The Woodlands repeats as 6A champions
En route to title, Highlanders set national relay mark
AUSTIN — If there is ever a way to place winning a second consecutive state track and field team title on the back burner, The Woodlands’ 800-meter relay team found it.
The team of Ethan Bonner, Jake Lanier, DeAngelo Alexander and Kesean Carter set a national record at 1 minute, 23.25 seconds. It beat Port Arthur Memorial’s time of 1:23.52 set last year.
The Highlanders weren’t done there. The Woodlands became the first school to sweep state boys cross country and track and field team titles in the same school year in back-to-back seasons after winning the Class 6A track title Saturday.
“Since we won last year, the kids and the coaches have been talking about a double-double — two cross country titles in a row and two track titles in a row,” coach Juris Green said. “Having that weight on your shoulders, it was a lot different coming in here this year. But these guys are all business. We had nine scoring opportunities, and we scored in all nine.”
The Highlanders’ 800 relay stole the show, though. The second-fastest team in the nation in that event?
That would be Seven Lakes’ Lance Broome, Thomas Pratt, Chris Williams and Jahquan Bloomfield at 1:23.42.
The 400 relay just earlier in the day belonged to the Spartans, who posted 39.80 for gold in the event. It was a hair off Forth Worth Wyatt’s national record of 39.76 in 1998.
On the anchor leg of the 400 relay, Carter — a 100-meter dash champion at 10.22 Saturday — swooshed past everyone except Bloomfield.
Alexander said the Highlanders saw it as motivation to tag Seven Lakes back in the 800 relay. Lanier saw it as a reprieve. “We made a lot of mental mistakes on the handoffs, me especially,” Lanier said. “I just wanted to flush it out and leave it all out on the track.”
Seven Lakes won’t have anything to be ashamed about. But Williams said running that fast in the 800 would be much sweeter with gold around their necks.
“First place is always the goal, but getting 1:23.4, that’s a really good accolade,” Williams said. “But getting first was the ultimate goal.”
Seven Lakes tied with Klein Collins tied for the third in the boys team standings.
Stafford boys take second in Class 4A
Stafford hoped this year’s trip to the state track championships would mirror the breakthrough of 2016.
The Spartans were a few points off this time. Their 52 points finished as runner-up to Dallas Carter’s 58 in the Class 4A boys standings. Stafford won state in 2016.
It came down to the 1,600meter relay as it often does. Stafford’s team of Kenneth Bodwin, Sterling Riles, Tu’Shawn Wilson and Jaylon Hill finished it in 3:18.62 seconds.
With Carter not in the 1,600 relay, the Spartans needed a win in the event to steal the team title. Waco La Vega’s team turned in a 3:17.34 for gold instead.
“I felt it was going to be tight between Dallas Carter, Carthage and us,” Stafford coach Sergio Hinojosa said. “Kept tabs on the meet as it goes like we always do. We knew that it was going to come down to the 4x4, and it did. Just didn’t think it was going to come down to us having to win the thing.
“But hey, our kids poured their hearts out. They left it all on the track. We’re just happy for everything the way they kept going.”
Bodwin nabbed gold in the high jump at 6 feet, 6 inches Friday. He also won gold in the 300-meter hurdles at 37.12.
Ryan Martin’s 10.41 in the 100-meter dash was good enough for silver.
Houston collects four 1-2-3 sweeps
The Houston area collected four sweeps on the medal stand Saturday.
Katy Taylor’s Otito Ogbonnia won the Class 6A boys discus throw (187-11), Katy’s Michael Matus finished second (187-7) and The Woodlands’ Patrick Piperi placed bronze (184). Ogbonnia (66-1) and Piperi (62-10½) also finished one-two in the shot put, respectively.
In the 6A boys 100, The Woodlands’ Kesean Carter (10.22), Dawson’s Jacolby Shelton (10.38) and Katy’s Josh Oglesby (10.42) went 1-2-3.
In the 6A boys 400, Alief Taylor’s Lavone Brown won (46.75), Strake Jesuit’s Matthew Boling was second (46.76) and Oak Ridge’s Nathaniel McRae was third (46.97).
Klein Collins (3:12.10), Alief Taylor (3:12.26) and Strake Jesuit (3:12.59) swept the 6A boys 1,600 relay.
Yates’ Ally Henson ran the girls 100 hurdles in 14 seconds flat. It beats the Class 4A record of 14.04 by Groesbeck’s Chimika Carter in 1996. The record is not official, however, with a wind reading of 2.1 meters per second. It has to be at two meters per second or below to count officially.
Other notable girls’ finishes include Dickinson’s Koi Johnson winning the 6A triple jump (41-8¼). The Woodlands’ Nya Harmon won the 6A discus throw at 150-3 and was second in shot put (43-1¼). In the 6A 100, it was Alvin’s Kynnedy Flannel (11.35) and Cypress Ranch’s Kailei Collins (11.45) at one and two. Klein Collins’ Kattiana EalyPulido won the 6A 100 hurdles (13.69).
Memorial’s Claire Bryant won the 6A long jump (20-4¾) and finished third in the high jump (5-8). Cypress Ranch’s Kaitlyn Banas is a gold medal-winning wrestler and silver medal-winning pole vaulter (13-3). Oak Ridge’s Sophie Lasswell won the 6A 3,200 run at 10:24.52.
Cypress Springs’ Wonders Oguejifor won the 6A 800 (2:09.97). For the 300-meter hurdles, first place belonged to Clear Falls’ Briana Garcia (42.53). Navasota’s Malaiya Jedkins triple jumped 39-9 for 4A gold. Other notable boys’ finishes: Atascocita’s Christian Gilmore won the 6A 800 (1:52.56). Boling also won the 6A long jump for Strake Jesuit (24 feet).
La Porte sophomore Ryan Schoppe won the 6A 3,200 meters at 9:09.26.
Cy-Fair has gold in the 200 thanks to Eddie Sumler (20.68).
Travian Blaylock triplejumped 50-07.25 to win 6A gold for Atascocita. adam.coleman@chron.com twitter.com/chroncoleman