Outstanding boys track athlete: Josh Brown, Holy Cross

Josh Brown wanted to win for his teammates.

Already the 100-meter dash champion at the Class 5A state meet in May, the Holy Cross senior began the anchor leg of the 4×100-meter relay in third or fourth place.

“When I caught up, it was over,” Brown said. “I had it from there.”

Selected by The Times-Picayune as the All-Metro boys track athlete of the year, Brown completed his high school track career as an eight-time state winner.

He won the 100 and 200 at the outdoor state meet the past two seasons. He ran on the winning 4×100-meter relays as a sophomore and as a senior. He won two indoor titles in the 60 as a senior and the 4×200 as a sophomore.

His final relay brought him the most joy.

Brown was a sophomore when he ran in the 4×100 relay that set a school record. The next year, injuries to other sprinters kept Holy Cross from defending its relay title at state.

Then came this year. Brown came out of the curve and pulled even with LSU football signee Phillip Wright on the straightaway and edged the Destrehan speedster by two-hundredths of a second.

“Being able to get our title back and set a record (40.87 seconds) for our school was great,” Brown said soon after he crossed the finish for a relay that included Jabaree Monday, Finn Martin and Ky’Rynn Smith.

Catholic League football coaches selected Brown as an all-district defensive back last season, but he will be a track-only sprinter at Texas Southern.

Outstanding boys field athlete: Gionni Wiltz, Slidell

Gionni Wiltz came out for the track and field team after a coach saw him trying to dunk over his friends during a P.E. class.

Two-plus years later, Wiltz became a Class 5A state champion.

Selected by The Times-Picayune as the All-Metro boys field athlete of the year, Wiltz won the high jump at 6 feet, 91⁄2 inches and placed second in the long and triple jumps. His height and distances in those three events were the best among New Orleans area field athletes.

He also ran on the 4×200-meter relay that finished sixth at state.

Wiltz, also an indoor state champion in the high jump, competed at the outdoor state meet in two events as a junior when he placed second in the high jump and fourth in the triple jump.

He decided late in his senior season to try three jumping events at state.

“I was feeling really good doing all three events,” said Wiltz, who used the District 7-5A championships to test his endurance. “My body wasn’t aching. And then I was still able to do the (4×200 relay) and (get a personal record).

“I think after that I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ ”

Next, Wiltz will compete in college at UL-Monroe.

“Absolutely not,” Wiltz said when asked if he would have thought two years ago that he could become a college athlete.

“I didn’t even think about it until sometime last year when I hit 6-10 (in the high jump).”

Boys track and field coach of the year: Nick Accardo, Jesuit

Jesuit earned what was thought to be its highest placement at the state meet in roughly 60 years when the Blue Jays finished second to Catholic-Baton Rouge by one point.

Ja’ir Burks won two hurdle events, Brandt Blanchard won the 800 meters and Brady Mullen continued his dominance in the 3,200 on the way to scoring 60 points at the meet.

Accardo, a former LSU distance runner, completed his first season as head coach with the high team placement. He previously served as an assistant at the school.

All-Metro team

100 meters: 1. Josh Brown, Holy Cross 10.27 seconds. 2. Easton Royal, Brother Martin 10.4. 3. Phillip Wright, Destrehan 10.44.

200: 1. Josh Brown, Holy Cross 20.43. 2. Phillip Wright, Destrehan 20.8. 3. Cedric Thompson, Covington 22.24.

400: 1. Alijha Gardner, De La Salle 48.82.2. Ramelo Howard, Slidell 49.65. 3. Connor LaCour, Jesuit 49.65.

800: 1. Brand Blanchard, Jesuit 1:52.58. 2. Brayden Berglund, Mandeville 1:54.29. 3. Anthony Allen, Willow 1:57.26.

1,600: 1. Brady Mullen, Jesuit 4:12.87. 2. Connor Fanberg, Jesuit 4:18.55. 3. Christian Myers, Country Day 4:25.3.

3,200: 1. Brady Mullen, Jesuit 9:09.68. 2. Brady Monahan, Jesuit 9:19.36. 3. Noah Mooney, Brother Martin 9:33.76.

110 hurdles: 1. Ja’ir Burks, Jesuit 13.62. 2. Jeron Bickham, Warren Easton 14.58. 3. Jayden Hunter, Edna Karr 14.83.

300 hurdles: 1. Ja’ir Burks, Jesuit 38.18. 2. Jayden Hunter, Edna Karr 39.02. 3. Sabryn Bartholomew, South Plaquemines 40.13.

4×100 relay: 1. Holy Cross 40.87. 2. Destrehan 40.89. 3. Kenner Discovery 43.28.

4×200 relay: 1. Slidell 1:27.65. 2. De La Salle 1:28.58. 3. McMain 1:30.79.

4×400 relay: 1. Warren Easton 3:24.03. 2. Hahnville 3:25.98. 3. Northshore 3:26.08.

4×800 relay: 1. Mandeville 8:02.88. 2. Willow 8:12.96. 3. Belle Chasse 8:14.89.

Long jump: 1. Gionni Wiltz, Slidell 24-2½. 2. Damien Richard, Destrehan 23-6. 3. Devin Duplessis, Kennedy 21-10¾.

Triple jump: 1. Gionni Wiltz, Slidell 48-9½. 2. Ke’ain Shorts, John Ehret 44-11. 3. Corey Waits Jr., Shaw 44-9¾.

High jump: 1. Gionni Wiltz, Slidell 6-9½. 2. Caleb Bourg, Lakeshore 6-7½. 3. Corey Waits Jr., Shaw 6-7½.

Pole vault: 1. Caden Heck, Covington 13-5¼. 2, Campbell Malley, Slidell 12-5½. 3. Joel Smith, Country Day and Louis Barnett, Newman 10-6¼.

Shot put: 1. Dylan Kolenovsky, Newman 48-1¾. 2. Zyaire Shepherd, John Curtis 47-10.75. 3. Dion Griffith, Livingston 46-7¾.

Discus: 1. Jeremiah Birdlow, Slidell 152-1. 2. Dylan Kolenovsky, Newman 141-5. 3. Zion Robertson, Chalmette 134-10.

Javelin: 1. Austin Billiot, St. Paul’s 186-2. 2. Isaac Herzenberg, Country Day 183-4. 3. Cohen Naramore, Ponchatoula 172-5.

Note: All times, heights and distances are from the LHSAA state track and field championships in May.