JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mikayla Shavers felt bad in her biggest track and field meet of the year.
Shavers went into the state meet — the final one of her career —with a lot of uncertainty and a lot of nerves. She left it as the state recordholder in the triple jump and a back-to-back state champion in the event.
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Shavers’ place in history was locked in.
Now the back-to-back Varsity 4 All-News4JAX girls track and field athlete of the year, the Fleming Island senior broke a 21-year-old record in the triple jump in the state meet. Shavers went 42 feet, 11.5 inches to become one of the best in high school history in that event.
In her own way, Shavers surprised even herself because of how she felt entering the event.
“Leading up to state was kind of like an emotional roller coaster. I had felt a little sick at regionals and I got through it, but going into state, we had practice like a day after regionals and I thought I did something to my quad,” said Shavers, a University of South Florida signee.
“So, I didn’t practice like the whole week of state. And so, I was going into state with a little nerves because I hadn’t practiced.”
All-News4JAX girls track and field athletes of the year
| Year | Athlete | School |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Mikayla Shavers, triple jump | Fleming Island |
| 2025 | Mikayla Shavers, triple jump | Fleming Island |
| 2024 | Alyson Johnson, distance runner | Creekside |
| 2023 | Alyson Johnson, distance runner | Creekside |
| 2022 | Da’Moni Kelly, thrower | Mandarin |
| 2021 | Sydney Campbell, sprinter | Creekside |
Those nerves evaporated after Shavers got on the track.
Her first attempt covered 12.9 meters and Shavers’ quad held up without an issue. Ed White’s Tiara Swanigan set the previous state meet record in 2005 at 13.02 meters (42 feet, 8.75 inches).
“Typically, everybody knows, depending on how my first jump goes, is the type of day I’ll have,” she said. “And when we all seen 12-9 [on the board], everybody was like, ‘oh, that record is going down.’
“It took a lot of stress off of me and I was just able to kind of focus on my craft and listen to what my coach was saying instead of worry about if my body’s going to hold up or not.”
Not only did Shavers’ health hold up, she turned in the best jump of her life.
That record was gone on Shavers’ next jump, a 42-11.5-inch distance that touched off a minutes long celebration. It is the fourth-longest distance in the country this year.
“I did a double take because I’m like, hold on, does it say 13-09? Am I tripping? Then it was confirmed. Everybody’s yelling. I just started running. I started running around for about two minutes,” she said.
Shavers proved that jump was no fluke when she brought down the curtain on her pre-college career with a 42-10.75 to win the prestigious New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet last month. Now, it’s off to college as a new challenge awaits.
Varsity 4 All-News4JAX girls track and field team
Event, Athlete, School, Class, Notable
100: Danielle Hagans, Jackson, Jr.
Ran PR of 11.52 to win the Chandra Cheeseborough Invitational. Eight wins this season including district and region. Third in Class 2A state meet.
200: Danielle Hagans, Jackson, Jr.
Five wins this season including sweep of district and region. PR of 23.71 to win the Chandra Cheeseborough Invitational.
400: Danielle Hagans, Jackson, Jr.
Swept district and region. Class 2A state runner-up with PR of 53.28. Third in prestigious FSU Relays, too.
100 hurdles: Karina Marcelus, Flagler Palm Coast, Sr.
Class 4A state runner-up with first sub-14 time (13.69). Six wins this year including district and region.
400 hurdles: Nijah Garnes, Jackson, Jr.
PR of 1:00.13 to finish third in Class 2A state meet. Seven wins this year including at Chandra Cheeseborough Invitational, Gateway, district and region.
800: Sarah Rose, Creekside, Sr.
Sixth in Class 4A state meet. Ran season low of 2:11.57 for third in prestigious Florida Relays. Region champ.
1600: Avery Hartley, Bartram Trail, Fr.
Cross country athlete of the year made smooth transition to track. PR of 4:51.76 for third in Class 4A state meet. Five wins including at district and region.
3200: Avery Hartley, Bartram Trail, Fr.
Had PR of 10:35.44 at the Bolles Bulldog Classic. Region champ and district runner-up. Fourth in Class 4A state meet.
Discus: Terrell McCoy, Bolles, Sr.
Had season-best throw of 142-0.5 in the Bolles Bulldog Classic. District and region champ. Fourth in Class 2A state meet.
Javelin: Marquesha Oxendine, Menendez, Sr.
Had season-best throw of 124-2.5 in Craig Speziale Memorial meet. Eight wins this year. Sixth in Class 3A state meet.
