GAMES
RANKINGS
SWOOP NATION'S ELITE: Eisenhower's top players and teams
TEAM OF THE YEAR
TENNIS
- District 14-6A Runner-Ups
- Six Players Advanced to Region II-6A Tournament
COACH OF THE YEAR
JEFFREY BRUSH, Tennis
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
EDSON MEJIA // Boys Soccer
- District 14-6A Offensive Player of the Year
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
ADDISON ROGERS // Cross Country // District 14-6A Individual Champion
- Track & Field // Placed 1st in 400m & 800m at District Meet
Other Player & Team of the Year Finalists (Players in Alphabetical Order)
Wesley Burton // Boys Basketball // Second-Team, All-District
Edgar Campos // Golf // Rising Senior
Nelson Castro / Adrian Guzman // Tennis // 14-6A Boys Doubles Runner-Ups
Jonathan Corbin // Football // First-Team, All-District
Reginald Durden // Boys Track & Field // Silver: 300m Hurdles, Bronze: 110m Hurdles
Isaac Espericueta // Cross Country // Ike’s Top Boys Finisher at District
Ashly Fuentes // Girls Soccer // First-Team, All-District
Keiora Gaines // Girls Basketball + Girls Track & Field // First-Team, All-District (GBB), Gold in Discus at District (T&F)
Carol Garcia // Golf // Rising Senior
Janya Gregory // Girls Track & Field // Gold: High Jump at Dist. Meet
Aaron Jaime // Boys Swimming/Water Polo // Rising Junior Preston Johnson // Boys Track & Field // Bronze: Long Jump at Dist.Meet
Clifton Jones // Boys Basketball // First-Team, All-District
Pastor Martinez // Boys Soccer // First-Team, All-District
Martha Mata-Melchor // Girls Swim + Water Polo // Rising Junior
Sara Mendoza / Jocelin Reyes // Tennis // 14-6A Girls Dbls. Runner-Ups
Leyah Nash // Volleyball + Softball // First-Team, All-District
Anthony Ortega // Boys Soccer // First-Team, All-District
Nicholas Thomas // Baseball // Ace of Staff, Hit for Average
Jeremiah Swain // Football // First-Team, All-District
Patience Washington // Girls Basketball // Second-Team, All-District
THE NEXGEN: Durden Paving His Own Path With Father By His Side
REGGIE DURDEN ONCE PATROLLED THE SECONDARY AT SAM HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL IN HOUSTON BACK IN THE LATE 1990s BEFORE TAKING HIS TALENTS TO FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY, WHERE HE STARRED FOR TWO SEASONS. THE HISD LEGEND IS NOW THE HEAD TRACK AND FIELD COACH AT EISENHOWER ALONG WITH BEING A FOOTBALL ASSISTANT UNDER COACH ODELL JAMES.
Fast forward a generation and Eisenhower is led by another star defensive back and track and field specialist... Reginald “Reggie” Durden.
“It’s great to have that one-on-one coaching in both sports by my Dad,” Durden said. “It’s really special, but what he stands on is that we separate our personal life and business... him being Dad and coach.”
Upon graduation, Durden will take his talents to Tallahassee to Florida A&M, where he will run track and play football.
“We still have a lot of connections to Tallahassee since when my Dad played there, so it was an easy choice,” he said. “I love it there and I’m excited for that ‘college experience’. I’m going to be really busy playing both sports, but I’m ready to make some noise. I have some goals I’m ready to achieve.”
As Durden heads for the final curve of his high school career, he also has goals he wants to achieve with Swoop Nation on the track.
“I’ve run a 38 in the 300 hurdles and that was the goal. Now, I’m trying to go lower,” he said. “I also run the 100 hurdles, but I love the 4 x 400 relay. That’s my favorite. It’s the last race of the meet and all eyes are on you. I love to be in that position.”
He hopes that all eyes will be on him as he embarks on a career in broadcast journalism at FAMU.
“I’d love to be a sports analyst on television,” he said. “I feel like I have the knowledge of the game and the personality to do something like that.”
His other business passion is opening a funeral home.
“I also want to get my mortician’s license,” he said. “My grandmother passed away during COVID and I was up close and personal to the process. They showed so much love and hospitality and I knew that was something I wanted to do in the future. People die every day and I want to help them find their home.”
For now, his home will be Tallahassee and all eyes will be on him as he embarks on his interesting path to future success.