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Who is the best boys track and field athlete in the storied history of the First Coast?
The debate is on.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary this summer, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. To accompany the national honors, the USA TODAY Network is also recognizing the athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states, including right here in Northeast Florida.
These boys track honors will form part of a series, selected by a statewide panel of USA TODAY Network experts, to roll out through 2026.
This time, the USA TODAY Network is honoring the Jacksonville area's boys track and field stars. Here are our selections for 10 boys track athletes who defined the sport in Northeast Florida. These 10 players, listed in alphabetical order, all excelled at the high school level and progressed to further accomplishments.
More: The best all-time football players from Florida:
VOTE: Northeast Florida's all-time best athlete in boys track
From Greenland Road to the Olympics. The Mandarin High School graduate, an eight-time Gateway Conference champion and a repeat state contender, won an SEC championship at Florida before pursuing a career in long-distance running. His biggest event yet came while racing for the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 2024 Olympic marathon in Paris. Garcia has also raced at various marathons both inside and outside the United States.
The first man ever to surpass 25 feet in the long jump, Gourdin was a man of diverse talents -- he later attained the rank of brigadier general in the National Guard and served on the Massachusetts Superior Court. The Old Stanton graduate is Jacksonville's first-ever Olympic medalist. He set the world long jump record in 1921, at a meet where he also won the 100 ahead of Harold Abrahams of "Chariots of Fire" fame, and went on to earn the long jump silver behind DeHart Hubbard in the 1924 Summer Games in Paris.
The Times-Union's All-First Coast boys track athlete of the year in 1993 and 1995, Hackley competed in NCAA action for Florida and South Carolina and continued his success after college. In 2004, he won the United States indoor championship at 200 meters with a time of 20.83. He also raced at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento in a bid to make the United States team for the Summer Games in Athens.
In June 2022, Harrison broke one of the legendary barriers in sports, becoming only the 16th high school runner in United States history to break four minutes in the mile (3:59.33). The four-minute mile was far from his only achievement while at Nease. He also won a state three-peat in FHSAA cross country from 2019-21, and earned FHSAA track titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. After signing with Oregon, he raced at the NCAA Championships in the 1,500.
In the mid-1960s, Hayes was simply the fastest runner anywhere. The Jacksonville native raced to the title of the fastest man in the world in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, winning gold medals in the 100-meter dash (10.0 seconds) and the 4x100-meter relay (39.06 seconds), including a legendary final leg. Track was just one aspect of his athletic talent: He played wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, winning Super Bowl VI and earning election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Hicks achieved major success in high school, college and beyond. He raced to FHSAA titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 at Bolles and went back-to-back in state cross country, collecting top statewide honors both on the track and the 5K course. Hicks also won an NCAA championship at Stanford and twice captured the European U23 Cross Country Championships in Dublin and in Turin, Italy. Now 24, he has turned his attention to competitive road racing, and he owns top-10 finishes in both the New York City and Boston Marathons.
A virtual newcomer to track before his mid-teens, Lawrence won the FHSAA 400 meters as a junior and looked set to sweep the sprints before a 2008 injury. He continued his success in college at Georgia, winning SEC freshman of the year, a three-time SEC champion, an NCAA champion in the 400 and a gold medalist for the United States on the 4x400 relay at the IAAF World Relays in 2014. Tragically, Lawrence died at age 25 in July 2014 when a truck crashed into his disabled vehicle along Interstate 75 in Cordele, Ga. The Torrin Lawrence Memorial in Athens is held in his honor.
Miller achieved record-shattering age-group feats while at Creekside, including a 9.93 in the 100-meter dash in April 2024 while still a month before his 18th birthday. An FHSAA champion in the 100 and 200, Miller won the Gatorade National Player of the Year award in boys track. He competed at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials and placed fifth in the 100 in 9.98, although USA Track and Field did not select him to the relay team for Paris. He signed with Georgia but elected to jump to the professional ranks.
The multi-talented Scantling, who also excelled in football and briefly worked out with the Jacksonville Jaguars before focusing his attention full-time on the track, ranked first in the world in early 2022 in the decathlon and came a whisker away from the medal stand at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Competing in the 10-event test of athletic endurance and versatility, he finished fourth with only 38 points separating him from the bronze. He returned to action in 2025 after a suspension for three instances in which he was unavailable for random drug tests.
Among the all-time track and field giants from the Gateway Conference, Williams won six championships in the 100 and 200 in FHSAA competition and also topped the best worldwide with his victories in the 100 and the 4x100 relay during the World Junior Championships in 2014. He sprinted in college at Florida State and then at Georgia, and won gold medals for the United States at the Pan Am Games and the Athletics World Cup. Williams has also raced at the U.S. Olympic Trials for the Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Paris Games.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Who is Northeast Florida's all-time best boys track athlete?
Continue reading...
The debate is on.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary this summer, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. To accompany the national honors, the USA TODAY Network is also recognizing the athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states, including right here in Northeast Florida.
