For Dillard, Northwestern and Southwest, top state awards in track and boys’ volleyball
The Florida Dairy Farmers continue to announce top state honors for athletes and coaches in Florida for the spring sports season, and some athletes and coaches from the area earned those top state honors in track and boys’ volleyball.
Track state honors
Senior Chris Johnson of Dillard High School is the 2023 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Track Athlete of the Year, following a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school track and field coaches and media representatives.
Johnson swept the Class 3A 100-meter and 200-meter sprint titles. His winning times of 10.25 (100-meters) and 20.40 (200-meters) were the fastest in all classes at the state meet. Johnson has signed to play football at the University of Miami and will also compete on the UM track team.
Johnson, who was earlier named the Class 3A boys’ track-and-field athlete-of-the-year, finished ahead of Class 4A award winner Christian Miller of Creekside-St. Johns, Class 2A winner Micahi Danzy of Florida High-Tallahassee and Class 1A Track Athlete of the Year Jackson Hamilton of The Benjamin School-North Palm Beach.
Chelsi Williams of George Jenkins High School in Lakeland was named Ms. Track. She repeated as the Class 4A state long jump champion (19-6) and added the 100-meter hurdles title (13.44) while also finishing second in the triple jump (39-1 ¾) and 400-meter hurdles (1:01.49). The sophomore has won six state titles in her career, two each in the 100-meter hurdles, long jump and triple jump.
Williams, who was earlier named this year’s Class 4A Girls’ Track Athlete of the Year, finished ahead of Class 3A Track Athlete of the Year Aleesa Samuel of Somerset Academy-Pembroke Pines, Class 2A award winner Ellis Weekley of Berkeley Prep-Tampa and Class 1A award winner Skyy Dixon of Providence-Jacksonville.
On the coaching side, Carmen Jackson of Northwestern High School is the Florida Dairy Farmers 2023 Girls’ Track Coach of the Year.
Jackson led the Bulls to their 14th consecutive championship, extending the state record for most consecutive titles, as well as its 19th title overall. This is Jackson’s 10th state Coach of the Year award, tying Brandon wrestling coach Russ Cozart for the most coaching honors in the history of the awards program.
Jackson, who was earlier named the Class 3A Coach of the Year, finished ahead of Class 4A COY Erin McCray of Southridge, Class 2A COY Mike Rivera of Bolles-Jacksonville and Class 1A COY Angie Milford of Maclay-Tallahassee.
Zane Guile, the Class 3A Coach of the Year, was named Florida Dairy Farmers 2023 Boys’ Track Coach of the Year. He led Ponte Vedra to its first boys’ state championship with a 53-43 scoring margin over Belen Jesuit, which included a dominant performance in the field events, producing 48 points.
Boys’ volleyball state honors
Sophomore outside hitter/setter Juanmarco Diaz of Southwest High School has been named the Florida Dairy Farmers 2023 Mr. Volleyball, and his coaches, Mauricio Diaz and Joshua Perez, have been selected the 2023 Boys’ Volleyball co-Coaches of the Year in voting by a panel of Florida high school boys’ volleyball coaches.
Juanmarco Diaz led the Eagles to the state championship by recording 426 kills, 208 digs, 647 assists, 67 aces and 68 blocks, including eight kills and three digs in the state championship victory over Cardinal Gibbons.
Mauricio Diaz and Perez led Southwest to a 28-2 record and the school’s first state title since 2008. It’s the program’s third state title, matching Bishop Moore-Orlando for the most team titles since boys’ volleyball was sanctioned by the FHSAA in 2003.
Softball state honors
The Florida Dairy Farmers also recognized softball players and coaches in each classification.
In the process, there were some locals who received votes to be in the running for those state top honors.
They are: Class 4A: 3. Emily LeGette, American Heritage; 3. Coach Jason Garcia, Key West. Class 3A: 3. Sophia Bertorelli, Coral Springs Charter; 2. Coach Gator Rebhan Somerset Academy-Silver Palms.
The Florida Dairy Farmers High School Sports Awards program exemplifies Florida Dairy Farmers’ commitment to the state’s youth. This is the 31st year of these unique awards as it honors the state’s top athletes and coaches in all FHSAA sanctioned sports.
The program also emphasizes to young people the importance of keeping dairy products a primary part of their diet in their overall nutrition plan.
Submit sports awards, all-star games, spring football
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have varsity results along with top performers and their sta ts for this column, email hssports@miamiherald.com.
Also sports awards and all-star games info and stats. Plus spring football results and stats.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. Send after the game, the next day or weekly. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online.
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Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
