BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Bradford High School’s Elijah Kellum and Union County High School’s Amia Bethea competed at the May 16 Class 2A track and field state finals at the University of North Florida, with Kellum winning the championship in the triple jump.
“It felt good to finally win,” said Kellum, who was a state runner-up in the triple jump when he was a sophomore at Santa Fe High School.
Kellum earned medals in two events overall in becoming the first state track and field champ for the Tornadoes since Brandon Bass won the 100m in 2004. Kellum is one of just four to win individual boys titles for Bradford in the last 60 years.
Bradford had 10 individual boys champs in its history prior to Kellum winning his title, with most coming between the years of 1955 and 1964.
Kellum jumped 45 feet, 9.75 inches in the triple jump, which put him ahead of Calvary Christian’s Stone Bureau, who jumped 45-8.5.
“I kind of knew I was going to win,” Kellum said. “I just had to make sure I did it.”
In the long jump, Kellum placed fourth with a distance of 22-7.75. That left him trailing Palm Bay’s Camren Williams (23-7.5), Titusville’s Ralphel Smith (23.25) and Florida High’s Micahi Danzy (22-8).
“I thought I was going to do a little better (in the long jump),” Kellum said, “but I was just thankful to be there.”
Union’s Bethea competed in the 100m, running a 15th-place time of 12.44, concluding a season in which she broke existing school records and then broke her own records in both the 100m and 200m.
