As the gun goes off, he bolts out of his blocks, dashes off the curve, and continues onto the straightaway. With the last 200 meters weighing on him and the lactic acid beginning to build up in his legs, junior Jahsai Juste manages to finish strong, earning the first-place title in his heat for the 400-meter dash at the HBCU tournament. He has been nominated as Jaguar of the week from April 13 to 17.

Sprinting has always been a passion for Juste, with the flame of his track journey igniting in the 7th grade due to the recommendation of a former football coach. With his love for the sport growing every day, he pushes himself to the limit every time he steps onto the track. 

Outside of track, Juste plays for the Jaguars varsity football team as a cornerback, wide receiver, and kick returner, as well as playing for the Jag Boyz seven-on-seven team.

With track being a natural talent of Juste, he managed to make his way to states only two years into his journey. Now four years in, Juste continues to strive for greatness with every stride he takes on the track.

“I would say my biggest high was making states my freshman year. It was a moment that was so important to me; being on the biggest stage that young, it only pushed me to work harder,” Juste highlights.

However, with constant practicing and consistently giving the sport 110% of his energy, come hardships and setbacks.

At the beginning of the ongoing season, Juste mentions that he ran into an obstacle: a strained hamstring caused by not stretching properly before practice, affecting his running and mobility. Yet, even with the injury, he still manages to look on the brighter side of things, claiming that it has taught him not to take anything for granted and to be even more grateful that he even has the ability to run.

“Even though the practices are hard, you can see your improvement on a better scale than any of the other sports [in the end]. Making new connections and meeting new people at meets also adds to the fun when competing at meets,” states Juste. 

With the 2025-2026 track season soon coming to a close, Juste prepares for the Jaguars’ upcoming district meet at Everglades High School on Tuesday, April 21. Regarding the off-season, he aims to continue exerting hard work and effort, with the hope of returning to states again for his last ride, senior year.

Juste comments, “It is honestly an honor to be selected. I cannot wait to continue putting work in to compete for Pines Charter when next season rolls around.”