Who is Northeast Florida's all-time best boys track athlete? Vote now

​  Who is the best boys track and field athlete in the storied history of the First Coast?The debate is on.As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary this summer, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. To accompany the national honors, the USA TODAY Network is also recognizing the athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states, including right here in Northeast Florida.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThese boys track honors will form part of a series, selected by a statewide panel of USA TODAY Network experts, to roll out through 2026.This time, the USA TODAY Network is honoring the Jacksonville area’s boys track and field stars. Here are our selections for 10 boys track athletes who defined the sport in Northeast Florida. These 10 players, listed in alphabetical order, all excelled at the high school level and progressed to further accomplishments.More: The best all-time football players from Florida:From Greenland Road to the Olympics. The Mandarin High School graduate, an eight-time Gateway Conference champion and a repeat state contender, won an SEC championship at Florida before pursuing a career in long-distance running. His biggest event yet came while racing for the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 2024 Olympic marathon in Paris. Garcia has also raced at various marathons both inside and outside the United States.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe first man ever to surpass 25 feet in the long jump, Gourdin was a man of diverse talents — he later attained the rank of brigadier general in the National Guard and served on the Massachusetts Superior Court. The Old Stanton graduate is Jacksonville’s first-ever Olympic medalist. He set the world long jump record in 1921, at a meet where he also won the 100 ahead of Harold Abrahams of “Chariots of Fire” fame, and went on to earn the long jump silver behind DeHart Hubbard in the 1924 Summer Games in Paris.The Times-Union’s All-First Coast boys track athlete of the year in 1993 and 1995, Hackley competed in NCAA action for Florida and South Carolina and continued his success after college. In 2004, he won the United States indoor championship at 200 meters with a time of 20.83. He also raced at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento in a bid to make the United States team for the Summer Games in Athens.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn June 2022, Harrison broke one of the legendary barriers in sports, becoming only the 16th high school runner in United States history to break four minutes in the mile (3:59.33). The four-minute mile was far from his only achievement while at Nease. He also won a state three-peat in FHSAA cross country from 2019-21, and earned FHSAA track titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. After signing with Oregon, he raced at the NCAA Championships in the 1,500.In the mid-1960s, Hayes was simply the fastest runner anywhere. The Jacksonville native raced to the title of the      ​Read More Feedzy