Amarillo High’s Trey Thomas celebrates after crossing the finish line to lead the Sandies go a gold in the 1600 meter relay on Saturday at the Region I-5A track meet at Lowrey Field PlainsCapitol Park in Lubbock. [Tom Carver/ Press Pass Sports]
By Lance Lahnert
LUBBOCK— Amarillo High departed the Region I-5A track meet Saturday like no other track team in the history of Amarillo.
In a historic day for Amarillo ISD, Amarillo High doubled its pleasure winning the boys and girls regional team titles becoming the first school in Amarillo history to wear both crowns in the same year.
This marked the first-ever regional title for the AHS girls, and upped the Amarillo High boys regional title trophy case to three.
Both titles were good to the last drop efforts.
The Lady Sandies nipped Burleson Centennial 95-92 securing the title.
Centennial won the final event of the day, the 1600 relay, scoring 20 points. AHS finished third in the 1600 scoring 12 points.
If AHS had slipped to fourth place in the 1600 Relay, Centennial would have won the title.
“These girls have earned,” said AHS girls coach Jonathan Woodward. “I mean you can’t say enough. The leadership from all the seniors and the way they buy in. The team culture is incredible and they truly care about one other. They share in each others’ victories. I love these kids.”
AHS’ win was propelled by three gold medal performances.
Amarillo High’s Breanna Brantley celebrates after crossing the finish line to lead the Lady Sandies go a gold in the 800 meter relay on Saturday at the Region I-5A track meet at Lowrey Field PlainsCapitol Park in Lubbock. [Tom Carver/ Press Pass Sports]
The 800 Relay tuned in by Lacey Rice, Bree Mixon, Kynlee Jesko and Brianna Brantley was good for a meet-record 1:40.36. Senior Symone Quiles set a regional record in the 300 hurdles winning in 44.62.
And the Lady Sandies field event star was Peyton Bray winning the discus in 135-1 and then just missing out on state by two inches in the shot put finishing third.
Quiles was motivated by her mom’s friendly reminder that if she didn’t beat her own regional record set as a freshman dinner would not be served.
“That was my motivation,” Quiles said. “So I hope it’s enchiladas, or something good for dinner. I felt really good running through that race. We are such a close team. It’s going to kill me to have to leave. Setting history was important to us.”
The AHS boys title was even more dramatic.
AHS scored 62 team points, passing second place Mansfield Summit (58 points) on the final race of the day, that 1600 relay.
Summit was not in the 1600 boys relay, so that meant since AHS trailed Summit by 16 points, the Sandies had to win the relay to win it all. (3:18.44)
The foursome of Domonze Woods, Tyreese Molden, Cooper Clawson and anchor Trey Thomas dropped nearly five seconds off their best time this year winning in 3:17.89.
Thomas took the baton in fourth place but used a burst of speed in the final corner, then a gutsy run down the stretch to running a 48.6 split passing Lubbock Coronado (3:18.20) and Mansfield Legacy (3:18.44).
That meant AHS beat Coronado by 0.31 hundreths of second and Legacy by 0.55 hundreths of a second.
“It’s so nice to win it on a stage like this and time like that,” said AHS boys coach Steve Bergeski. “I think we dropped like five seconds off our best time. Those boys got out there and competed. We knew Summit wasn’t in it and we were down 16 to them and had to win the race. Two years ago we lost to Legacy by four. So proud of this entire team.”
The two-day meet started on Friday and the Sandies might have know something big was going to happen this weekend when Isaac McGill pulled off a mild upset winning the 3200 in a blistering time of 9:21.74.
Joining McGill in individuals qualifying for state were John Tittle in the discus at 150-6 with his sliver medal effort, and Thomas captured the 300 hurdles in a crazy finish and personal best time of 38.21.
Thomas put on a strong finish coming from behind to win over Crowley’s Ashton Turner (38.28) by seven hundredths of a second. Turner fell as he was nearing the finishing line and nipped Thomas while reaching his hand over the finish line for second.
