All-News4JAX girls track and field: Patience pays off for Fleming Island’s Mikayla Shavers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mikayla Shavers can’t remember the first words after getting atop the podium last May, but it may as well have been accompanied by an exhale.

Finally.

The junior at Fleming Island and the Varsity 4 All-News4JAX girls track and field athlete of the year had been oh so close before to a state championship in her career. She’d lost out by 6 inches one year and on a tiebreaker the next.

All-News4JAX girls track and field athletes of the year

This year, she finally got it. And the journey was worth it, both in track and in life.

“It’s definitely a life lesson. I learned that you can’t rush the process. It’s going to come when it comes. You can’t like predict when it’s going to come. It’s going to happen when it happens and if it’s not for then or now, it’s going to be for at some point in your life,” Shavers said.

“That’s why I really just had to like take the time back and like step back. I was so eager to win, I wasn’t like listening to anybody or comprehending what anybody was saying. So once I like kind of calmed down, relaxed and started listening to people, my coaches, my teammates and my family, I ended up getting what I was working towards.”

Shavers’ journey is one in patience and resilience.

She finished as state runner-up in the triple jump both her freshman and sophomore seasons. In 2023, Shavers cleared 39 feet, 6.5 inches. The winner went 39-7. Last year, Shavers covered 39-4, the same distance as the winner. She lost on a tiebreaker.

“I honestly didn’t think that my mark was going to win because this is like not what any of us have been jumping all season,” Shavers said. “So for that one to like be the one it was my first jump. Our first jump is never my best jump.

Shavers had a solid start to her junior year, including the best jumps of her career at the prestigious FSU Relays and the Pepsi Florida Relays. Then came the postseason and things changed. Shavers had two of her lowest marks of the year at district and region.

“I was jumping 12 meters consistently pretty much all season. And then I got to districts and jumped 11-4 [meters]. And I mean, it was really windy but that’s still not an excuse,” Shavers said. “… like once I get in my head, it’s wrapped sometimes. Like, it’s done. I’d be kind of checked out once I get in my head. But I’ve been working on that.”

Shavers said the mental aspect of the sport have been what she’s worked on the most. The state tournament pushed those to the max.

“I just turned to God again. I wrote on a piece of paper 200 times I will be a state champion the night before state. And then we had all those weather delays,” Shavers said.

The meet was a swirling mess of wind and rain and thunderstorms that shook up the whole schedule. She was only able to get in her long jump on the opening day of the meet before weather pushed the remainder of the meet to the following day.

Shavers went 11.89 meters (39 feet) on her first jump in less than ideal conditions. It turned out to be the winner.

“I honestly didn’t think that my mark was going to win because this is like not what any of us have been jumping all season. So, for that one to like be the one … it was my first jump … our first jump is never my best jump. And it just so happened to be that day,” she said.

Varsity 4 All-News4JAX girls track and field team

Event, athlete, school, class

100: Rayna Lawson, Oakleaf, Jr.

Had four runs this season, including a wind-aided PR of 11.79 at the Lewis James Invitational. Won district and took third at 4A state meet.

200: Rayna Lawson, Oakleaf, Jr.

Four wins this season, including at district with a PR of 24.09. Third at FSU Relays. Ninth in 4A state meet.

400: Zyaire Thomas, Fletcher, Jr.

Class 4A state runner-up in with a PR of 53.24. Racked up eight wins in 10 events this year, including sweep of district and region meet.

100 hurdles: Karina Marcelus, Flagler Palm Coast, Jr.

PR of 14.23 came in prestigious Pepsi Florida Relays. Won four events this year and took fourth in 4A state meet.

400 hurdles: Nijah Garnes, Jackson, So.

Big season included seven wins, including at the Cheeseborough and district meets. Region runner-up and fourth at 2A state with low of 1:03.

800: Sarah Rose, Creekside, Jr.

Her in-season best (2:14.71) came in state runner-up finish in 4A meet. District champ and third at region.

1600: Sydney Johnson, Creekside, Fr.

Had PR of 4:54.50 to finish as region runner-up. Runner-up at district meet, too.

3200: Tessa Massa, Bishop Kenny, Sr.

Class 2A state and also region runner-up with in-season low of 10:35.68. Went 5 seconds lower at RunningLane Track Championship after the season. District champ, too.

Discus: Terrell McCoy, Bolles, Jr.

Class 2A state runner-up. Region champ. Best throw (148-1.25) came in third-place showing at Pepsi Florida Relays.

Javelin: Madison Linscomb, Creekside, Sr.

Had sixth place showing in 4A state meet. PR of 129-11 came at the Pepsi Florida Relays. District and region champ. Four wins this season.

Shot put: Terrell McCoy, Bolles, Jr.

PR of 42-9.75 came in winning the Bolles Bulldog Classic. Had five wins, including at district and region. Third in 2A state meet.

