Multiple medals, one state title, and a little school history for the Raiders in Jacksonville.
Less than a year after a devastating injury and reconstructive ACL surgery that ended her gymnastics career, Amari Jackson sprinted down the runway Sunday night at Hodges Stadium and launched herself into Plant City High School history.
The sophomore long jumper earned a silver medal at the 2026 FHSAA Outdoor Track & Field State Championships with a leap of 5.74 meters, helping lead the Raiders girls team to a third-place finish in Class 4A, the highest state finish in the school’s 54-year history.
“It felt so good to recover so well and get back in shape for the season,” Jackson said. “Working with my coaches and keeping my head in a good mindset gave me confidence.”
Jackson’s comeback was one of several student standout performances for Plant City, which briefly led the entire state meet standings after dominating the field events early in the competition.
The Raiders were powered by a one-two finish in the girls javelin, where Olivia Ennis captured the state championship with a 49.15-meter throw, and teammate Sammi Raines earned silver with a 46.44-meter throw. Kyleigh Meiers added an 11th-place finish in the event.
Ennis is now a back-to-back state champion, state record holder, and the nation’s top-ranked javelin thrower.
Coach Drew Martucci said the team expected its field athletes to rank highly after a strong regional performance. “We knew our girls would secure an early lead because the field events take place first,” he said. “For the first part of the meet, they were in first place.”
Junior Sami-yyah Davis added another spectacular performance for Plant City with a 5th-place finish in the girls high jump at 1.62 meters.
The four medal-winning efforts lifted Plant City to third place overall among more than 80 teams. “To have four girls medal and finish third in the state, that’s a pretty good feat,” Martucci said. “That made school history.”
Martucci credited the team’s demanding schedule and commitment throughout the season for the historic finish. “We practice five days a week, and they really put in the work, and it was clear our athletes wanted to go place this season,” he said. “It’s a long and rigorous season, and this team showed up to state with a purpose.”
The Raiders also received a strong performance from the boys team, even though they were in a rebuilding year after several key athletes graduated last year. Noah Steed placed 14th in the boys 800 meters, while Fabian Sosa finished 16th in the boys 1,600 meters. Dwele Morris placed 12th in the boys pole vault, and the boys 4×800 relay team of Mason Baker, Luke Cipriano, Noah Steed, and Fabian Sosa placed 9th overall.
With much of the roster expected to return next season, Martucci believes Plant City’s historic finish could only be the beginning. The Raiders plan to add a strong freshman class to a team that already proved it can compete with the state’s best, and the coach said a Class 4A state title could be within reach next year if the team stays healthy and replaces the points lost to graduation.
Go Raiders.
