Shark attack on the track: Ponte Vedra boys' field strength captures first FHSAA title

Ole Miss has the Landsharks.

Now, Ponte Vedra's history books will tell the story of the Field Sharks.

Riding their strength in the field for massive points, Ponte Vedra captured the boys overall title at Friday's Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A track and field championship at the University of North Florida's Hodges Stadium.

Vincent Jackson brought home first place in the boys javelin, Nathan Lebowitz ruled the discus and a host of Sharks scored in the shot put and pole vault. Put it all together, and the Sharks tallied up 53 points, 43 clear of runner-up Belen Jesuit, with all but five — Wyatt Rogers' eighth place in the 400-meter hurdles and a fifth place in the 4x800 relay — coming in field events.

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The result: Ponte Vedra's first-ever boys team title, and the first for a St. Johns County school since Bartram Trail's boys went back to back in 2012 and 2013. Ponte Vedra had placed fifth last spring and recorded its best previous boys team finish, fourth place, in 2011.

"Through work and determination, all of us got here," Jackson said. "And this is the year it's just all coming together."

FANTASTIC ON THE FIELD

All season long, Ponte Vedra had focused its energy on the often-overlooked field events. Friday, it paid off once more.

The Sharks amassed 48 field points early, then watched as potential challengers -- Miami Northwestern, Belen Jesuit, Tallahassee Lincoln, American Heritage -- divvied up the points in their best events.

The points piled up fast, starting in the shot put. Michigan-committed football lineman Jake Guarnera placed second, followed by Lebowitz in third and Layne Swafford sixth for an instant infusion of 17 points. It was only the beginning.

"We worked all season towards this," said Guarnera after his runner-up result, a mark of 58 feet, 2 1/2 inches that placed only 2 3/4 inches behind champion La'Darion Dudley of Lincoln.

More quickly followed. Lebowitz dominated the discus with a length of 183 feet, 10 inches, a staggering winning margin of nearly 25 feet. A trio of Sharks soared in the pole vault: Landen Scott third at 13 feet, 9 1/4 inches, plus Henry Gainer in fifth and Nicholas Desanto in eighth.

Not to be outdone was Jackson, whose first throw in the javelin — 187 feet even — blew away his previous personal best by nearly 7 feet for a mark that held up all day.

"When it comes to working at Ponte Vedra," Jackson said, "we set ourselves apart from the pack."

MADAFFARI ADDS GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP

Ponte Vedra's field success wasn't limited to the boys side.

Junior Isabella Madaffari added a championship of her own in the girls javelin, launching 116 feet, 8 inches on her first attempt to seize a lead that held up.

Only a year ago, Madaffari hadn't even made it out of districts, finishing fifth. Now, she's joining five-time FHSAA champion Nicole Greene, who won three high jumps, a long jump and a triple jump between 2012 and 2015, as winners in Ponte Vedra girls track history.

"I've had a bunch of great teammates around me that just keep pushing me to be my best," she said. "It's the little things, and every little thing counts."

STOCKTON FINISHES ON TOP

For almost all of 2023, Columbia's Seth Stockton topped the Sunshine State's triple jump standings. He didn't disappoint in his finale.

The senior, ranked eighth among high schoolers nationwide, leaped 47 feet, 9 inches on his third attempt to set the winning mark. Any of his first three attempts would have brought first place back to Lake City.

Stockton's success was Columbia's first for a boys individual athlete since Thomas Hosford in the 880-yard run in 1967 and the Tigers' first in a boys field event since Ted Johns won the discus in 1951.

GOLDEN EAGLES IN RUNNING

Though they just missed the top 10, Fleming Island gathered its share of points on the night, finishing 11th in boys standings and 14th in girls events.

Freshman Mikayla Shavers took second place in the girls triple jump, and Fleming Island's boys distance contingent challenged all day. Roman Mollicone earned fourth in the boys 800, the 4x800 squad placed third and Graham Myers took second in 9:12.40 in the boys 3,200 -- a time that would have topped the list if not for an FHSAA-record 8:58.83 by Tallahassee Leon's Patrick Koon.

That wasn't the day's only record to tumble: Fort Lauderdale Dillard's Chris Johnson ran a blistering 20.40 in the boys 200, taking down the 20.41 mark set by Anthony Schwartz of American Heritage in 2018.

Elsewhere in the area, Riverside's Jalen Cooper took fourth in the boys 400, Ridgeview's T'Vario Willis tied for third in the boys high jump and the Clay County duo of Annalee Harbison (Clay) and Madison Underwood (Middleburg) placed fourth and fifth in the girls discus. Miami Northwestern extended its dynasty in the girls team standings, holding off Dillard.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: High school track & field 2023: Ponte Vedra wins FHSAA meet