Killeen ISD executive director for athletics Matt Carroll paced here and there around Leo Buckley Stadium, keeping close listen to his Walkie Talkie at every moment while still staying fixated on the scintillating action.
Track and field coaches moved about, clipboards and stopwatches in hand. No second to spare. KISD coaches from other sports –– middle school and high school –– were there to help at every turn.
The KISD Relays indeed were a team-effort production on a warm Friday afternoon when temperatures reached the low-to-mid 80s, and the student-athletes took the baton and ran with it from there. The grit in the season opening meet for Killeen ISD’s track and field teams rose to the top and fans certainly got their monies’ worth.
Most of the events took place around the oval, including the typical races seen during meets, the 4x100-meter relay, 100 and 110 hurdles, the 4x200 relay and 4x400 relay.
There also were rarely seen relays such as the throwers relay –– which is designed for athletes who spend most of their time in the shot put and discus rings –– the sprint medley relay (200, 200, 400, 800) and the distance medley relay (1,200, 400, 800, 1,600).
The only field events Friday were shot put and discus.
Shoemaker claimed the boys varsity team title with 123 points, significantly supplemented by three relay victories. Harker Heights and Ellison were second and third, respectively. Temple took first in girls varsity standings. Chaparral was fourth to pace KISD squads.
The Heights JV boys and Shoemaker freshman boys also pocketed team titles.
Also in attendance were Round Rock Cedar Ridge, Manor, Abilene, Waco University and Lake Belton.
An assortment of photos is on KISD Communications’ Flickr page here.
First-place varsity finishes
Girls
Chaparral: 4x100 relay (Laila Erwin, Aniya Coleman, Jynasis Hasty, Tania Burke);
Harker Heights: 4x100 throwers relay; 4x200 relay (Samara Johnson, Mia Griffin, Kaymora LaBeach, Tyliah Fowlkes);
Killeen: Sophia Guerrero, discus;
Shoemaker: Nelani Peterson, shot put;
Boys
Ellison: 4x800 relay (Ethan Caranza, Andy Harper, Isaiah Holloway, Michael Rodriguez); distance medley relay (Carranza, Harper, Michael Rodrigiez, Tarique Adkins)
Shoemaker: 4x100 relay (Brandon E. Brown, Maurice Starr, Lamont Reed, Brandon N. Brown); sprint medley relay (Zeyvian Ringo, Brenden Logan, Jamal Polite, Tavon Burrell); Isaiah Butler-Tanner, discus and shot put; 4x200 relay (Starr, Reed, Brandon E. Brown, Malachi Jerome); 4x400 relay (Reed, Jerome, Polite, Tavon Burrell)
Full freshman, JV and varsity boys and girls results can be viewed here.
