For schools in geographically-isolated locations such as the Florida Keys, individual sports are where one might expect athletes to prosper, and the three Monroe County schools’ track and field teams did not disappoint this year. Keys gentlemen earned a total of six state medals this season, with representatives from each school bringing home some hardware. In addition to the state medal winners and qualifiers, many more athletes earned spots on the podium at regionals and districts. Key West earned the top spot in FHSAA 2A while Coral Shores took fourth place. Marathon’s boys were second overall in 1A competition. All three teams brought some fantastic positive attention and quite a bit of hometown pride home to their schools.
From all of us at the Keys Weekly, congratulations to the 2023 All-Keys Boys Track Team.
Photos by Barry Gaukel, Rick Mackenzie and contributed images.
MVP
Suharevskis Niks-Davis
Junior, Key West
Pole Vault, Hurdles
Suharevskis Niks-Davis established himself as a competitive jumper and hurdler for the Conchs, earning points for his team in some of the most challenging events. It only made sense for him to take up perhaps the most terrifying event track and field has to offer: the pole vault. Niks-Davis started vaulting last year, clearing impressive heights almost immediately. This season, his hard work and attention to detail paid off when he placed second at the FHSAA 2A Track and Field Championships in Jacksonville. The state silver medalist claimed first place in Region 4 after district victories in pole vault and the 110 high hurdle. With one more year to hone his craft, Niks-Davis has a solid shot at Key West’s school record in pole vault as well as a state gold medal in 2024.
Xavyer Arrington
Senior, Coral Shores
Shot Put, Discus
Arrington’s strength earned him two medals at states this season – sixth place in discus and eighth in shot put. The senior strongman won gold medals at districts in both events, holds both school records and won first in the region in discus.
Ethan Marguet
Junior, Coral Shores
400m, 4×400 Relay
Marguet won two runner-up medals at districts this year in the 400m individual race and 4x400m relay, advancing to regionals in both events. He holds the school record in both events and has respectable times in the 100m and 800m as well, making next season one of great expectations for the junior.
Ambrose Sanchez
Junior, Coral Shores
Hurdles, Utility Runner
Ambrose Sanchez is a coach’s dream as a utility runner. The multitalented athlete holds the school record in the 400m intermediate hurdles and has competitive times in every event from the 200m to the 3200m.
Josh Canterbury
Senior, Key West
Pole Vault, Discus
Canterbury capped his high school track career with a sixth-place medal at the state championships in May by adding nearly a foot to his top pole vault height this season. At districts, he won second-place medals in both pole vault and discus.
Kevon Mills
Senior, Key West
High Jump, Long Jump, 4×400 Relay
Mills is truly an all-around fantastic athlete. His strongest event was the high jump, in which he claimed a sixth-place medal at states this season. At districts, he won the high jump and long jump, qualifying for regionals in both events and the 4x400m relay.
Lucas Montiel
Senior, Key West
800m, 4x400m and 4x800m Relays
Montiel won the district championship in the 800m and ran legs of the Conchs’ second-place 4x800m relay and third-place 4x400m relay teams, qualifying him for regionals in all three events. This season, he shaved nearly five seconds off his already-fast 800m time.
Vance Bursa
Sophomore, Marathon
800m, 1600m, 3200m
Bursa had a standout 2023 season, claiming third-place medals at districts in the 800m, 1600m and 3200m races. He qualified for regionals in all three events, plus the 4x800m relay. He went on to win an eighth-place medal in the 3200m at the state championship meet by dropping more than 20 seconds from his personal record time. As if his track feats weren’t enough, Bursa was the first to break the tape in the Seven Mile Bridge Run mid-season.
Aaron Dolton
Senior, Marathon
110m and 400m Hurdles
Dolton attracted the attention of college scouts with his blazing speed over the hurdles. He earned second place in the 110m high hurdles, third place in the 400m intermediate hurdles, fifth on the 4x400m relay team and sixth in discus at districts. Dolton holds three school records in hurdles at the 110m, 400m and 300m distances.
Fabbianho Louis Jeune
Sophomore, Marathon
Long Jump, Triple Jump
Louis Jeune claimed second-place medals in the long jump and triple jump events at districts, qualifying for regionals in both. He broke the school record in the triple jump early this season, and with two more years of eligibility to go, it is not unlikely he will become a state medalist in the coming seasons.
