Tavares, Fla. — Congratulations to 3rd grader Aliana Alvarez of the Red Sea Running Club who stunned a competitive field of older runners to win the girls 1500-meter race at the 2025 FLYRA Elementary Track & Field State Championship.

Competing against mostly 5th graders, Alvarez — already a national champion in cross-country for her age group, showed poise and tenacity well beyond her years. Trailing in third for much of the race, she surged over the final two laps, making up nearly 20 meters before passing the leader on the final lap. With 150 meters to go, Alvarez launched into a powerful sprint, holding off top-seeded London Ross of Deep South Xtreme Track Club to claim the state title with a personal-best time of 5:12.91.

“She has the heart of a champion,” said coach Kevin Von Maxey, who has coached Aliana alongside April Von Maxey for the past 2.5 years. “To make that kind of move at the end, that’s not something you teach. That’s something you’re born with.”

Alvarez’s 1500m time not only secured gold but also shattered the Red Sea Running Club’s elementary program record. She followed up her victory with another strong performance in the 800m, placing 6th overall in 2:40.49 to bring home a second medal.

Her accomplishments builds on an already remarkable résumé. Last fall, Alvarez claimed the national cross-country title at the Milesplit Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Red Sea Running Club turned in a strong overall performance at the state meet, with 16 athletes competing and an impressive 37 personal records set across various events.

On the boys’ side, Gabriel Garback led in both the 800m (22nd, 2:45.74) and 1500m (15th, 5:23.08), while Jett Forward topped the sprint events with a 14th-place finish in the 100m (14.14) and 24th in the 200m (29.22). In the long jump, Elijah Rivera placed 20th with a leap of 3.4 meters.

For the girls, several athletes showed distance strength. Alongside Alvarez’s gold, Amelia Hernandez (17th), Emma Williams (18th), and Avery Maldonado (22nd) all clocked sub-6-minute times in the 1500m.

“This is one of the most talented and hard-working groups we’ve coached,” said April Von Maxey. “What Aliana did was incredible, but our whole team made us proud with their effort and attitude.”

The Red Sea Running Club’s presence was felt across nearly every event, with personal records and top-40 finishes in sprints, distance races, and field events. The future is bright for this young team and especially for its rising star, Aliana Alvarez.

FLYRA Elementary State Championship Highlights – Red Sea Running Club

Boys Results

100m

• 14th – Jett Forward (14.14)

• 35th – Emanuel Kadyebo (15.20)

• 41st – Bryson Patch (16.57)

200m

• 24th – Jett Forward (29.22)

400m

• 26th – Elijah Rivera (1:16.53)

• 27th – Arriet Cortes (1:17.16)

800m

• 22nd – Gabriel Garback (2:45.74)

• 25th – Elijah Rivera (2:48.65)

• 28th – Jett Forward (2:49.26)

• 31st – Arriet Cortes (2:51.14)

• 35th – Emanuel Kadyebo (2:53.86)

• 41st – Bryson Patch (3:05.28)

1500m

• 15th – Gabriel Garback (5:23.08)

• 28th – Emanuel Kadyebo (5:41.31)

• 31st – Jett Forward (5:57.46)

• 37th – Arriet Cortes (6:16.01)

• 38th – Bryson Patch (6:20.55)

Long Jump

• 20th – Elijah Rivera (3.40m)

• 25th – Arriet Cortes (2.95m)

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Girls Results

100m

• 42nd – Madison Meyers (15.19)

• 46th – Abraya Best (16.21)

400m

• 23rd – Anaisa Salinas (1:17.81)

• 26th – Madison Meyers (1:21.53)

800m

• 6th – Aliana Alvarez (2:40.49)

• 21st – Emma Williams (2:51.08)

• 31st – Anaisa Salinas (2:58.90)

• 36th – Amelia Hernandez (3:04.89)

• 39th – Madison Meyers (3:07.45)

• 45th – Brianna Ramirez (3:11.85)

• 47th – Avery Maldonado (3:16.12)

• 53rd – Brynlee Harris (3:36.51)

1500m

• 🥇 1st – Aliana Alvarez (5:12.91)

• 17th – Amelia Hernandez (5:53.84)

• 18th – Emma Williams (5:54.31)

• 22nd – Avery Maldonado (6:00.98)

• 37th – Brianna Ramirez (6:24.07)

• 43rd – Sara Lorenzo (6:51.62)

• 44th – Brynlee Harris (6:54.08)

Long Jump

• 28th – Brianna Ramirez (2.64m)

Red Sea Running Club is based in Florida and continues to build a reputation for excellence in youth distance running under the guidance of Kevin and April Von Maxey.