WINTER PARK – Oakleaf High junior shotputter Jalen Rivers continued his heavyweight path to the shot put state title in Class 4A with a narrow win for the region 1-4A track title at Saturday’s region 1-4A championships in Winter Park.

Along with Rivers, Oakleaf High long jumper Loren Johnson, kept her focus for success after a controversial three-foul triple jump outing at last week’s district championships, with a resounding region title in the long jump and Fleming Island hurdler Glenn Rodgers got back to familiar air with a return to low-14s in his specialty.

Johnson, the defending long jump 4A champion and runnerup in the triple jump, had three foot fouls at last week’s district championships in the triple jump, but took the steps to secure a top spot in the long jump. Johnson won her specialty with an 18’-4.25” leap to win by an inch over Amaya Ugarte of Windermere. Johnson won her state title at 18’-9”.

For Rivers, a massive athlete over 300 pounds, but with quick feet and explosive power on the football field for the Knights, his last two meets have generated puts well over 50 feet.

Rivers won decisely with a 52’-8.75” put to put him number one in Class 4A by just inches over number two James Johnson of Vero Beach.

Last year, Rivers finished 15th at just 48’-8”. The state title was won at 57’-7”.

On the track, Fleming Island High hurdler Rodgers has run the gamut of emotions from a second in nation time of 14.22 to a disastrous crash and burn at the UNF Spring Break final to a solid return to sub-15s with his district title at 14.52 last week in a field of four sub-15 hurdlers.

In the region race, where Rodgers would again face off with his district foes of Nathan Farrell of Flagler, Deylynd Grant of Buchholz and Desmyn McCall of Sandalwood, who beat Rodgers’ 14.22 at the Bob Hayes Invite with his own 14.17 split, Rodgers left no doubt with a sterling 14.44 time holding off Farrell’s 14.46 at the finish. McCall would go 14.62 for fourth with Grant false-starting in prelims and being eliminated. Lake mary senior Seraiah Abram finished third at 14.47 to make the 4A finals list one of the fastest in recent history.

Tops on the state meet list is a uber-fast 13.86 split by George Jenkins High junior Tyson Williams with his teammate, junior Damarcus Sneed, second at 14.07. Rodgers’s 14.44 is ranked sixth.