Mike Ridaught
The list of achievements is long for Class of 2022 student-athlete Caleb Moncrief of Keystone Heights.
He’s been a district champion, a regional champion, and a state champion on the field of play, and as a student, he excelled and finished first in his class.
But that’s just the short list.
He served as Student Government president all four years of high school and was president of the National Honor Society.
He was a member of Key Club and Future Business Leaders of America. He also piled up over 500 community service hours.
As a junior, he was a Bob Hayes Invitational track and field champion, a district champion in track, a district and regional individual champion in weightlifting, plus he won a team state title in weightlifting.
Moncrief finished fourth at state individually as the Indians won the Class 1A boys weightlifting state title.
During his senior year of football—his third straight year as a starter—Moncrief helped lead the Indians to the postseason and their first playoff win in school history. He was a Mainstreet Daily News All Area honorable mention selection on offense and on defense.
He repeated as district and regional champion this past year in weightlifting (238-pound class) as the Indians won their second straight state weightlifting title, plus Keystone Heights won the inaugural snatch team weightlifting state title.
In fact, when asked what his favorite high school sports moment was, Moncrief replied, “Winning state weightlifting in snatch and traditional this year.”
Individually, Moncrief finished third and second, respectively, in both events this past April.
His weightlifting coach, Lantz Lowery, was named the Florida Dairy Farmers 2022 Boys Weightlifting Coach-of-the-Year.
Moncrief also took first place at the district track and field meet in both the discus and the shot put, plus he finished seventh in the discus at the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Track & Field State Championships.
He was able to reach some of the goals that he set heading into his senior season.
“My high school experience was extremely fun and also shocking,” he said. “Thinking back on it, I didn’t come into high school with any big plans and I just chose to do things based on what I thought was fun. Looking at all the things that have happened throughout is really crazy to think about and that made the experience so much fun.”
The senior was named to the Florida Dairy Farmers Academic All-State Team, which led to his selection as the Ronald N. Davis Scholar-Athlete of the Year. That’s the FHSAA’s most prestigious honor bestowed on any active student-athlete.
“It really was such an honor,” Moncrief said. “Sitting at the banquet with all of those super successful students was so cool and being recognized was such a surprising thing and made me feel so honored.”
Now that he has finished high school, Moncrief said he is attending the University of Florida and hopes to eventually attend medical school to become a physician.
“The thing that I will remember most about my high school career is definitely the people that I met while playing,” he said.
