The Plant City Raiders headed north to Jacksonville last weekend to take part in the 2024 Track & Field State Championships, held at Hodges Stadium hosted by the University of North Florida.
The athletes who competed at Plant City for the Class 4A Region 2 Championships had to qualify by finishing top two in their event for an auto bid to State or qualify with an at-large bid, with only 10 at-large bids throughout all 4 regions for a total of 18 athletes to compete in each event at State, according to Coach Drew Martucci.
The Raider’s had the following competitors:
Girls Javelin:
-SO Olivia Ennis (State runner-up )
-FR Samantha Raines 4th
Boys High Jump:
-JR Gavin Tinsley 3rd
-JR Jamin Andrews 5th
Boys 100m:
-Trae’Veon Smith (pulled up with a hamstring injury he’s been nursing majority of the season) prior 10.53 school record holder. Finished 16th
Boys 4x100m Relay:
SR Amauri Jackson, SO Treon Williams, SR Jason Davis, SR Trae’Veon Smith and alternate JR Tony Marshall who filled in for Trae as our anchor leg to help the team finish 7th to get on the podium. That team also dropped the school record multiple times this season and was ranked #1 in the State most of the season with a 41.37.
“We really had an incredible season with a lot of ups and downs,” said Martucci. “Multiple school records were taken down by this 2024 Plant City squad.”
-Trae Smith 100m (10.53) and 200m (21.59) and 4x100m anchor (41.37) Most decorated sprinter in PC history.
-Nijah Drawdy Discus (46m)
-Gavin Tinsley HJ (2.12m) 7ft. #3 National rank
-Jordan Futch 400mH (57.90)
-Olivia Ennis Javelin (41m)
“We also return 6 State medalists from this season next year with a chance for some State Championships,” said Martucci. “Multiple athletes also have scholarship offers to go to the next level.”
Congratulations to the Plant City Raider’s Track & Field Team on a great season.