Lancaster Sweeps State Track Meet Again
AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) - For the 12th straight year, the Lancaster Tigers have won a Class 4A track and field state championship. In fact, they won two of them Friday night in Austin.
The Lancaster boys won their 5th straight University Interscholastic League state title while the Lady Tigers returned to the top spot in Texas for the first time in four years.
Coach Greg Williams' boys team outpaced Fort Worth Southwest in the team standings by winning the 800 meter relay, placing 2nd in the sprint relay and 4th in the mile relay.
Tequille Jackson racked up big points for the Tigers by finishing 2nd in the 300 hurdles and 3rd in the 100 hurdles.
That was enough to overcome the strong showing from Southwest's Robert Rhodes, who won the 200 meters (21.06) and anchored the Raiders gold medal winning 400 meter relay team (40.90).
Legendary Lancaster girls coach Beverly Humphrey saw her squad win its 9th all-time state title. The Lady Tigers won two relay events (400, 800) and finished 2nd to Carrollton Newman Smith in the 1600 relay.
Future Texas Lady Longhorn Courtney Okolo was the top individual performer, winning her 3rd straight 400 meters state title in record setting fashion (52.40). Okolo also won the 200 meters (23.87) and helped lead Newman Smith to the 1600 meter relay gold medal.
Okolo's future Texas teammate, Carrollton Creekview's Melissa Gonzalez, also won two events, the 100 hurdles (13.92) and the 300 hurdles (41.65).
Dallas-Fort Worth's other multiple winner was Rockwall Heath's Brianna Richardson. The Baylor signee overcame an Achilles injury to repeat as triple jump champion (40-5 1/4) and win the long jump (18-10 1/2).
The Class 5A finals are Saturday night in Austin as the DeSoto boys and girls try to duplicate Lancaster's state title double.
