Roundup: 2024 UIL State Track and Field ChampionshipsFree Access

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Several Wise County athletes are competing at the 2024 UIL State Track and Field Championships at the University of Texas at Austin Thursday through Saturday. The Wise County Messenger is at the meet and will be providing updates in this roundup on the local athletes competing.

THURSDAY RESULTS:

Bridgeport’s Aislee Bynum MACK THWEATT | WCMESSENGER

4A boys high jump: Bynum brings home gold

Bridgeport senior Aislee Bynum cleared 6-08 to claim a state championship in the 4A boys high jump Thursday, setting a new Bridgeport High School record.

After clearing 6-04 and 6-06 on his final attempts, Bynum officially secured the gold medal at 6-07 on his third jump, breaking Bridgeport’s old school record (6-06) set by Blaze Ragland in 2018.

Bynum then continued to compete, and cleared the bar at 6-08 to set his second school record of the day. 

Canyon West Plain’s Brycen Williams garnered silver at 6-06. He beat bronze medalist Gekyle Baker of Brownsboro after a tiebreaker based on their number of attempts to clear 6-04. 

Bridgeport’s Anna Green MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER

4A girls high jump: Green ties for sixth in first state meet

Competing in her first state meet, Bridgeport junior Anna Green cleared 5-04 on her third attempt to finish tied for sixth in the 4A girls high jump Thursday.

Green cleared the same height as bronze medalists Jasmine Pullins of Waxahachie Life School and Chiora Enyinna-Okeigbo of Sunnyvale, 2023 state champion Raegan Stephenson (fifth) and Sanaa Allison of Carthage (sixth), but fell down the standings after a tiebreaker based off of number of attempts.

Boerne’s Kendall Lemm won the state title by clearing 5-08. She attempted to break the state record at 5-11, but failed on all three tries. Frisco Panther Creek’s Falyn Lott cleared 5-06 to finish second.  

Decatur’s Keaton Goode MACK THWEATT | WCMESSENGER

4A Boys shot put: Goode takes sixth in state debut

After completing his first throw, Decatur sophomore Keaton Goode was unable to match his initial distance. 

Causing a self-scratch on his final five attempts, Goode finished sixth in the 4A boys shot put Thursday with a throw of 51-1. Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway’s Shawn Burdick outthrew Goode by a quarter-inch. 

Stephenville’s Creece Brister won the state title, throwing 57-03.75 on his final attempt. Kilgore’s Braydon Nelson (56-04.50) garnered silver, while Ingleside’s Nathan Edlin took bronze with a throw of 55-06.75.

Decatur’s Ellie Ware MACK THWEATT | WCMESSENGER

4A Girls pole vault: Ware places ninth in final season

Making her first trek to Austin in her senior season, Decatur’s Ellie Ware finished among the top 10 in the state.

On her third attempt, Ware — the Lady Eagles’ first female state qualifier in pole vault — finished ninth with a vault of 11-00 Thursday at the University of Texas at Austin’s Mike A. Myers Stadium. 

The Lady Eagle’s height tied with Lago Vista’s Lilah Smith (seventh) and Monahan’s Valerie Hunt (eighth), who finished ahead of Wade due to tiebreakers on attempts.

Sulphur Springs’ Jaicee Jasmer won the state title by clearing 13-00. Nevada Community’s Kira Bowman vaulted the same height as Jasmer, but was awarded the silver medal due to a tiebreaker on attempts. Rockport-Fulton’s Olivia Carney claimed bronze (11-06). 

Decatur’s Hope Escobar, 4×100 girls relay MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER

4A Girls 4×100 relay: Lady Eagles run eighth in first race

Serving as Decatur’s first state qualifying runners since Bobbi Clemmer finished sixth in the girls 800 in 2012, the Lady Eagles’ team of Dylan Thornton, Mildred Medina, London Gilbreath and Hope Escobar finished the 2024 season in Austin. 

Decatur ran 48.97 to finish eighth in the 4A girls 4×100 relay Thursday at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin. 

