Tavares Dominates at 2025 Lake County Middle School Track & Field Championships

TAVARES — A total of 289 athletes representing seven schools competed in the 2025 Lake County Middle School Track & Field Championships, the fourth and final meet of a four-week series held at Tavares High School.

Tavares Middle School emerged as the dominant force, winning both the boys and girls team titles and capturing 18 of 24 individual events, along with five of the six relay races.

Team Scores

Boys

1. Tavares – 239

2. Oak Park – 52

3. Minneola – 43

4. Aurelia Cole – 37

5. Lake Pointe Academy – 36

6. Mount Dora – 34

7. Eustis – 28

(The Tavares boys team put in a fantastic performance.)

Girls

1. Tavares – 212

2. Mount Dora – 58

3. Eustis – 57

4. Oak Park – 50

5. Minneola – 39

6. Aurelia Cole – 29

7. Lake Pointe Academy – 13

(The Tavares Girls team dominated on their way to a championship victory. )

Tavares athletes swept five of the six relays — girls 4×100, boys and girls 4×400, and boys and girls 4×800 — with Oak Park winning the boys 4×100.

Individual District Champions – Tavares

• Asa Thompson – Boys 100m (12.04), 200m (25.35), 400m (57.34)

• Omar Castillo – Boys 1,500m (4:22.74), 3,000m (9:56.40)

• Laken Hartley – Girls 1,500m (4:59.44), 3,000m (10:54.93)

• Arieyahna Neal – Girls 200m (29.44), 400m (1:06.54)

• Jimena Nava-Garcia – Girls 800m (2:35.72)

• Nicholas Alvarez – Boys 800m (2:14.14)

• Jeycob Torres – Boys triple jump (9.28m)

• Tristan Hughes – Boys javelin, 450g (36.32m)

• Lindsey Mishler – Girls high jump (4-2)

• Chloe Walker – Girls long jump (3.95m)

• Shaedon Scott – Boys shot put (9.03m)

• Ruby Hinckley – Girls javelin, 450g (25.30m)

(Oak Park Middle School put in a great performance as well. The finished 2nd in boys and 4th in the girls class.)

Individual Champions – Other Schools

• Girls 100m – Leary Lucien-Vigo, Oak Park (13.93)

• Girls discus – Alayzha Smith, Aurelia Cole (18.34m)

• Boys high jump – Jai Anderson, Eustis (5-2)

• Boys long jump – Landon Lane, Minneola Charter (5.49m)

• Boys shot put – Anthony Bouchard, Aurelia Cole (12.55m)

• Boys discus – Sionid Suarez, Eustis (28.61m)

Relay Champions

• Girls 4×800 – Tavares (11:51): Meadow Sadlemire, Kayla Santos, Farren White, Jillian Hernandez

• Boys 4×800 – Tavares (10:58): Benjamin Rios, Alejandro Hernandez, Emmitt Maldonado, Seth Manion

• Girls 4×400 – Tavares (4:26.79): Lindsey Mishler, Arieyahna Neal, Laken Hartley, Lilliana Gutfreind

• Boys 4×400 – Tavares (3:58.04): Asa Thompson, Navid Lozano, Emiliano Lozano, Jeycob Torres

• Girls 4×100 – Tavares (56.33): Arieyahna Neal, Chloe Walker, Sofia Dalmau, Neveah Miller

• Boys 4×100 – Oak Park (48.83): Binghan, White, Sims, Richardson

Tavares will send 32 qualifiers to the Florida Youth Running Association (FLYRA) Middle School State Championships, scheduled for May 16–17 at IMG Academy in Bradenton.

Minneola Charter, Mount Dora and Aurelia Cole will each send one state qualifier.