Bray breaks all-time junior class PV record
State Meet Highlights
The Texas state meet is a spectacle that draws more than 16,000 people to one of the best track and field meets in the country. There are six classes (1A is split into two) and for the first time this year there were wheelchair events as well. The meet drew the attention of ESPN because of blind pole vaulter Charlotte Brown, who showed up at the University of Texas track with a service dog and a wave of support -- not to mention tons of courage.
Top Performances:
- Brandon Bray of China Spring vaulted 17-8.50 for a new US#1. It was also the best ever by a 17-year-old and a junior class national record. (He turned 17 on April 24).
- Austen Dalquist of Keller doubled with US#7 4:07.53 and US#24 8:57.75.
- Kaitlin Rodriguez of Canyon won 4A state titles in the 800/1600 with 2:09.27 and 4:54.06. Just two weeks earlier, her PRs were 2:15.74 and 5:07.7. (Raevyn Rogers, the state's top 800 athlete, competes for a private school outside the UIL).
- Sophomore Aaliyah Miller PR'd by more than three seconds to win the 5A 800 in 2:07.07. She also ran 4:50.98 to win the 1600.
- The Texas HS boys won the 4x100 in 40.41, good for US#1. The standout of that group, Kevin Harris, also won the 200 in 20.92.
- Hurdler Kendall Sheffield from Marshall was a double winner, with US#1 13.63 for the 110s and US#3 36.34 in the 300s.
- National record-holder Desiree Freier didn't make 14 feet, which had become her baseline this season in the pole vault. But even at 13-6 it was an impressive performance and three-peat.
- The Kingwood boys ran a US#1 3:13.25 to win the 5A 4x400 title. Kingwood needed that win to wrap up the 5A team title.
- Devante Lacy of Klein Oak ran US#1 46.10 in the 400 meters.
- Danyel White of Cedar Hill ran US#5 23.60 in the 200 meters.
- Anthoula Kelly of Galena Park won the 4A long jump with a big leap of 24-10.75, good for US#2.
- Jeffrey Moore of Smith ran US#3 1:51.27 on the way to the 4A 800-meter title.
Top Teams:
Kingwood won the boys 5A title with 39 points, edging out Klein Oak, which finished with 38. Converse Judson won the girls title with a decisive 66 points.
In Class 4A, Texarkana's boys scored 50 points to edge Fort Bend Marshall (48). And the Lancaster girls put 70 points on the board to run away with it.
Top Competition: The 4x200 relay is otherworldly good in Texas. On the boys national rankings, the top 12 teams are from Texas, and 20 of the top 21. And the Class 4A final was a barn-burner, with Texas High running US#2 1:24.26 to beat Marshall (US#3 1:24.47) and Nacogdoches (US#6 1:24.16).
Record-breakers: Brandon Bray didn't only come up with the best pole vault result of the weekend (Devin King went 17-8 in Louisiana), but he also broke the 17-year-olds record and the junior class record.
BERT RICHARDSON PHOTOS
Notable: For more about Charlotte Brown, check out the work done by espnW.
Results:
http://parser.dyestat.com/meets.jsp?state=TX
