Putting speed and strength on display –– sometimes at the same time –– Killeen ISD track and field standouts shined bright over two days this week at the District 16-5A and 12-6A meets.
Medals mounted in a hurry at Belton and Temple high schools as Chaparral, Ellison, Harker Heights, Killeen and Shoemaker athletes chased district titles and top-four finishes that guaranteed spots into area meets –– the next step toward Austin and the state championships.
More photos: www.killeenisd.org/photos.
Team Titles
The Shoemaker Grey Wolves secured the 12-6A boys team championship after a neck-and-neck battle with Harker Heights on Thursday night.
A first-place showing in the meet-closing 4x400-meter relay by the Grey Wolves, with rain showers pelting the track inside Wildcat Stadium, boosted their final point total to 178. The Knights had 166.
It was the fourth consecutive league championship for Shoemaker –– two each in 5A and 6A.
It was a tight race for the boys crown in Belton where a pivotal second-place finish by the Chaparral mile-relay squad provided the Bobcats enough of a cushion over Ellison for the 16-5A team championship.
Individual and relay gold
A combined twenty individuals and 10 relays from KISD took home the top prize from the two district meets.
The Shoemaker boys swept the 12-6A relay golds while the Chaparral girls did the same in 16-5A.
Double-gold winning individuals included Harker Heights’ Patrick Ramirez in the shot put (53 feet, 8 inches) and discus (136-0), and Ellison’s Andy Harper in the 3,200 (10 minutes, 5.55 seconds) and 1,600 (4:44.64) runs.
Other 12-6A individual district champions included the Knights’ Arshawn Spann (47-5½) in the triple jump, Christian Meinors (9:42.58) in the 3,200 and Jada Hood (14.55 seconds) in the 100 hurdles, Killeen’s Faraji Leonard (38.72 seconds) in the 300 hurdles and Ariana Brooks (37-8) in the triple jump, and Shoemaker’s A’Zari Longmire-Knight (23-2) in the triple jump, Samoria Sanders (6-4) in the high jump, Tavon Burrell (1:58.08) in the 800, Lameesha Jeter (43.69) in the 300 hurdles and Arinna Martin (24.47) in the 200.
Individual district champions in 16-5A were Chaparral’s Zhion Jones in the high jump (6-4), Miguel Soto in the pole vault (15-0), Jeremiah Davis in the triple jump (43-5¾), Kimoni Sherman in the 200 (21.87), Alexis Gratton in the long jump (16-9) and Kayloni Bostic in the 100 (12.16), and Ellison’s Dorian Rhoten in the discus (143-4) and Isaiah Holloway in the 800 (2:01.02).
Area meets
In all, 74 athletes qualified for area.
The District 11/12-6A area meet is scheduled for Thursday, April 16, at Waco Midway’s Panther Stadium.The District 15/16-5A area meet is slated for Friday, April 17, at Corsicana High School.
The top four from each event there move on to regionals.
District 12-6A
District champions
Boys
Harker Heights
Patrick Ramirez, discus; shot put
Arshawn Spann, triple jump
Christian Meinors, 3,200-meter run
Killeen
Faraji Leonard, 300 hurdles
Shoemaker
A’Zari Longmire-Knight, long jump
Samori Sanders, high jump
Tavon Burrell, 800
Zeyvian Ringo, Michael Bickham, Brandon Brown, Jamal Polite, 4x100 relay
Luis Lopez, Brandon Brown, Zeyvian Ringo, Michael Bickham, 4x200 relay
Jihad McCoy, Jayden Ford, Tavon Burrell, Jasiah Long, 4x400 relay
Girls
Harker Heights
Jada Hood, 100 hurdles
Killeen
Ariana Brooks, triple jump
Deja Brooks, Lamiyah Harps, Ariana Brooks, Jolia Lawrence, 4x400 relay
Shoemaker
McKayla Wilson, Arinna Martin, Alexius Smith, Jerni Hicks, 4x200 relay
Lameesha Jeter, 300 hurdles
Arinna Martin, 200
Other area qualifiers
Boys
Harker Heights
Jahron Miller, third, discus
Braylon Culbreath, second, long jump; third, triple jump
Jordan Loney, fourth, long jump
Isaac Compoare, second, triple jump
Roydell Kennedy, second, shot put
Oakley Goins, fourth, shot put
Nicholas Williams, fourth, high jump
Blake Zimmerman, fourth, 3,200