High jump: Rilee Shapiro, Bartram Trail, Sr.

Class 4A state runner-up with a PR of 5-0.75. Had seven wins this season, including at district. Region runner-up, too. Her height ranked sixth in Florida.

Long jump: Adrienne Edwards, Ponte Vedra, Sr.

Had six wins in her final season, including PR of 19-4 to win region. District champ, too. Finished fifth in 4A state meet.

Triple jump: Mikayla Shavers, Fleming Island, Jr.

Two-time All-News4JAX first-team selection. Athlete of the year. She covered 40-1 to finish third at the Pepsi Florida Relays, a distance that ranks sixth in the state. Won six times, including 3A state meet after back-to-back runner-up finishes. Was fourth in long jump at state, too.

Pole vault: Katherine Kelly, Ponte Vedra, Sr.

Dominant season, with wins in nine of 11 events, including at 3A state meet. Hit her top height (12 feet) twice this year, a clearance that ranks third in Florida.

400 relay: Westside

Season-best time of 47.34 came in third at region meet.

1600 relay: Creekside

Season-best time (3:49.70) came in runner-up finish at region and was 3 seconds ahead of next closest area team.

3200 relay: Creekside

Dominant season with a PR of 9:08.65 for runner-up finish at Pepsi Florida Relays. Won state meet by nearly 17 seconds.

Second team

Event, athlete, school, class

100: Amia Bethea, Union County, Jr.

Took fifth in 2A state meet with a PR of 11.87 to take fifth. District and region champ, too.

200: Kyla Skinner, Mandarin, Jr.

Gateway Conference champ. Best time of season (24.47) came in runner-up finish at Bear Classic/True Team meet.

400: Kyla Skinner, Mandarin, Jr.

Runner-up at Gateway, district and region meets. Took seventh in 4A state meet. Season-best time was 54.88 at region.

100 hurdles: Harmani Leak-Harbor, Jackson, Sr.

PR of 14.76 came in region runner-up finish. District champ who finished fourth in 2A state meet.

400 hurdles: Laila Brown, Jackson, Jr.

Had two wins this season. Runner-up at Cheeseborough, Gateway and district meets. Best time was 15.05.

800: Kennedi Proctor, Jackson, Jr.

Excellent season included seven wins, including at both district and region. PR of 2:15.32 came in fourth-place finish at 2A state meet.

1600: Alyson Johnson, Creekside, Jr.

Elite runner finished third at region with 4:57.73. Has logged a PR 11 seconds lower at last year’s RunningLane Track Championships.

3200: Alyson Johnson, Creekside, Jr.

Low of 10:45.10 in third-place finish at region meet, a time that ranks 10th in Florida. District runner-up who had one win this season.

Discus: Madison Underwood, Middleburg, Sr.

PR of 145-6 came in winning the Clay County championship. District and region champ. Had six wins this season. Third place in 3A state meet.

Javelin: Marquesha Oxendine, Menendez, So.

PR of 125-9 came in third place showing at region. Four wins, including at district. Took seventh at 3A state meet.

Shot put: Kaylee Singh, Sandalwood, Sr.

Excellent season with 10 wins, including sweep of Cheeseborough, district and region meets. State runner-up with PR of 40-11.75.

High jump: Danielle Pal, Mandarin, Sr.

Best jump of the season (5-5) came in her first meet of the year. Had 10 wins this year, including at Gateway.

Long jump: Evie Freeman, Bolles, Jr.

Athletic and versatile Bulldogs star only competed in three meets, but PR of 19-1.25 at the Bear Classic/True Team event ranks 12th in Florida.

Triple jump: Brooke Linscomb, Creekside, So.

Her PR of 38-5 came in winning district meet and is tied for 18th-best in the state.

Pole vault: Selena Gregory, Nease, Jr.

Will enter next season as area’s top vaulter. Top height (11-11.75) came in winning Creekside’s Fright Knight Invite. Had four wins this year. Took sixth at 4A state meet. District champ.

400 relay: Jackson

Tigers clocked a 47.67 to finish fifth in 2A state meet.

1600 relay: Jackson

Fourth place at 2A state meet with season-low time of 3:52.75.

3200 relay: Jackson

Tigers had a 9:25.62 to finish as state runner-up in Class 2A.

Honorable mention

Kalia Bing, Bishop Snyder, So.

Estella Bruneau, Bolles, Sr.

Peyton Cerasi, Matanzas, Fr.

Suin Crowley, Creekside, Jr.

Amani Jones, Mandarin, Sr.

Sariah Kee, Riverside, Fr.

Amelia Kosiewska, Bartram Trail, Jr.

Daisy Ross, Ponte Vedra, Sr.

Sienna Starks, Bolles, Jr.

Savina Wells, Fernandina Beach, Sr.

Destiny Williams, Palatka, So.