JACKSONVILLE – Middleburg High high jumper Bryce Quiett answered the question of ‘what’s next?’ with two impressive wins in two days in his specialty with top jumps at the March 16 Creekside Friday Night Lights Invitational then the top jump at the prestigious Bob Hayes Invitational Saturday at Raines High School.

“He’s kind of dealing with a bad ankle and new shoes,” said Middleburg coach April Martin, during Friday’s session at Creekside. “Him and Kaley (Petrosky, Middleburg top female high jumper) are pushing each other to get to state again.”

Petrosky, a state qualifier last year in Class 3A with a fourth place 5’-3.75” inch jump, took competitive seconds at Creekside as well as Bob Hayes.

Quiett, a junior, finished sixth in Class 3A last year with a sub-par 6’2” leap with 6’-8” the winning jump.

“We want to put him and Kaley in very competitive situations (Creekside, Bob Hayes, UNF meet on Friday) so they know what it feels like,” said Martin. “He needs to be pushed by other jumpers around them. They know what it feels like to jump with tired legs which is a feel like at state.”

At Creekside, Quiett summoned up a 6’-6.74” winning jump to out-jump Nease High’s Kenneth Whitehead’s 6’-4.77” jump.

“I like this high jump pit,” said Quiett, who won the region 1-3A title last year with a 6’-7.5” jump that won on less misses over Leon’s Jaylen Taylor, fourth in Class 3A at 6’-2”. “The grip on my foot is very tight and I get good lift when I jump.”

At Bob Hayes, Quiett won at 6’-6” with a successful third attempt jump for the win. Quiett had to use his three jumps to advance at 6’-1.6” and 6’-4”.

For Petrosky, at Creekside, her battle with Creekside senior Abby Thorpe went to a first round successful jump by Thorpe at 5’-6.92” that Petrosky could not swing over in her attempts as she settled for second at 5’-5”. The Class 3A title was won at 5’-5.75”. Thorpe and Petrosky tied at 5’-5.25” for second at last year’s region 1-3A championship with Petrosky fourth at state and Thorpe seventh,

“They have been competing against each other for the last three years,” said Martin. “I think Abby is a stronger jumper, but Kaley is a little smarter on when to come into the competition.”

At the Bob Hayes meet on Saturday, Petrosky jumped 5’-3.75” to finish second to Mollie Speights of Baldwin (Ga.) who won at 5’-5.75”.

Also at the Bob Hayes meet, Oakleaf High’s jumping pair of Loren Johnson and Melvin Briley continued their string of strong measures with Briley, the defending Class 4A champion, winning his specialty with a 48’-00” triple jump win over Queshan Watson of Sebastian River, the Class 3A champion over Middleburg’s Marcus Floyd, who jumped 46’-00.75”. Johnson, twice a Class 4A state meet qualifier, finished second in the triple jump with one of her best jumps at 39’-3.25” just short of Marquashe Myers of Oak Ridge who won at 39’-5.75”. Myers was second in Class 4A last year with a 40’-00” inch leap behind Lakewood Ranch senior Sophia Falco who won at 42’-8”.

Briley also finished fourth in the long jump at 21’-11” with Johnson 15th at 16’-10”.

In the 200, Middleburg’s Marcus Floyd was sixth in 22.14 with Raines’ Marlon Brooks winning at 21.28.

In the discus, Middleburg’s Alex Barfield finished 10th with a 126’-4” throw with a 179’2” toss the winner.