Burns named top Spring Sports Athlete
Junior leads Wildcats to first state track championship
After DeAndra Burns, Jr., won the long jump on his fifth attempt at the Meet of Champions, El Dorado track coach DeAnthony Curtis quipped, “That's just DeAndra. DeAndra is going to be DeAndra. When you've got a guy like that, you just get out of the way and let him compete.”
Few were able to get in Burns' way as the junior led the Wildcats to their first-ever state track and field championship. Burns anchored the state's fastest 4x200 relay, which claimed titles in both the Meet of Champs and the 5A State Meet.
“I think he did really well. I think he maybe has the school record in the 200,” said Curtis.
At the state meet, Burns won the 100 with a time of 11.09 and the long jump with a leap of 23-00.50. He was second in the 400 (49.01) and third in the 200 (22.25) after running a 21.82 in the preliminaries.
“A lot of people ask why I didn't put him on the 4x100. It's because he only can do four running events,” said Curtis. “He had a great year. I think it's really impressive what he did in the long jump. We had a little deal going on, I remember it like it was yesterday. We were in Texarkana and he said, ‘Coach, if I jump anywhere in the 23's, get me slims (Slims Chicken). He went out there and, first jump, and jumped 23-1, I think, And, last jump he jumped 23-3. As soon as he got done he came over to me. He already knew his order. He knew how much it was going to cost. He knew everything.
He had a great year. That guy is fun to be around.”
Getting out of Burns' way is only part of a coach's concerns. Curtis said the most difficult job might be deciding in which events his star athlete will compete.
After some thought, Curtis said if Burns could focus on one event, his best would probably be the 200 or the 400.
“He reminds me of Cobi Hamilton, my teammate. Cobi Hamilton came from Texas High, played with me at Arkansas,” said Curtis. “We used to condition. I used to run beside Cobi and I'd be right beside him. But as far as the distance went, the farther Cobi got out in front of me. As the distance got further, the faster Cobi got. DeAndra is the same way. That's why I think he'd be better at the 200 or the 400.”