Shot put: Terrell McCoy, Bolles, Sr.
PR of 44-2.5 to finish Class 2A state runner-up. District champ and region runner-up. Four wins this season including at district.
High jump: Kamryn Robinson, Ed White, Jr.
PR of 5-4.75 to win the Chandra Cheeseborough Invitational. Six wins this year including at Gateway and district. Third in Class 3A state meet.
Long jump: Evie Freeman, Bolles, Sr.
Dominant season with five wins in six meets. Had PR of 20-2.5 to win Class 2A meet. Region and district champ.
Triple jump: Mikayla Shavers, Fleming Island, Sr.
Dominant final season. Won all seven meets including a 42-11.25 to win Class 3A meet.
Pole vault: Sienna Starks, Bolles, Sr.
Six wins this season including sweep of district, region and Class 2A state meets. PR of 12-5.5 came in runner-up finish at East Coast Classic.
400 relay: Oakleaf
Had season-best 46.11 to win at district meet.
1600 relay: Creekside
Season-low 3:46.28 came in third-place effort at Pepsi Florida Relays.
3200 relay: Creekside
State runner-up time of 9:08.80 came in Class 4A meet.
Second team
Event, Athlete, School, Class, Notable
100: Peyton Ganther, Creekside, Sr.
Three wins this season. District champ and region runner-up. Finished 10th in Class 4A state meet.
200: Rayna Lawson, Oakleaf, Sr.
PR of 24.08 came in finishing seventh in Class 4A state meet. District champ.
400: Zyaire Thomas, Fletcher, Sr.
Season low of 53.85 came in winning district meet. Seven wins this year including Bob Hayes, Gateway, district and region.
100 hurdles: Kaitlyn Brown, Beachside, Jr.
Class 3A state champ with third sub-14 time of the year (13.77). Four wins this year including district and region.
400 hurdles: Jahzara Fields, Palatka, Sr.
Four wins this season including at district. Fourth in Class 2A state meet with PR of 1:00.88.
800: Eliza Hutton, Fletcher, Jr.
Ran PR of 2:13.90 for ninth-place finish in Class 4A state meet. Gateway champ and runner-up at district.
1600: Allison Austin, Atlantic Coast, Fr.
Had three runner-up finishes this season including at district and region. Had a PR of 4:54.29 for eighth in Class 4A state meet.
3200: Stella Krueger, Episcopal, So.
Won five of six races this year including sweep of state series (district, region and state championship). PR of 10:38.63.
Discus: Marquesha Oxendine, Menendez, Sr.
PR of 133-8.25 came in winning the Embry-Riddle Running Elements. Ten wins this season.
Javelin: Avenlee Loewen, Providence, So.
Had PR of 121-9.75 for third at Class 1A state meet. Three wins this season.
Shot put: Camilla Clarke, Bolles, Sr.
PR of 131-2.25 to win the Bolles Sprint Meet. Two wins this year. Fifth in Class 2A state meet.
High jump: Madeline Wilkey, Bishop Kenny, Sr.
Five wins this season including in Class 2A state meet. Had PR of 5-3.75 to win region.
Long jump: Mikayla Shavers, Fleming Island, Sr.
Had PR of 19-5.25 to win Pepsi Florida Relays, one of three wins this season. Class 3A state runner-up.
Triple jump: Karina Marcelus, Flagler Palm Coast, Sr.
Class 4A state champ with PR of 40-8.5. Had six wins including district-region-state sweep.
Pole vault: Selena Gregory, Nease, Sr.
Almost identical numbers across the season as first-teamer Sienna Starks. PR of 12-5.5 came in East Coast Classic. Class 2A state runner-up.
400 relay: Creekside
PR of 46.28 came in Class 4A state runner-up finish.
1600 relay: Jackson
Class 2A state runner-up Tigers had low of 3:46.39.
3200 relay: Bishop Kenny
Class 2A state champion time of 9:14.30 ranks sixth in the state this year.
Honorable mention
Athlete, school, class
Kalia Bing, Bishop Snyder, Jr.
Kate Brice, Episcopal, So.
Peyton Cerasi, Matanzas, So.
Suin Crowley, Creekside, Sr.
Heaven Ferguson, St. Augustine, Sr.
Wynter Green, Bolles, So.
Lola Hayes, Beachside, Jr.
Jillian Jakab, Bishop Kenny, So.
Paetton Perez, Sandalwood, So.
Coral Sklenicka, Providence, Jr.
Sofie Stam, Bolles, Fr.