Aquinas' Wimbley Jr. and Dillard's Reid are Broward 7A-4A Overall Athletes of the Year
For his senior season, he chose to focus solely on basketball and transfer to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas where he made an immediate impact and led the Raiders to a state title.
At Fort Lauderdale Dillard, track and field standout Alexia Reid became the key cog in what has become a new dynasty in the sport.
Reid etched her name in the record books, winning three state titles while leading the Panthers to an impressive repeat team championship.
For their impressive seasons, Wimbley Jr. and Reid are the Broward County Overall Athletes of the Year for Classes 7A-4A.
Wimbley Jr. is the boys' winner after leading Aquinas to its first state title in boys' basketball since 2001 and second ever for the program.
Wimbley Jr., who was also the Herald's Boys' Basketball 7A-4A Player of the Year, averaged 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and 2.5 blocked shots per game.
He fit in seamlessly with an already-talented roster for the Raiders and led them to a BCAA Big 8 title and district and regional titles.
'It was the best feeling ever because this is exactly what I came to Aquinas to do,' Wimbley Jr. said at state. 'We were in that situation, I don't even know how many times this year. For this to happen like that showed the heart this team's got. I love these boys. Every tournament we were in we were down, but we really wanted it.'
Reid, who will compete for UCF in the fall, finished her time with the Panthers as a state champion in both the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles, as well as a key contributor on two of Broward County's best relays.
On a deep and talented squad, Reid stood out and helped Dillard repeat as girls' team state champions in Class 3A, topping mighty Miami Northwestern for the second consecutive year after the Bulls had won a state-record 14 state titles in a row.
'It was a satisfying win, especially after we had so many (weather) delays the first day,' said Reid, who was also named the Herald's Broward Girls' Track and Field Athlete of the Year in May. 'We had to regroup and stay strong mentally and determined. It showed how together we were as a team and as a family.'
BOYS' FINALISTS
▪ Christien Moreau, St. Thomas Aquinas (football, track and field): Moreau was a force on the Raiders' football team's defense, helping them win a state-record sixth consecutive state title. Moreau, who will be a senior next season and is being recruited as a defensive lineman by multiple FBS schools, had 41 tackles including 12 for loss, nine sacks and one fumble return for a touchdown. In track, Moreau was the top shot putter and discus thrower in Broward County, qualifying for state once again.
▪ Joshua Gammage, Dillard (cross-country, track and field): Gammage capped a stellar running career by running the fastest time at state by a Broward athlete (15:37) and following that up in track season with the fastest times in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.
▪ Gio Rojas, Douglas (baseball): Rojas showed off why he is a potential first round Major League Baseball draft pick heading into his senior season as he powered the Eagles to their state-record fifth consecutive state championship. Rojas went 12-0 on the mound with a 0.72 ERA, and struck out a county-best 120 batters in 68 innings.
▪ Tyler Johnson, Cypress Bay (volleyball): Johnson is heading to BYU after a stellar career on the court for the Lightning. Johnson, a 6-3 outside hitter, once again showed off his great skill by leading the Lightning to the Class 3A regional semifinals with 302 kills, 147 digs and 52 blocks.
GIRLS' FINALISTS
▪ Nykeria Flowers, Northeast (basketball): Flowers was the engine that drove the Hurricanes to the state final four for the first time since 2017. Flowers led Northeast to a school-record 28-3 season and their first BCAA Big 8 title, averaging 19.7 points, 3.8 steals, 3.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game.
▪ Shynah Collins, Dillard (cross-country, track and field): Collins, an eighth-grader, proved herself to be one of the rising stars in Broward and one of the key members of the Panthers state championship track team, helping Dillard repeat as team champs and win a 3,200-meter relay title. In cross-country, she finished sixth individually in Class 3A.
▪ Grace Finneran, STA (cross-country, track and field): Finneran had another dominant cross-country season, capped by running a county-best 18:26 at the state Class 4A meet. She followed that up by earning second team honors in track in the 1,600 meters.
▪ Maddison Manragh, Western (basketball, flag football): Manragh proved herself a valuable part of two of the Wildcats' top programs. In basketball, she led Western to the regional playoffs, averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds and five steals per game. In flag football, Manragh caught 46 passes for 656 yards and 12 touchdowns and had 61 flag pulls and eight interceptions on defense to lead the Wildcats to the Class 4A regional finals.
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