Paris’ Madison Sherwood, Baleigh Cashion, Shamyia Holt and Jasmine Franklin won the state title in 47.32 — a tenth of a second faster than Brookshire Royal’s Adrianna Prophet-Smith, Andrea Shaw, Aliyah Wilson and Airriona Jackson (47.42). Fort Worth Dunbar’s Avianna House, Kalani Lawson, Amaya Albert and Trinity Braziel Davis ran 47.50 to pick up the bronze. 

Decatur’s Allie Watkins and Grace Knight, 4A girls 4×200 relay MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER

4A Girls 4×200 relay: Decatur close out day with ninth-place run

Competing in a field of fast teams, Decatur’s Dylan Thornton, Allie Watkins, Grace Knight and Hope Escobar claimed the Lady Eagles’ second top-10 relay finish of the 2024 UIL 4A track and field state championships. 

Decatur’s team placed ninth (1:44.44) in the girls 4×200 relay Thursday at Mike A. Myers Stadium at the University of Texas at Austin.

The state title was claimed by Paris’ Caroline Gillem, Baleigh Cashion, Shamyiah Holt and Jasmine Franklin in 1:39.34 — about four-tenths of a second faster than Iowa Colony’s Bailee Wilturner, Arius Williams, Aysha Mitchell and Adriana Murry (1:39.70). Alvarado’s Candra Bridgewater, Joslyn Jarmon, Aniyah Cross and Chaunacey Hammond clocked 1:40.46 for bronze.

FRIDAY RESULTS: 

Northwest’s Levariya Pinder MACK THWEATT | WCMESSENGER

5A Girls long jump: Pinder places fifth in first state appearance

Competing as the lone sophomore in the 5A girls high jump, Northwest’s Levariya Pinder came close to climbing the podium. 

Pinder held second place after her first jump, but fell to fifth (18-03.50) in her first state meet Friday at the University of Texas at Austin’s Mike A. Myers Stadium. 

McKinney North’s Ryan Balous leaped 19-11.25 to win the gold, beating runner-up Jazlyn Hatcher from Abilene Cooper (19-00.75) by 10.50. Burleson Centennial’s London Tucker took bronze with 18.09.50. 

Northwest’s Cooper Lutkenhaus MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER

5A Boys 800: Lutkenhaus picks up gold in inaugural state race, breaks freshman national record

One of the youngest runners on the track Friday at the University of Texas at Austin’s Mike A. Myers Stadium, Northwest’s Cooper Lutkenahus ran away with the top prize on the final lap. 

Sitting in fifth place (55.42) after 400 meters of the 5A boys 800, Lutkenhaus pulled away from the field to claim the gold medal in 1:49.84, breaking the freshman national record set by former Texas A&M runner Brandon Miller at the 2017 AAU Junior Summer Olympics (1:49.87).  

Lutkanhaus outran runner-up Anthony Zapata of San Antonio Southwest Legacy (1:53.17) by more than three seconds. Red Oak’s Caleb Atkinson clocked 1:53.74 for bronze.  

Alvord’s Hailee Janzen MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER

2A Girls 100: Janzen places fifth in fast field

Running her first race of the 2024 UIL 2A track and field state championships, Alvord senior Hailee Janzen faced stiff competition. 

With all runners within half a second of each other, Janzen finished fifth in 12.38. 

Marlin’s Keundra Wilson struck gold in 12.24, beating silver medalist Kaylee Hunt of Hico (12.32) by eight-hundredths of a second. Refugio’s Jazmyn Howard was third in 12.34. 

The race was Janzen’s second time to run the 2A girls 100 at the state meet. In her junior season in 2023, Janzen clocked 12.27 to place fourth. 

Northwest’s Kynnedy Tatum and Lyric Butcher, 5A girls 4×200 relay MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER

5A Girls 4×200 relay: Lady Texans take seventh 

The Northwest Lady Texans faced a tough task in their final 5A race Friday at the University of Texas at Austin’s Mike A. Myers Stadium.

Northwest’s Nia Betts, Lyric Butcher, Kynnedy Tatum and Levariya Pinder finished seventh in the girls 4×200 relay in 1:41.32. 

