BRADENTON, Fla. — Tavares Middle School turned in a dominant performance at the 2025 FLYRA Middle School Track & Field State Championships this weekend at IMG Academy, emerging as one of the top programs in Florida. The Patriots captured a boys relay state title, multiple podium finishes, and four new school records in a meet that featured more than 1,500 of the state’s top youth athletes from schools and clubs.

(32 Tavares Middle School students qualified for the state meet the most out of any club or school in Florida.)

Competing in the highly competitive school division — which included 85 boys teams and 71 girls teams — the Tavares girls team placed third overall, finishing ninth when combining school and club programs. The boys team claimed sixth in the school standings and 10th overall.

The highlight came from the boys 4×800-meter relay team of Nicholas Alvarez, Eric Chen, Navid Lozano, and Emiliano Lozano, who clocked a blistering 8:45.13 to win the state title and set a new school record. Their performance ranks 4th all-time in the middle school division in the state of Florida.

On the girls’ side, the 4x800m relay team of Laken Hartley, Lindsey Mishler, Jimena Nava Garcia, and Arieyahna Neal earned state runner-up honors, finishing in 10:00.89, the eighth-fastest time in Florida middle school history.

In total, six individual Tavares athletes medaled, and the team posted four new school records, adding to an already historic season.

New School Records:

• Nicholas Alvarez – 3000m: 9:29.97

• Tristan Hughes – 450g Javelin: 41.07m

• Jaida James – Triple Jump: 10.04m

• Boys 4x800m Relay – 8:45.13

Individual Medalists:

• Laken Hartley: 2nd (4x800m), 5th (3000m), 8th (1500m)

• Lindsey Mishler: 2nd (800m), 6th (1500m), 7th (3000m)

• Navid Lozano: 1st (4x800m), 7th (800m)

• Tristan Hughes: 6th (600g Javelin), 7th (450g Javelin)

• Jaida James: 5th (Triple Jump)

• Ruby Hinckley: 8th (450g Javelin)

A staggering 32 Tavares athletes qualified for the state meet — the most of any school or club program in Florida.

Full Meet Results — Top Performances:

Girls 3000m
5. Laken Hartley – 10:32.44
7. Lindsey Mishler – 10:38.53
15. Jimena Nava-Garcia – 11:10.36
27. Alice Ilea -11:39.76
46. Meadow Sadlemire – 12:20.27
51. Isabella Neal – 12:26.51
57. Kayla Santos – 13:13.21

Boys 3000m
10th Nicholas Alvarez – (9:29.97)
19^th Omar Castillo (9:44.56)
23^rd Navid Lozano (9:50.37)
40^th Emiliano Lozano (10:06.01)
42^nd Eric Chen (10:09.85)
56^th Jonah Myers (10:21.25)
69^th Seth Manion (10:36.77)

Girls 1500m
6. Lindsey Mishler – 4:54.33
8. Laken Hartley – 4:57.31
12. Jimena Nava-Garcia – 5:02.70
66. Arieyahna Neal – 5:48.92

Boys 1500m
12. Nicholas Alvarez – 4:32.41
24. Omar Castillo – 4:38.84
27. Eric Chen – 4:39.82
53. Jonah Myers – 4:53.68

Girls 800m
53. Jimena Nava-Garcia – 2:37.91

Boys 800m
7. Navid Lozano – 2:08.97

Girls 4x800m Relay

2^nd Tavares A:  Lindsey Mishler, Laken Hartley, Jimena Nava-Garcia, Arieyahna Neal (10:00.89)

18^th Tavares B: Isabella Neal, Lilliana Gutfreind, Kayla Santos, Meadow Sadlemire (11:02.75)

Boys 4x800m Relay

1. 1^st Tavares A: Emiliano Lozano, Nicholas Alvarez, Eric Chen, Navid Lozano (8:45.13)

2. 12^th Tavares B: Omar Castillo, Brock Mraz, Jonah Myers, Jeycob Torres (9:17.50)

Girls Triple Jump
5. Jaida James – 10.04m

Boys Triple Jump 

28. Jeycob Torres – 9.22m

Girls 600g Javelin 

10 Ruby Hinckley – 26.34m
35 Kenzie Crosby – 18.36m

Boys 600g Javelin
6. Tristan Hughes – 39.99m
30. Anzarique Richardson – 31.67m
36. Brock Mraz – 29.11m
49. Colt Kasper – 24.56m

Girls 450g Javelin
8. Ruby Hinckley – 24.94m
12. Kenzie Crosby – 20.20m
15. Nevaeh Miller – 17.50m

Boys 450g Javelin

7. Tristan Hughes (41.07m)
18. Anzarique Richardson (31.13m)
19. Brock Mraz (30.54m)
22. Jeycob Torres (23.93m)
23. Colt Kasper (21.98m)

100M Boys:
44. Asa Thompson –11.87

400M Boys 

11. Asa Thompson – 53.21

The Tavares Middle School Track & Field team is led by coaches Kevin Von Maxey and April Von Maxey, who continue to build one of the premier youth programs in the state. It was a great showing! Congratulations to all the athletes some of who we will see competing in High School next year!