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Gateway’s Jose Calderon stretches at the tape in the finals of Friday's 400 meter final at the Class 3A state championship meet in Jacksonville. PHOTO/JULIE ANDREW, GATEWAY H.S.
Jose Calderon came a long way to reach the medal stand at the FHSAA state track championship last weekend in Jacksonville.
The Gateway junior, whose family came to the United States as political refugees from Venezuela a few years ago, was spotted by Panthers track coach Tane Crossley as he played soccer.
In only his second year of track competition, Calderon qualified for the 3A state championship championship by winning regionals and last Friday he capped off a sensational season by finishing seventh in the state championship in a time of 48.99 seconds. Miami Northwestern’s Tyway Cox won the event in a blistering 46.43.
“He’s just starting to scratch his potential,” Crossley said of the finish. “His goal is to break 47 next year and finish in the top three in the state and I believe that is an obtainable goal. He works so hard and has the mindset to be successful.”
Gateway had three others participate in the 3A championships Friday. Senior Aniyah Radcliff qualified for the finals in both the long jump (17th, 15’-7 ½) and triple jump (13th, 35’-8 ½”). Levi Hill placed 18th in the 110-meter hurdles (15.30) and Dalton Gould was 18th in the pole vault (11’-3 ¾”).
Athletes from St. Cloud, Osceola, Poinciana Harmony and Tohopekaliga took to the track on Saturday in the Class 4A state meet. Two Eagles athletes posted podium finishes; senior Hakeem Alvera took 8th place in the 200 meter dash (21.91 seconds) and junior Tyler Johnson, the OBC
and District champ champion and regional silver medalist in the triple jump, continued his fine season with a sixth place finish with a leap of 44’-9”. Johnson could be a favorite to win the event next season as four of six finishers above him were seniors and he has already jumped further that this year’s winning jump.
St. Cloud senior pole vaulter Sophia Houser just missed joining Calderon as an all-state finisher – placing ninth with a vault of 10’-4”. St. Cloud sent three others to the state meet: Hannah Kline finished 11th in the girls’ high jump (4’-11 ¾”); Jahleek Lawrence and Abisai Ramos-Cotto tied for 12th in the boys’ high jump (6’-1 ½”).
Tohopekaliga sophomore high jumper Sanaa Charles placed 10th in girls’ high jump at 5’-1 ¾”.
Osceola High had the only athlete to qualify in three different events as Aaliyah Strachen finished 17th in the long jump (15’-2 ¾”), 14th in the triple jump (36’-4 ¼”) and joined Cheyene Price, Mia Gonzalez, and Norlena Forde on the 4 x 400 relay that placed 16th in 4:11.21.
Javelin regional champion Ivaniel Ramos and pole vault specialists Mason Shaffer and Kacey Sinagoga represented Harmony; Shaffer placed 14th in the boys pole vault (12’-3 ½”); while Sinagoga was 16th in the girl’s event (9’-10”).