Lancaster’s Aniyah Bennett, Datavia Hunter, Milan Lathan and Addison Stricklin won the state title in 1:36.86. Morgan Hall, Jaden Small, Shanaje’ Cummings and Ciara Douglas of Fort Bend Marshall garnered silver in 1:38.21 — about half a second ahead of Bryan Rudder’s A’Naiya Kelley, Kimora Maxey, Chasity Rayford and Charity Rayford (1:38.66).

Northwest’s Cooper Lutkenhaus MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER

5A Boys 400: Lutkenhaus runs seventh in second state run

Shortly after winning the state title in the 5A boys 800 Friday at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin Friday, Northwest freshman Cooper Lutkenhaus found his=mself running in a competitive field. 

Lutkenhaus placed seventh in the 400 in 48.82. 

Fort Worth O.D. Wyatt’s Malik Neighbors, who finished second behind Lutkenhaus at the 5A Region I championships April 20, earned his second straight state title in 47.23. Fort Bend Marshall’s Jordan Riggs garnered silver in 47.55, while McKinney North’s Taylor Briggs ran 47.72 for bronze. 

Alvord’s Hailee Janzen MACK THWEATT | WCMESSENGER

2A Girls 200: Janzen ends career with bronze medal

After moving to Alvord from Argyle, senior Hailee Janzen claimed the 2A podium for the first time Friday. 

Janzen claimed bronze in the girls 200 (25.41) at the University of Texas at Austin’s Mike A. Myers Stadium, beating fourth-place Akenzi Weaver of Era (25.50) by less than a tenth of a second. 

Haskell’s Savanna Camacho won the gold in 24.58. Broaddus’ Whitney Teagle was a silver medalist in 25.34. 

Northwest’s Lamaah Carter, 5A Boys 4×400 relay MACK THWEATT | WCMESSENGER

5A Boys 4×400 relay: Texans place ninth in return to state track

After a two-year absence from the 5A state track meet, the Northwest Texans found themselves competing against a quick field in the boys 4×400 relay. 

Northwest’s team of Lamaah Carter, Sam Smith, Adam Thurston and Cooper Lutkenhaus finished in ninth place with a time of 3:27.53 — more than five seconds behind eighth-place San Antonio Wagner. 

McKinney North’s Dakalon Tyler, Keithon Davis, Jayden Walker and Taylor Briggs ran away with gold in 3:13.36. Mansfield Timberview’s Brandon Gilmore, Nye’gil Wright, Chance Collins and Cameron Bates placed second (3:15.95), while Corpus Christi Flour Bluff’s Austin Villanueva, Owen Argus, ELijah Gonzales and Zachary Dewalt ran 3:17.03 for bronze. 

SATURDAY RESULTS: 

Slidell’s Khari Woodson MACK THWEATT | WCMESSENGER

1A Boys long jump: Woodson leaps to fifth-place finish in first event

Competing at his second consecutive 1A state meet, Slidell junior Khari Woodson opened his day Saturday with a top 5 finish. 

Woodson jumped 20-08.25 on his third attempt to place fifth in long jump at the University of Texas at Austin’s Mike A. Myers Stadium — one inch behind 1A Region III rival and fourth-place finisher Damon Byrd of Saint Jo (20-09.25).

Coolidge’s Tyler Miller picked up the state title with a jump measuring 21-10.75, beating teammate Jabraylon Brown (21-08.75) by two inches. Whitharral’s Brent Robinson earned bronze (21-02.50).   

Slidell’s Khari Woodson MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER

1A Boys triple jump: Woodson strikes gold, sets new record 

In Slidell’s final season of competing at the UIL 1A track and field state championships, junior Khari Woodson walked away with the top prize and a new state record.

Sitting in third place on his final attempt behind Fayetteville’s Jack Schley and Saint Jo’s Damon Byrd, Woodson soared through the air to claim the gold with a jump of 45-09 — breaking Henrietta Midway’s Christian Coker’s mark set in 2022 (45-01) by eight inches.

Woodson beat silver medalist Schley (43-09) by two feet. Byrd claimed bronze with a jump of 43-07.50. 

The state title for Woodson was Slidell’s last in track as a 1A school. The UIL moved the school to 2A in the biennial realignment released in February, which will begin in the 2024-25 school year.