Trenton’s Brandon Stone jumps for joy

By Carrie A. Mizell

ESPN has named Trenton High School’s Brandon Stone the best high school high jumper in Florida and third in the nation.
Stone won his second straight district high jump title on Friday in Orange Park during the District 4-1A track and field meet. He jumped 7 feet to win the event and set a new school record.
“Brandon’s ultimate goal is to win state,” said Jim Akins, track coach.
The 5 foot, 10 and a half inch junior, who has been fielding calls from Florida State University since making the impressive jump on Friday, will be among the athletes from Gilchrist County to compete at the regional track meet in Tallahassee on Thursday.
Stone will compete in the high jump competition and the 4x100 meter relay.

Trenton will also be well represented by Torrez Brown, Jonathan Smith, O.J. George, Andrew Martin, Brock Stone, Quincey Kincaid and Drew Dees.
Brandon Stone, Torrez Brown, Jonathan Smith and O.J. George will be competing in the boys’ 4x100 meter relay. While, Torrez Brown will also compete in the 200 meter dash. O.J. George, Andrew Martin, Brock Stone and Quincey Kincaid will also compete in the boys’ 4x400 meter relay. Andrew Martin, who set a personal best record of 54.41 seconds in the 400 meter dash at the district meet, will also be competing in the 400 meter dash at regionals. Drew Dees will compete in the Level 2 adapted shot put competition.
Bell High School students Brianna Bays, Preslee Sanders, Katelyn Geiger and Wendy Trantham will compete in the 4x100 meter relay and the 4x400 meter relay at the regional track meet. Savannah Burgess, Kristen Dennis, Katelyn Geiger and Aundrea Wood will compete in the 4x800 meter relay.
Bell High School junior Trinity Hilliard will be throwing the shot put and the discus at the regional competition.
Bradley Denham and Abdul Mkuu will compete in the 100 meter dash. Denham will also compete in the 200 meter dash. Austin Bell will take part in the 400 meter dash. Steven Woodby will compete in the 110 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles. John Bailey will also compete in the 300 meter hurdles.
Quinten Hudson, Abdul Mkuu, James Oslager and Rich Royster will compete in the 4x400 meter relay. This team placed first in the district competition with a time of 3:40.22.
In the 4x800 meter relay, Cody Darling, Zachary Diehl, Asa Maragoni and Greyson Stewart will compete at the regional meet.
John Bailey will compete in the triple jump and high jump, while Rich Royster, Bradley Teckenbrock and Austin Godwin will compete in the shot put competition. Royster and Teckenbrock will also compete in the discus throw.
In the District 4-1A competition, the Bell boys track team placed second and the Bell girls track team placed fourth. The Trenton girls team placed seventh, while the boys team placed fifth in the district.