Tatnall School freshman Arianna Montgomery, senior Yougendy Mauricette of Sussex Tech and junior Jazonte Levan of Seaford have earned the top awards from the recently completed 2023 high school outdoor track season and head the All-State team.
Montgomery is the first ninth-grader to be voted by the state’s coaches as the recipient of the Bill Thomson Award as Delaware’s most outstanding female high school track and field athlete.
She won the 100 hurdles (14.89 seconds) and long jump (19-2½) at the May 24 Meet of Champions at Abessinio Stadium and also ran on Tatnall’s winning 4×100 relay foursome. Montgomery won the same three events in Division II at the DIAA Championships on May 20 at Dover High while sparking Tatnall to its 12th team title in the last 16 state meets.
TIGERS ROAR, SALS SOAR:Salesianum, A.I. du Pont set the pace at DIAA meet
Record-setting sprinters Mauricette and Levan share the Tom Fort Award as the state’s outstanding male high school track and field athletes.
Mauricette prevailed in the 110 hurdles (14.18 seconds), 300 hurdles (37.68) and long jump (23-3) at the Meet of Champions. Last summer, he won the New Balance Nationals’ 400 hurdles in 51.31 seconds, the fastest time in the nation.
Levan dashed to a state record of 21.01 in the 200 at the Meet of Champions, breaking the mark set 10 days earlier by Salesianum’s Jasyn Truitt. At the New Balance Nationals at Franklin Field on June 18, he ran the 200 in 20.95 seconds to finish fourth. In early May, Levan clocked a 10.57 in the 100, the second fastest time in Delaware high school history.
Other All-State boys selections were Tim Wright, Sussex Central, 100 (10.73); Sage Phillips, St. Georges, 400 (48.26); Ian Cain, Caesar Rodney, 800 (1:54.44); Camerin Williams, Hodgson, 1,600 (4:24.17); Ryan Baker, Cape Henlopen, 3,200 (9:29.09); Donte Dockery, A. I. du Pont, triple jump (48-0¾); Courtney McDermott, Mount Pleasant, shot put (54-7¾); Matty Klous, Salesianum, pole vault (15-0); Brandon Rife, Laurel, discus (166-10); Kyle Davenport, Middletown, high jump (6-6); Sussex Central’s 4×100 relay team of Brayden Elliott, William Harrison, Malik Kelsic and Wright; Salesianum’s 4 x 200 relay team of Anthony DelliCompagni, Vinnie DelliCompagni, George Mackin and Jake Portale; St. Georges’ 4 x 400 relay team of Phillips, Malachi Walton, Elijah Burke and Amari Burke; and Saint Mark’s 4×800 relay team of Matthew Cox, Connor Gebhardt, Brandon Smith and Brian Yeager.
DOMINANT DAY:Padua, Tatnall still rule but many have memorable DIAA meet showing
Joining Montgomery on the All-State girls team were Juliana Balon, Padua, 100 (12.07) and 200 (24.47), who also recently became the first Delaware girl to surpass 20 feet in the long jump (20-3¼) at the New Balance Nationals; Reagan Garibaldi, Saint Mark’s, 400 (56.81); Molly Flanagan, Padua, 800 (2:10.34); Katie Payne, Tatnall, 1,600 (4:52.15); Sophia Holgado, Padua, 3,200 (10:31.51); Kennedy Smith, Caravel, 300 hurdles (43.89); Mekiyah Earnest, Padua, triple jump (38-9¼); Simone Cooper, Middletown, discus (135-7) and shot put (42-8¾); Abby Cholewa, Caesar Rodney, pole vault (10-8); Brooke Duke, Smyrna, high jump (5-4); Danni McGonigle, Saint Mark’s, triple jump (state record 40-3); Isabelle Walsh, Middletown, 1,600 meters (4:51.58 in DIAA Division I meet broke record of 4:54.42 set by Olympian Vicki Huber); Tatnall’s 4×100 relay team of Kiara Davis, Darian Harris, Montgomery and Alexis Tarlue; Saint Mark’s 4×200 relay team of Alexis Donovan, Arianna Donovan, Garibaldi and Ava Malgiero; Padua’s 4×400 relay team of Balon, Flanagan, Holgado and Madelyn Mead; and Padua 4×800 relay team of Flanagan, Mead, Claire Merchant and Kelsey Wolff.
Antwain Flowers, whose A. I. du Pont team won the DIAA Division II boys title, and Marnie Giunta, who steered Padua to its 11th straight girls state title, were named coaches of the year.