Christian Meinors, third, 800; second, 1,600
Ja’Khari Simpson, fourth, 100
Jordan Loney, fourth, 300 hurdles
Amar Hampton, Ja’Khari Simpson, James Gallman, Khamaree Ward, second, 4x100 relay
James Gallman, Justin Jones, Tyler Lewis, Ja’Khari Simpson, third, 4x200 relay
Arshawn Spann, Mark Arrington, Tyler Lewis, Khamaree Ward, third, 4x400 relay
Killeen
Emiliano Quintero, second, 3,200; fourth, 1,600
Faraji Leonard, second, 110 hurdles
Jaden Mays, Faraji Leonard, Bobby Sapp, Deshaun Reid, fourth, 4x400 relay
Shoemaker
Tyler Armstrong, third, long jump; fourth, triple jump
A’Zari Longmire-Knight, second, long jump
Jihad McCoy, third, 110 hurdles
Elijin Jackson, fourth, 110 hurdles
Jamal Polite, second, 100; second, 200
Jayden Ford, second, 400; second 800
Tavon Burrell, third, 400
Jasiah Long, fourth, 400
Jihad McCoy, second, 300 hurdles
James Evans, third, 300 hurdles
Brandon Brown, third, 200
Girls
Harker Heights
Makaya Gaston, fourth, discus; third, shot put
Jada Hood, fourth, high jump; fourth, 300 hurdles
Jada Hood, Trinity Judd, Alanna Williams, Mia Griffin, third, 4x100 relay
Killeen
Yalonna, Allen, fourth, pole vault
Deja Brooks, third, triple jump; fourth, 800
Ariana Brooks, third, long jump
Saniya Braggs, Jolia Lawrence, Jayla Boyd, J’Nay Duncan, second, 4x200 relay
Lamiyah Harps, fourth, 400
Shoemaker
Taelah Hadnot, fourth, triple jump
Crystal Morgan, third, shot put
Lameesha Jeter, Arinna Martin, Alexius Smith, Jerni Hicks, second, 4x100 relay
Jerni Hicks, third, 100
District 16-5A
District champions
Chaparral
Boys
Zhion Jones, high jump
Miguel Soto, pole vault
Jeremiah Davis, triple jump
Kaden Herrera, Davian Arthur, Kimoni Sherman, Moses Woods, 4x100 relay
Kimoni Sherman, 200
Girls
Alexis Gratton, long jump
Kayloni Bostic, 100
Laila Erwin, Tyreona Lee, Aniya Coleman, Kaylani Bostic, 4x100 relay
Ava Heningburg, Tyreona Lee, Aniya Coleman, Laila Erwin, 4x200 relay
Ava Heningburg, Ariyanna Barlow, Ka’Liyah Nance, Kaylani Bostic, 4x400 relay
Ellison
Boys
Dorian Rhoten, discus
Andy Harper, 3,200; 1,600
Isaiah Holloway, 800
Zayondre Crable, Laboris Creagh, Tyler Reed, Ke’Andre Sayles, 4x200 relay
Other area qualifiers
Chaparral
Boys
Jeremiah Williams, second, high jump
Beniah Horn, third, long jump; fourth, triple jump; fourth, 800
Juan Luebano, third, pole vault
Cameron Boseman, fourth, 110 hurdles
Kaden Herrera, second, 100
Davian Arthur, fourth, 100
Moses Woods, third, 400
Kaden Herrera, Kimoni Sherman, Davian Arthur, Royce Fields, second, 4x200 relay
Moses Woods, Beniah Horn, Carlos Robinson, Royce Fields, second, 4x400 relay
Girls
Brazyl Spiller, second, discus
Ka’Liyah Nance, third, high jump; third, triple jump
Laila Erwin, second, long jump; second, 100
Avery Wiltzius, second, pole vault
Yeylis Tello, fourth, 3,200
Ariyanna Barlow, second, 800
Laila Brown, fourth, 800
Ka'Liyah Nance, second, 400
Ava Heningburg, third, 400
Ellison
Boys
Dorian Rhoten, third, shot put
Kevin Crockett-Graham, fourth, shot put
Aiden Hill, second, 3,200; second, 1,600
Justin Rodriguez-Quitana, fourth, 3,200
Jaylen Henry, second, 800
Kobe Ellis, third, 800; fourth, 1,600
Ke’Andre Sayles, second, 200
Laboris Creagh, Ke’Andre Sayles, Jamason Guy, Rodrecus Johnson, fourth, 4x100 relay
Da’Wayne Castille, Isaiah Holloway, Jeremiah Carter, Jaylen Henry, fourth, 4x400 relay
Girls
Jewel Reese, third, discus
Jonae Jones, fourth, discus
Jenesis Selby, second, 100 hurdles; second, 300 hurdles
Deanna Guy, third, 100 hurdles
Londyn Bell, third, 200
Laila Brown, fourth, 1,600
Luciane Bermudez-Irizarry Ja'Lya Swiney Londyn Bell Ayauna Harris, third, 4x100 relay
Luciane Bermudez-Irizarry Ja'Lya Swiney Ayauna Harris Londyn Bell, second, 4x200 relay
Anaja Ford, Sunny Ross, Jayda Sugars, Jenesis Selby, fourth, 4x400 relay
Full results, including junior varsity, can be viewed at these links.
12-6A: https://tinyurl.com/35ytuv5m
16-5A: https://tinyurl.com/5n6uvst3