A fast start propelled by strong performances Thursday morning in Magnolia shifted into cruise control as Killeen ISD track and field athletes hit high gear and went full-speed ahead when afternoon turned to evening at the District 21/22-5A area meet.
After an early wave of field event finals that included five champions, the running session proved just as fruitful for the Killeen ISD contingent of Chaparral, Ellison, Killeen and Shoemaker.
When the final race concluded, 23 KISD athletes in individual events and 10 relays advanced by recording top-four finishes to next week’s 5A Region III meet in Humble where the task will be to place in the top two for a berth into the UIL Track and Field State Championships on May 3 inside Mike A. Myers Stadium on the University of Texas campus.
The Shoemaker boys team was the biggest winner Thursday, backing up the District 22-5A title it won last week with the area championship.
The Grey Wolves earned gold medals in six events and finished with 126 points, 29 more than second-place College Station. Killeen was third with 69 points, Ellison tied for fifth with 38 points and Chaparral was eighth with 35.
In the girls team standings, 22-5A champ Chaparral placed fourth, Killeen seventh, Ellison ninth and Shoemaker 13th.
Mirroring last week’s district results, Shoemaker’s Malik Esquerra swept the two hurdles races, while Chaparral’s Maddie Fey did the same in discus and shot put. Killeen’s Aaliyah Barnes doubled up in the sprints, taking first in the 100-and 200-meter dash.
Other first-place performances were: Shoemaker’s Kareem Edmon in the shot put, Isaiah Butler-Tanner in the discus, Greg Dumas in the triple jump, and the 4x100-meter relay; Chaparral’s Trinity Brown in the long jump; and Killeen’s boys 4x200 relay.
Another highlight to be sure was in the boys 4x200 relay during which Killeen, Shoemaker, Ellison and Chaparral claimed the top four spots to advance.
Here is the full list of athletes who finished in the top four.
Chaparral
Boys
Amone Tolliver, triple jump, second, 44-9½; and long jump, fourth, 21-6¼
Andre Mitchell, 110 hurdles, second, 14.99
4x200 relay (Jaiden Fain, Adonis Mckenzie, Malik East, Kevin Autman), fourth, 1:29.97
Girls
Maddie Fey, discus, first, 176-feet, 5 inches; and shot put, first, 45-11½
Trinity Brown, long jump, first, 17-5½; and triple jump, second, 37-9½
Jynasis Hasty, long jump, fourth, 16-8¼
Jaimyra Harden, high jump, T-third, 5-0
Mikayla Strayhorn, 100 hurdles, third, 14.72; and 300 hurdles, third, 47.03
Ellison
Boys
Ethan Carranza 3,200-meter run, third, 9:39.22; and 1,600, second, 4:25.42
4x100 relay (Travaris Turner-Smith, Jamason Guy, Ylizjah Richardson, Myles Holland), third, 42.69
4x200 relay (Ka’Kobe Freeman, Travaris Turner-Smith, Deqwane Mathews, Myles Holland), third, 1:29.88
Girls
4x200 relay (Ja’Lya Swiney, Isabella Phillips, Samantha Harvey, Keanna Sinegal-Scales), second, 1:40.81
4x400 relay (Lillianna Lecounte, Isabella Phillips, Ja’Lya Swiney, Samantha Harvey), fourth, 4:00.75
Killeen
Boys
Antwoine Warren, high jump, T-second, 6-4
Jakai Wright, high jump, fourth 6-4
Tekoree Landours, long jump, third, 21-7
4x100 relay (Tekoree Landours, Jakai Wright, Kenya Ford, Timothy Boatner), second, 41.96
Timothy Boatner, 110 hurdles, third, 15.12; and 300 hurdles, fourth, 40.89
Keyshawn Campbell, 100 dash, third, 10.49
4x200 (Tekoree Landours, Jakai Wright, Keyshawn Campbell, Kenya Ford), first, 1:27.69
Girls
Ahmerus Walker, triple jump, fourth, 36-1¾
4x100 relay, fourth
Aaliyah Barnes, 100 dash, first, 11.74; and 200 dash, first, 24.26
Shoemaker
Boys
Kareem Edmon, shot put, first, 52-6
Isaiah Butler-Tanner, discus, first, 150-8
Greg Dumas, triple jump, first, 46-5¾
Willie Thomas, triple jump, fourth, 44-6½
4x100 relay (Brandon Brown, Jerrod Hicks, Maurice Starr, Kacy Kincade), first, 41.55
O’Shaun Brown, 800, fourth, 1:58.64
Malik Esquerra, 110 hurdles, first, 14.36; and 300 hurdles, first, 38.34
4x200 relay (Michael Bickham, Maurice Starr, Brandon Brown, Kacy Kincade), second, 1:28.48
Lamont Reed, 400, second, 49.75
Maurice Starr, 200 dash, fourth, 21.78
4x400 relay (Tavon Burrell, Kacy Kincade, Malike Esquerra, Lamont Reed), second, 3:21.76
