GOLD STANDARD
Darius Rainey left it all on the track. As the Summer Creek senior crossed the finish line in the 4x400-meter relay, he clinched not only a gold medal for the Bulldogs but also a state title.
Rainey and his teammates rose to the occasion and secured the program’s second straight championship in Class 6A.
Rainey played a huge role in that success, winning the 400-meter dash and 800meter run with times of 46.36 and1:50.63, respectively. He capped the night by running the anchor leg of the 4x400 for the Bulldogs, who clocked in with a time of 3:10.36. He was joined in that race by Malcolm Washington, Dylan Jacobs and Blake Gibson.
With three gold medals around his neck and a state championship plaque in hand, Rainey finished out his high school career in style alongside head coach Shelton Ervin.
For his efforts in helping Summer Creek reach new heights, he is the All-Greater Houston boys track and field athlete of the year.
Rainey will continue his career at Southern California.
Q: You all obviously wanted to repeat as state champions. What did it take to accomplish that goal?
Rainey:
“It took a lot of hard work and focus and dedication from everyone. We were motivated by last year’s team, and we just wanted to do something the school has never done. And of course, we wanted to be put in the category with The Woodlands, North Shore and schools like that. It took a lot of focus, and everybody just had to be on the same page.”
Q: What was it like running the 400, the 800 and the 4x400 relay all in one state meet?
Rainey: “It is tiring, physically. It beats up your body a lot, but everything in life is mostly mental. So I had to just embrace that and build a strong mindset going into the year. I already knew I was most likely going to be doing all those races to help the team. I embraced everything early in the season and just prepared mentally so that it wouldn’t be a shock to me. I mentally became a dog, and it was something I wanted to do.”
Q: What did it mean to you to come away with two individual gold medals?
Rainey:
“It was something that I wanted to do. I wanted to make history and leave my legacy. It means a lot to me because I’ve got my name in the books now in Texas track and field history. Now it’s kind of on to the next. It was a happy moment, but it wasn’t a satisfied moment. I still have high expectations for myself, and I still have things I want to accomplish.”
Q: What was it like to be a part of this team, and how did the camaraderie help you guys?
Rainey:
“The word I like to use is brotherhood. It’s bigger than just track with us. We spend a lot of family time together outside of track and field, so it’s not always about the sport. We’ll always find a way to have fun with each other. But we come to practice every day, and we work as a team. We knew what the goal was, and we knew what we had to do to win a state championship. It takes a lot of advice given with the leaders of the team. We all talk to each other and lift each other up and motivate each other to do the right thing and put in the hard work.”
Q: You’re moving on to USC now. What are you most looking forward to about that opportunity?
Rainey: “I’m very excited about going to USC. There’s going to be a lot of ups and downs, I’m sure. It’s going to be a very new experience to me. Whatever it takes to be successful in college, I’m looking forward to that. I’m ready to work hard and shock the world and do what no freshman has ever done. I want to make a statement.”