There are a lot of great track athletes in the state of Florida.
On Monday, Buchholz’s Evan Fleming was recognized as the second best overall.
The University of Florida signee finished second in the voting for the Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Track award, which recognizes the top boys track athlete in the Sunshine State.
Fleming was previously recognized as the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 4A Track Athlete of the Year after winning a pair of individual state titles at the FHSAA Track & Field state championships.
He swept the 800-meter (1:54.50) and 1600-meter (4:14.96) state titles on May 18 at the FHSAA Class 4A Track & Field state championships at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
He helped lead the Bobcats to a fifth-place finish.
“Evan’s path to success I find both amazing but at the same time logical,” said Buchholz distance runner coach Patrick Douma. “He started by walking over after football practice his sophomore year to talk to his ‘distance running friends.’ For Evan becoming a distance runner was by no means planned, and that’s amazing. Fast forward 2 and a half years and Evan has ended high school by establishing the 15th fastest time for the 1600m in state of Florida history and collecting a 1600/800m double state title.”
Fleming’s win in the 1600 was the first for a Buchholz boys’ athlete since 1983, and the 800 win was the first for a Buchholz boy since 1977.
Senior Micahi Danzy of Florida High (Tallahassee) earned the 2024 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Track award following a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school track and field coaches and media representatives.
Danzy, who was previously named the Class 2A Track and Field Athlete of the Year, swept the Class 2A 200-meter and 400-meter titles. His winning time of 45.88 in the 400 meters was a personal best and the fastest in all classes at the state meet.
He has signed to play football for Florida State University and will also compete on the FSU track team.
Danzy finished ahead of Fleming, Class 3A winner Kai Evans of Lake Minneola, and Class 1A Track Athlete of the Yera Henry Stark of Palmer Trinity (Miami).
Junior Tyra Cox of Miami Northwestern, the girls’ Class 3A Track Athlete of the Year, earned Miss Track honors.
Cox finished ahead of Class 4A Track Athlete of the Year and 2023 Miss Track winner Chelsi Williams of George Jenkins (Lakeland), Class 2A award winner J’Nia Simpson of Tampa Catholic and Class 1A award winner McKenzie Travis of Evangelical Christian (Fort Myers).