Jefferson's track and field teams showcased strong performances at the Newman Open 2025 held Friday at Westwood Sports Complex in Sterling, with several athletes achieving top finishes and personal records.
Golden Performance in Hurdles and Pole Vault
Janardie Turner led the Jefferson boys, capturing first place in the 60-meter hurdles (39") with a time of 8.45 seconds. On the girls' side, Vanessa Malyvanh soared to victory in the pole vault, clearing 2.13 meters for a personal record.
Turner and Taylor Shine in Sprints
Turner also demonstrated his speed in the 60-meter dash, qualifying for the finals after finishing 10th in the preliminaries with a personal best of 7.36a. He continued his success in the long jump, securing second place with a jump of 6.38 meters. For the girls, Makayla Taylor had an impressive day in the sprint events, finishing fourth in the 60-meter dash finals with a personal record of 8.24 seconds and fourth in the 200 meters finals with another personal best of 28.30 seconds.
Relay Teams Secure Top Finishes
The Rockford (Jefferson) - A girls' team, consisting of Mi'Aerie Goode, Dereona Edison, Jamareah Flint, and Makayla Taylor, earned a strong second-place finish in the 4x200 meter relay with a time of 1:56.55. The boys' 4x200 meter relay team A, comprised of Antonio Alexander, Innocent Mairo, Mekhi Calloway, and Zaire McNeely, finished sixth in 1:43.49.
Other Notable Boys' Performances
In the 60-meter dash preliminaries, several other Jefferson athletes competed, including Innocent Mairo, Mekhi Calloway, and Antonio Alexander. Turner also placed third in the 200 meters finals (24.71aPR), with Innocent Mairo finishing fifth and Anthony Harris seventh. Harris also placed seventh in the 200m prelims. In the hurdles, Antwon Haley finished fifth in the finals (10.36a) after qualifying fifth in the preliminaries (10.22aPR). Alvin Puckett placed 10th in the shot put with a personal best of 12.05 meters. Kakusa Kasongo finished sixth in the long jump (5.52m), and Zaire McNeely placed seventh with a personal record of 5.50 meters.
Other Notable Girls' Performances
Kayliah Smith secured second place in the 60-meter hurdles (33") with a personal best of 10.93 seconds. Naomi Cultra achieved a podium finish in the shot put, placing third with a personal record of 9.61 meters.
Full results can be found at Athletic.net.