Monroe County’s boys track athletes made the most of the 2025 season, setting personal bests, breaking school records and amassing an impressive haul of medals. Coral Shores had one district champion and set multiple new records while Marathon sent two athletes to the top spot at the podium. Key West had four district champs and swept the gold medals in throwing events. The Fins sent two boys track athletes to states while the Conchs filled the vans with seven, all competing in field events.
MVP
Ian Newton
Senior, Key West
Pole Vault
Ian Newton placed 10th in pole vault his junior year, then went on a mission to become the strongest and most refined he possibly could. His hard work and dedication to the sport’s most technical event paid off. Newton struck gold three times this year – first at districts, where he outjumped the closest competitor by well over a foot. Next, he won at regionals by besting the second-place finisher by over three feet. For his grand finale, Newton captured a state championship by clearing the bar at 15’3”, a personal best for the senior and half a foot better than anyone else in the meet.
Shane Lavallee
Senior, Key West
Javelin/Sprinting
Senior Shane Lavallee was Key West’s fastest 100-meter man this season, but it was a throwing event at which he excelled most. Lavallee brought home a silver medal from districts in javelin, then did the same at regionals, qualifying for states with his best toss. The talented senior won a bronze medal at states in javelin to end his final season in style.
Jeremiah Harvey
Senior, Key West
Javelin
Senior Jeremiah Harvey placed fourth in javelin at districts and brought home the same medal at regionals. His regional finish was good enough to qualify for the state championships with an at-large bid. At states, Harvey stepped up to the podium in sixth place, securing a medal and an impressive finish to his senior campaign.
Peyton Zubieta
Senior, Key West
Throwing Events
Senior Peyton Zubieta captured a bronze medal at districts in javelin and matched that place a week later at regionals. His top throw earned him a bid to states, where he brought home a seventh-place medal to complete his high school career on a high note.
Noah Mercer
Junior, Key West
Throwing Events
Junior Noah Mercer won a district championship in discus and added a bronze medal in shot put, qualifying for regionals in both events. There, he placed third in discus and fifth in shot put. Mercer made the cut for states in discus and finished fourth in the event, for which he holds Key West’s school record.
Josh Johnson
Sophomore, Key West
Throwing Events
Key West’s Josh Johnson earned a district title his sophomore season and finished out with the school record as well. He finished third in the discus for a pair of district medals. Johnson was second at regionals in shot put, cracked the top 10 at states, and has two more seasons to gain strength and technical skills to go for the gold in the coming years.
Vance Bursa
Senior, Marathon
Distance
Distance specialist Vance Bursa capped off his high school running career with one final trip to states. While the majority of his competitors focused on one of the longest races, the relentless runner not only ran both, but qualified for states in the 1,600 and 3,200, where he finished 16th and 14th, respectively. Bursa struck gold at districts in the 3,200 and silver in the 1,600. At regionals he placed third and fifth in the events.
Mikail Marshall
Marathon, Senior
Sprinter
Mikail “Jay” Marshall added a district championship in the 100-meter dash to his track credits this season, then placed fifth at regionals. Marshall’s time earned him a bid to states, where he finished 13th. Marshall holds the school record in both the 100- and 200-meter races.
Malachi Telisma
Senior, Key West
High Jump
Senior high jumper Malachi Telisma capped off his high school track career with a trip to states. His third-place regional jump was high enough for an at-large bid to Jacksonville, and Telisma was just a half-inch shy from the school record. He finished in second place at districts, earning a silver medal.
Alaric Rodriguez
Junior, Coral Shores
Middle Distance
Coral Shores junior Alaric Rodriguez has proven to be an all-purpose athlete on the track squad, posting respectable times in races from the 200 to the 3,200. Rodriguez finished third in the 800-meter run at districts, then placed fourth in regionals, narrowly missing a bid to states. Rodriguez broke the school’s 1,600-meter record last season and is part of the school-record 4×400 relay team. This year, he tried his luck at the 400-meter intermediate hurdles and broke that record, too.
Xavier Johnson
Junior, Coral Shores
Hurdles
Xavier Johnson’s 110-meter hurdle time did not just earn him a district title; he now owns the Hurricane record in that event. The junior hurdler’s smooth form helped him cruise to a finish nearly two seconds faster than the silver medalist in the high hurdle race.
Lucian Burns
Eighth Grade, Marathon
Distance
Though still an eighth-grader, Marathon’s Lucian Burns is no stranger to postseason racing. Burns earned a silver district medal in the 1,600 and a fifth-place finish in the 3,200. At regionals, Burns placed seventh, then went on to compete at the middle school state event, where he brought home an eighth-place medal in the 3,000-meter race and sixth in the 1,500.
