On Saturday, April 5, 18 members of the 2024 Crestwood Middle School track & field team gathered to be honored for winning last spring’s Palm Beach County Middle School Track & Field Champion-ship. It was Crestwood’s second straight county title.
According to head coach Marque Drummond, there were 21 members of the school’s 2024 track & field team — Alphonzo Carter, Brandon Pendergrass II, Rajon Fleurima, Jayden Espino, Ashton Davis, Ashton Fountain, Brandon Greenfield, Dennis Anderson, Fabian Pompilus, Javian Wrisper, Blake Girard, Caleb Fulbright, Michael Saget, Benjamin Drummer, Aiden Castillo, Adrian Gomez-Canas, Micah Baker, Michal Baker, Rayan Moutaouakkil, Nigel Smith and Ahmari Ryner.
Since the 2023 team from Crestwood received championship rings, the members of the 2024 squad were honored during a jacket and pendant ceremony. Of the 21 members of the 2024 team, 18 were in attendance at Crestwood during the ceremony this month.
In addition to the players, also attending were Crestwood staff members, parents of the athletes, family members and friends. The guest speaker was Jerome Groover, the head coach of the track & field team from Palm Beach Lakes High School in West Palm Beach.
According to Drummond, who doubles as Crestwood’s athletic director, all attendees were served a meal featuring baked chicken, jerk chicken, buffalo-style chicken, meatballs, mixed salad, mac and cheese, deviled eggs and cake for dessert.
The key performances that propelled Crestwood to the 2024 Palm Beach County championship were: Alphonzo Carter (first in the 110-meter hurdles, 15.66; second in the long jump, 18 feet, 3 inch-es; and fourth in the 800-meter run, 2:15); Michael Saget (second in the 110-meter hurdles, 17.00); Ahmari Ryner (first in the long jump, 18 feet, 4 inches; and first in the high jump, 5 feet, 6 inches); Brandon Pendergrass II (sixth in the 100-meter dash, 11.77, and third in the 200-meter dash, 23.68); Ashton Davis (sixth in the 200-meter dash, 23.99); Aiden Castillo (first in the 400-meter run, 54.31, and seventh in the long jump, 17 feet, 1 inch); Jayden Espino (fifth in the 400-meter run, 56.17); and Ashton Fountain (fourth in the shot put, 39 feet, 9 inches).
The school’s 800-meter medley relay team finished in sixth place with a time of 1:51.13. The members of that team were Benjamin Drummer, Rajon Fleurima, Jayden Espino, Michael Saget and Ashton Davis. Drummer, Fleurima, Davis and Brendan Pendergrass II were the four members of Crest-wood’s 400-meter relay team, which finished in fourth place with a time of 48.57.
Crestwood will be looking for its third consecutive Palm Beach County championship when this year’s county meet is held during the week of May 12. Drummond is cautiously optimistic that Crestwood has a chance of winning this year.
“So far, they look pretty decent, but we have many first-time members of the team, so they will have to learn and grow in the sport,” Drummond said.
