Tavares Middle School delivered one of its strongest performances in program history at the 2026 FLYRA Track & Field State Championship, with both the boys and girls teams finishing in the top 10 in the state against more than 150 combined school and club teams from across Florida.

Competing at IMG Academy in Bradenton, the Tavares boys team placed fourth overall out of 81 teams, while the girls team finished ninth out of 70 teams.

Leading the way was eighth grader Colt Kasper, who captured an individual state championship in the 450g javelin while also setting a new school record with a throw of 43.85 meters.

Tavares also produced multiple state medalists and standout relay performances throughout the meet.

Navid Lozano earned three state medals, placing third in the 800m, sixth in the 1500m and helping the boys 4×800 relay team place fifth alongside Emiliano Lozano, Ben Rios and Emmitt Maldonado.

Emiliano Lozano also medaled individually with an eighth-place finish in the 1500m.

Gabrielle Beauford added another medal for Tavares with a fourth-place finish in the 450g javelin, while Kayden Pie broke his own school record in the triple jump.

One of the biggest surprises of the state championship came from the Tavares girls 4×800 relay team of Arieyahna Neal, Isabella Neal, Lilliana Gutfreind and Alice Ilea. Entering the meet ranked 21st out of 21 qualifying teams and competing in the slowest heat, the group surged to a second-place finish to capture the silver medal.

The boys 4×800 relay team also outperformed expectations after entering the meet ranked 13th before finishing fifth overall.

In total, Tavares Middle School qualified 21 athletes for the state championship, the second-highest total in Florida behind only girls state champion Emerald Coast.

Awards and Medalists

Team Finishes

• Boys Team — 4th Place (81 teams)
• Girls Team — 9th Place (70 teams)

Individual State Champion

• Colt Kasper — 450g Javelin (43.85m)

Individual Medalists

• Navid Lozano — 800m (3rd), 1500m (6th)
• Emiliano Lozano — 1500m (8th)
• Gabrielle Beauford — 450g Javelin (4th)

Relay Medalists

• Girls 4×800 Relay — 2nd Place (10:08.48)
  • Isabella Neal
  • Arieyahna Neal
  • Lilliana Gutfreind
  • Alice Ilea
• Boys 4×800 Relay — 5th Place (9:04.39)
  • Emiliano Lozano
  • Emmitt Maldonado
  • Benjamin Rios
  • Navid Lozano

School Records

• Colt Kasper — 450g Javelin
• Kayden Pie — Triple Jump