Decatur senior Maya Conrad competed in three races at the 4A state champions May 1 at the University of Texas at Austin’s Mike A. Myers Stadium. She finished seventh in the girls 400 (57.95), as well as seventh in the 4×100 (48.64) and fifth in the 4×400 (3:57.83). MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
Decatur senior Maya Conrad wanted a chance to prove herself on the biggest stage before her Lady Eagle career ended.
Conrad was the only Wise County athlete to compete in both individual and relay events at the UIL state track meet last week, running in a total of three events at the 4A state championships May 1 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.
“It was honestly a big deal for me to compete at state this year,” Conrad said. “I came back after a season in which I didn’t even get a medal at regionals, and I had no shot to go to state. So to go to state in all three of my events this weekend year was a big accomplishment.”
In her individual event, Conrad clocked 57.95 for seventh in the girls 400.
“The atmosphere in Austin is totally different than anything you could ever think of,” she said. “The competition was really good — there’s girls there that ran crazy times. I went out there with only one expectation, and that was to get a new PR, which I did. I was proud I got to state, but I think I could have ran a little faster.”
Dallas Lincoln sophomore Naomi Jones ran away with the state title in 55.94. Dallas Carter senior Daisy Thompson grabbed silver in 56.29, while Kennedale senior Jada White ran 56.52 to secure bronze.
Conrad also competed in a pair of relay events in her state debut. She ran the anchor leg for the Lady Eagles’ 4×400 team (fifth, 3:57.83), and the third leg of Decatur’s 4×100 team (seventh, 48.64).
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“I felt like there was a combination of a lot of motions and a lot of things that led us to not perform to the best of our ability in the 4×100,” Conrad said. “We changed up our legs, and that got everyone a little frazzled. But when bad things happen, you just have to be able to shake it off. In the 4×400, I think we exceeded everyone’s expectations. We came in with the wildcard and ran in Lane 9, and I believe we showed people that Decatur isn’t just last place material — we can compete with anybody.”
Brownwood took home the state title in the 4×100 in 47.00, edging out silver medalist Celina (47.06) and bronze medalist Katy Freeman (47.39). Canyon (3:48.89) was crowned the state champion of the 4×400, followed by Brownwood (3:50.93) and Dallas Carter (3:53.38).
Decatur coach DeMarques Jones believes Conrad’s commitment to getting better as a runner elevated her performances in her final campaign.
“Maya’s hard work showed throughout the entire season,” Jones said. “People don’t really see the gains she’s made, going from a 1:01.62 to running 57.95 at the state meet — that just doesn’t happen overnight. She’s put in a lot of hard work in the weight room and on the track during the offseason to get prepared.”
Conrad plans to continue her track career in college. She recently committed to the University of Central Oklahoma.
“Sprinting at the college level has always been my goal since freshman year,” Conrad said. “I left Austin knowing that I wasn’t done, so it made the end result feel a little less harsh. I know there’s more for me. I think my talent and abilities will allow me to compete at the next level. With a little bit more training, I think I can be very competitive.”
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