The562’s cross country and track & field coverage is sponsored by an anonymous donation, in appreciation of Coach Ron Allice.
The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser.
Steady progress has been the goal for the girls’ track program at Jordan. While the boys’ team has enjoyed historic success the past few seasons, the girls’ squad has also made notable strides under head coach Sharaud Moore.
He’s hoping to build the girls’ program a little higher in 2024, with a nice group of returning talent with CIF experience.
“We’re excited about all the season has to offer for our girls,” Moore said. “After LaTroya Franklin and that group in the early 80s, Jordan hasn’t been known for girls’ track, so we want to bring them along just like we brought the boys along. In years past, everybody’s been looking at the boys, and the boys have been amazing, but the girls have been in the shadows just creeping up. Small wins here, small wins there, and now I believe we’re gonna have a pretty good sprint squad to be able to rival those guys on 7th and those other guys down Atlantic.”
Junior Makayla Williams is a key returner in both the long jump and triple jump. She was the Moore League runner-up in the triple jump and posted a 35-09.5 at CIF, good enough for a spot in the Division 1 finals. She took third in Moore League in the long jump and competed at CIF prelims in that event.
Sophomore Kelis Hicks was the Moore League runner-up in the long jump as a freshman last season, and she’ll also be a factor in the 100m. Junior Malaya Hardiman ran a 57.33 in the 400 to take third at the Moore League finals last season, and will be a contender in the 200 and 400 this year.
Moore is hoping to see a breakout season for junior Armani Johnson, who is expected to compete in the sprints and the 100 hurdles. She ran a hand-timed 11.9 in the 100m dash in a dual meet against Lakewood earlier this month.
Freshman Cionna Carter has already shown great potential in the 200 and 400, and should factor into the Jordan relays as well.
In the run-up to the 2024 season, the Panthers got to run indoors for the first time at the University of Houston, and performed well according to Moore. He knows he doesn’t yet have the depth of the other programs around him, but he’s eager to see the girls compete hard and make more progress in the coming months.
“Small school, big heart, a whole lot of fight, and that’s what these Northside kids are about,” said Moore. “The Northside is a part of Long Beach, and Long Beach is a rich city. And we’re just contributing to the history and the future of Long Beach athletics over here. Proudly.”
