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There’s a nonchalantness to Elijah Soanes. At first glance, it can come off as him being indifferent. But digging deeper, it really is just someone who doesn’t quite understand yet how talented he is.
It’s one of the reasons why Soanes, a 6-foot-2 sophomore long jumper at Gilbert Higley, is getting ready to head to Grenada to compete in the 2025 CARIFTA Games, an annual track and field competition founded by the Caribbean Free Trade Association. The games were first held in 1972 and feature the top young Caribbean track and field athletes.
Soanes, who recently celebrated his 16th birthday, is representing Trinidad and Tobago and is competing in the long jump, 100 meters and 4x100-meter relay at CARIFTA. His father, John, is from Trinidad and Tobago. CARIFTA will be held from April 19-21 at Hasely Crawford Stadium.
During the 2024 high school track season, then at Chandler Hamilton, Soanes set the freshman state record in the long jump when he hit 23 feet, 3.5 inches at the Arizona Interscholastic Association Division I championships. Soanes ended the 2024 season as the No. 1-ranked freshman in the United States for the event.
“Anybody can come and long jump,” Higley jumps coach Michael Holguin said. “Not everybody can kind of float. And when you watch Elijah, he’s floating. It’s evident. He’s up there. It’s like he’s flying.”
As a kid, Soanes grew up playing basketball, which he started at four years old. That led to him starting track and field.
A dad at a practice noticed Soanes running up and down the court and said he should join a club, suggesting E.J. Martin’s (the coach at Hamilton) Quicksilver team. He was around 10 years old when he got into track and field before getting into football in the seventh grade.
Soanes comes from an athletic family with his mother, Amanda Ellis, a former Division I basketball player at the University of Hartford in Connecticut. His father briefly ran track and field and played soccer as well.
But Soanes has carved out a name for himself in the long jump. While he hasn’t been able to compete yet in 2025 as he sits out due to transfer rules, Soanes has routinely hit 24 feet in the long jump during practices this winter. For reference, only 11 athletes in state history have done so.
“Athletically, he does a lot of things that most kids would hope to do,” Holguin said. “He has a lot of natural, God-given talent. He’s fast, strong, explosive. That puts him over the top.”
Heading into the meet, Soanes is eager to get his season going after sitting out the first month.
He splits his time between offseason football training and track and field practice. His first meet is this weekend, the Harry ‘Dutch’ Olivier Invitational at Phoenix Brophy Preparatory College. But the season will get really underway at CARIFTA for Soanes.
“I wouldn’t say nervous,” Soanes said. “I’ve been working a lot. It’s just more that I’m excited.”
Soanes has grown from his freshman year, both in physical and mental maturity.
He switched to Higley to focus more on academics, also joining one of the state’s top football programs. His main goal is to make it to Division I for football, in which he's a defensive back. But he may have to reconsider if he hits his eventual goal of breaking the state record in the long jump (25-10.75 held by Chandler’s Bryce Lamb) as track and field coaches will be blowing up his phone.
“I feel like my long jump is gonna excel,” Soanes said. “We’ve been lifting weights, like a lot. Get that base in my legs. I feel like I’m going to hit 25-9, maybe above.”
For Higley, it is a chance to have one of their athletes showcased on an international stage.
Soanes is still new to the team with it being his first year, but he’s an athlete who leads by example. Others look to him for inspiration.
“It’s huge, to have an athlete with that opportunity,” Higley track and field coach Trevor Russell said. “Not only that opportunity, but to go and have the ability to go and be competitive, it’s amazing.
“It gives us not only exposure, but other kids are going to see that, they’re going to want to come and be around a cat of that athleticism. It’s an honor to have a kid like that on the team.”
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, ASU and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at [email protected] or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona high school long jumper set to compete in 2025 CARIFTA Games
Continue reading...
It’s one of the reasons why Soanes, a 6-foot-2 sophomore long jumper at Gilbert Higley, is getting ready to head to Grenada to compete in the 2025 CARIFTA Games, an annual track and field competition founded by the Caribbean Free Trade Association. The games were first held in 1972 and feature the top young Caribbean track and field athletes.
Soanes, who recently celebrated his 16th birthday, is representing Trinidad and Tobago and is competing in the long jump, 100 meters and 4x100-meter relay at CARIFTA. His father, John, is from Trinidad and Tobago. CARIFTA will be held from April 19-21 at Hasely Crawford Stadium.
During the 2024 high school track season, then at Chandler Hamilton, Soanes set the freshman state record in the long jump when he hit 23 feet, 3.5 inches at the Arizona Interscholastic Association Division I championships. Soanes ended the 2024 season as the No. 1-ranked freshman in the United States for the event.
“Anybody can come and long jump,” Higley jumps coach Michael Holguin said. “Not everybody can kind of float. And when you watch Elijah, he’s floating. It’s evident. He’s up there. It’s like he’s flying.”
As a kid, Soanes grew up playing basketball, which he started at four years old. That led to him starting track and field.
A dad at a practice noticed Soanes running up and down the court and said he should join a club, suggesting E.J. Martin’s (the coach at Hamilton) Quicksilver team. He was around 10 years old when he got into track and field before getting into football in the seventh grade.
Soanes comes from an athletic family with his mother, Amanda Ellis, a former Division I basketball player at the University of Hartford in Connecticut. His father briefly ran track and field and played soccer as well.
But Soanes has carved out a name for himself in the long jump. While he hasn’t been able to compete yet in 2025 as he sits out due to transfer rules, Soanes has routinely hit 24 feet in the long jump during practices this winter. For reference, only 11 athletes in state history have done so.
“Athletically, he does a lot of things that most kids would hope to do,” Holguin said. “He has a lot of natural, God-given talent. He’s fast, strong, explosive. That puts him over the top.”
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Heading into the meet, Soanes is eager to get his season going after sitting out the first month.
He splits his time between offseason football training and track and field practice. His first meet is this weekend, the Harry ‘Dutch’ Olivier Invitational at Phoenix Brophy Preparatory College. But the season will get really underway at CARIFTA for Soanes.
“I wouldn’t say nervous,” Soanes said. “I’ve been working a lot. It’s just more that I’m excited.”
Soanes has grown from his freshman year, both in physical and mental maturity.
He switched to Higley to focus more on academics, also joining one of the state’s top football programs. His main goal is to make it to Division I for football, in which he's a defensive back. But he may have to reconsider if he hits his eventual goal of breaking the state record in the long jump (25-10.75 held by Chandler’s Bryce Lamb) as track and field coaches will be blowing up his phone.
“I feel like my long jump is gonna excel,” Soanes said. “We’ve been lifting weights, like a lot. Get that base in my legs. I feel like I’m going to hit 25-9, maybe above.”
For Higley, it is a chance to have one of their athletes showcased on an international stage.
Soanes is still new to the team with it being his first year, but he’s an athlete who leads by example. Others look to him for inspiration.
“It’s huge, to have an athlete with that opportunity,” Higley track and field coach Trevor Russell said. “Not only that opportunity, but to go and have the ability to go and be competitive, it’s amazing.
“It gives us not only exposure, but other kids are going to see that, they’re going to want to come and be around a cat of that athleticism. It’s an honor to have a kid like that on the team.”
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, ASU and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at [email protected] or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona high school long jumper set to compete in 2025 CARIFTA Games
Continue reading...