“I was getting a little nervous there because he was hitting those hurdles as we were coming to the finish line,” Thomas said. “I knew when I hit the last hurdle I was going to have to kick it in. He told me after the race he was getting nervous because he could hear me coming. When he fell I felt him on my leg but he’s a good kid, I’m glad he didn’t get DQ’d. This feels great. I had a whole lot of nerves coming in.”
Tascosa’s Major Everhart wins the 100 and 200 meter dash Saturday at the Region I-5A track meet at Lowrey Field PlainsCapitol Park in Lubbock. [Tom Carver/ Press Pass Sports]
Mr. Speedy – Tascosa’s Major Everhart
Tascosa junior Major Everhart put on a show in the sprints winning 100-meter (10.44 seconds) and 200-meter (21.68) in comfy fashion.
Although he was a little late out of the blocks in the 100 (by his standards), Everhart was never in trouble the final 20 meters beating Lubbock Monterey’s MJ Singleton. Singleton had beaten Everhart in the area meet.
In the 200, Everhart was in charge the whole way, again beating second-place Singleton.
“I had amazing day,” Everhart said. “I was hoping to run a lower time in the 200, but I thought my 100 was pretty good. I stayed loose. There was motivation from (Singleton). That was my key, beat him. It means a lot to get to state. All the work I have put in.
Queens Of The Pole Vault
The two state qualifiers in the girls Region I-5A pole vault were no strangers to each other.
Oklahoma signee and Randall High senior Katyrina Bush claimed the gold medal going 11-6, while Tascosa senior Saylor Abbott was second at 11-3.Bush was clutch clearing 11-0 on third and final attempt, while Abbott sealed her first trip to state clearing 11-3 on her first attempt with only three left in the competition.
Bush said her mindset was “since I’m going to OU to pole vault I was just going to have fun today. When it came to third jump at 11-0 I told myself I just have to go. It’s amazing to be going to state. I went my sophomore year and no heighted in bad weather. And COVID hit last year and I was disappointed. So this is amazing.”
Abbott said Bush “pushes me to be better. We knew our district had some good vaulters. On the 11-3 jump I was just thinking, I have to make it.”
The University Interscholastic League Class 5A state track and field meet is set for Friday, May 7, at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.
For full results of the Region I-5A meet, please visit http://spato.us/
Amarillo-area state qualifiers
Boys
100 meters
Major Everhart, Tascosa, 21.68
200 meters
Major Everhart, Tascosa, 10.41
400 meters
No qualifiers
800 meters
No qualifiers
1600 meters
No qualifiers
3200 meters
Isaac McGill, Amarillo High, 9:21.74
110 hurdles
No qualifiers
300 hurdles
Trey Thomas, Amarillo High, 38.21
400 meter Relay
No qualifiers
800 meter Relay
No qualifiers
1600 meter Relay
Amarillo High (Damonze Woods, Tyreese Molden, Cooper Clawson, Trey Thomas) 3:17.89
High jump
No qualifiers
Long jump
No qualifiers
Triple jump
No qualifiers
Pole Vault
No qualifiers
Discus
John Tittle, Amarillo High, 150-6
Shot put
No qualifiers
Girls
100 meters
No qualifiers
200 meters
No qualifiers
400 meters
No qualifiers
800 meters
No qualifiers
1600 meters
No qualifiers
3200 meters
No qualifiers
100 hurdles
Alex Bettag, Randall, 15.09
300 hurdles
Symone Quiles, Amarillo High, 44.62
400 meter Relay
No qualifiers
800 meter Relay
Amarillo High (Lacey Rice, Bree Mixon, Kynlee Jesko, Brianna Brantley), 1:40.36 (meet record)
1600 meter Relay
No qualifiers
High jump
No qualifiers
Long jump
No qualifiers
Triple jump
No qualifiers
Pole Vault
Katyrina Bush, Randall, 11-6
Saylor Abbott, Tascosa, 11-3
Discus
Payton Bray, Amarillo High, 135-1
Lelya Wright, Palo Duro, 134-0
Shot put
No qualifiers