These boys track honors will form part of a series, selected by a statewide panel of USA TODAY Network experts, to roll out through 2026.
This time, the USA TODAY Network is honoring the Jacksonville area's boys track and field stars. Here are our selections for 10 boys track athletes who defined the sport in Northeast Florida. These 10 players, listed in alphabetical order, all excelled at the high school level and progressed to further accomplishments.
More: The best all-time football players from Florida:
VOTE: Northeast Florida's all-time best athlete in boys track
Eduardo Garcia, Mandarin
From Greenland Road to the Olympics. The Mandarin High School graduate, an eight-time Gateway Conference champion and a repeat state contender, won an SEC championship at Florida before pursuing a career in long-distance running. His biggest event yet came while racing for the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 2024 Olympic marathon in Paris. Garcia has also raced at various marathons both inside and outside the United States.
Ned Gourdin, Old Stanton
The first man ever to surpass 25 feet in the long jump, Gourdin was a man of diverse talents -- he later attained the rank of brigadier general in the National Guard and served on the Massachusetts Superior Court. The Old Stanton graduate is Jacksonville's first-ever Olympic medalist. He set the world long jump record in 1921, at a meet where he also won the 100 ahead of Harold Abrahams of "Chariots of Fire" fame, and went on to earn the long jump silver behind DeHart Hubbard in the 1924 Summer Games in Paris.
Jimmie Hackley, Raines
The Times-Union's All-First Coast boys track athlete of the year in 1993 and 1995, Hackley competed in NCAA action for Florida and South Carolina and continued his success after college. In 2004, he won the United States indoor championship at 200 meters with a time of 20.83. He also raced at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento in a bid to make the United States team for the Summer Games in Athens.
Rheinhardt Harrison, Nease
In June 2022, Harrison broke one of the legendary barriers in sports, becoming only the 16th high school runner in United States history to break four minutes in the mile (3:59.33). The four-minute mile was far from his only achievement while at Nease. He also won a state three-peat in FHSAA cross country from 2019-21, and earned FHSAA track titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. After signing with Oregon, he raced at the NCAA Championships in the 1,500.
Bob Hayes, Matthew W. Gilbert High
In the mid-1960s, Hayes was simply the fastest runner anywhere. The Jacksonville native raced to the title of the fastest man in the world in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, winning gold medals in the 100-meter dash (10.0 seconds) and the 4x100-meter relay (39.06 seconds), including a legendary final leg. Track was just one aspect of his athletic talent: He played wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, winning Super Bowl VI and earning election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Charles Hicks, Bolles
Hicks achieved major success in high school, college and beyond. He raced to FHSAA titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 at Bolles and went back-to-back in state cross country, collecting top statewide honors both on the track and the 5K course. Hicks also won an NCAA championship at Stanford and twice captured the European U23 Cross Country Championships in Dublin and in Turin, Italy. Now 24, he has turned his attention to competitive road racing, and he owns top-10 finishes in both the New York City and Boston Marathons.
Torrin Lawrence, Jackson
A virtual newcomer to track before his mid-teens, Lawrence won the FHSAA 400 meters as a junior and looked set to sweep the sprints before a 2008 injury. He continued his success in college at Georgia, winning SEC freshman of the year, a three-time SEC champion, an NCAA champion in the 400 and a gold medalist for the United States on the 4x400 relay at the IAAF World Relays in 2014. Tragically, Lawrence died at age 25 in July 2014 when a truck crashed into his disabled vehicle along Interstate 75 in Cordele, Ga. The Torrin Lawrence Memorial in Athens is held in his honor.
Christian Miller, Creekside
Miller achieved record-shattering age-group feats while at Creekside, including a 9.93 in the 100-meter dash in April 2024 while still a month before his 18th birthday. An FHSAA champion in the 100 and 200, Miller won the Gatorade National Player of the Year award in boys track. He competed at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials and placed fifth in the 100 in 9.98, although USA Track and Field did not select him to the relay team for Paris. He signed with Georgia but elected to jump to the professional ranks.
Garrett Scantling, Episcopal
The multi-talented Scantling, who also excelled in football and briefly worked out with the Jacksonville Jaguars before focusing his attention full-time on the track, ranked first in the world in early 2022 in the decathlon and came a whisker away from the medal stand at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Competing in the 10-event test of athletic endurance and versatility, he finished fourth with only 38 points separating him from the bronze. He returned to action in 2025 after a suspension for three instances in which he was unavailable for random drug tests.
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Kendal Williams, Stanton
Among the all-time track and field giants from the Gateway Conference, Williams won six championships in the 100 and 200 in FHSAA competition and also topped the best worldwide with his victories in the 100 and the 4x100 relay during the World Junior Championships in 2014. He sprinted in college at Florida State and then at Georgia, and won gold medals for the United States at the Pan Am Games and the Athletics World Cup. Williams has also raced at the U.S. Olympic Trials for the Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Paris Games.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Who is Northeast Florida's all-time best boys track athlete?
Continue reading...
