat as the girls pole vault champion. She is No. 2 on the Orlando area all-time list behind Lake Mary grad Erica Sergeant, who won three state titles.

In another field event completed before the rains, Ocoee junior Diego De Pina, a 6-2, 240-pound football defensive end, placed second in the shot put to cap his first year on the Knights track and field team. His 55-3 ¾ effort tops the Orlando area for the season. Flagler Palm Coast’s Colby Cronk, another football prospect, won with a 2024 state best 63-0 ¾.

Hagerty’s boys 4×800 relay foursome set a school record with a 7:53.67 performance good for second place behind Braddock (7:51.61) of Miami-Dade. Seniors Jonathan Leon and Julian Scanlon teamed with sophomore Alexavier Davis-Medina and junior Jacob Leon for the Huskies.

Leon later matched his 2023 runner-up finish in the 3,200 with a much faster time. He crossed in 9:02.54 — just behind Nease senior Finn Thomas (9:02.07).

Hagerty senior Alyssa Morley was third in the girls high jump (5-3¾).

Apopka senior Rashad Hemissi ran an area-best boys 800 time of 1:54.72 to place third only 22-hundredths of a second behind the winner, Evan Fleming (1:54.50) of Buchholz.

Lake Brantley Layla Fuller sophomore lowered her personal best in the 800 to 2:13.90 for fourth in another tight race.

Seminole’s girls 4×100 relay ran 47.23 for second place. ‘Noles junior Frank Hicks ran 14.57 out of the “slow” heat to finish fourth in the boys 110 hurdles.

Lake Mary junior Taylin Duncan placed third in the girls javelin (126-9). Rams senior Lester Williams III was third in the boys triple jump (45-9¼).

Miami Columbus and Niceville tied for the boys team title with 70 points each.

Creekside won the girls title.

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Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email to bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.