Raiders’ Ellis anchors strong finish in the 4×200 Meter Relay for a record-setting day of shining moments for out-of state athletes
Austin – Far from home and out of the shadow of it’s national powerhouse football team, the quartet of Kendal Ellis, Krystal Sparling, Diamond Spaulding and Khalifa St. Fort understood facing the best at the Texas Relays could push the Floridians to the limit.
Saturday evening it happened, when St. Thomas Aquinas Lady Raiders of Fort Lauderdale, Florida set a new national record in the 4×200 Meter Relay (3:33.74) in the 87th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, shaving the old mark by one-fourth of a second at Mike A. Meyers Stadium.
By winning the 4×200 Meter Relay, the lady Raiders stay unbeaten in the event for the second consecutive year at the Texas Relays. Along the way, besting a 10-year old record of (3:33.87) held by the Jack Rabbits of Long Beach Poly, California.
Football is King at St. Thomas Aquinas. Everything else is a shadow, but the Lady Raiders are looking to create its own covering.
“Our football team is very good,” Raiders’ 4×200 Meter Dash anchor leg Krystal Sparling said. “Throughout the years we’ve been in the shadow of football. Now its good that we can get track out there. To let it be known that Aquinas Lady Track is as good as our footfall.”
In the first meeting between the two, in recent memory, a packed house watched St. Thomas Aquinas out-battled perennial power Long Beach Poly in the 4×200 Meter Relay. It quickly turned into a two-team race. The Raiders never trailed. However, the pressure increased as the Jack Rabbits made up ground closing down the final stretch, but Washington wasn’t able to catch St. Thomas Aquinas anchor leg Sparling.
The foursome learned of the new record shortly after catching their breath. Fatigued, but well aware, as the lady Raiders formed an embracing-circle before celebrating with laughter and smiles.
The Jack Rabbits were also impressive, posting a time of 3:36.75.
Poly, who have competed well annually at the Texas Relays, landed the first punch by edging the Raiders in the 4×100 Meter Relay (45.73 to 45.75) briefly after the opening ceremonies.
For the Lady Raiders, the pressure continues to swell when it competes next weekend at the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Florida.
Other out-of-state winners included girls 100 Meter Champion junior Teahna Daniels (First Academy Orlando, Florida), (11.37). Brendan Taylor (Catholic High for Boys Little Rock, Ark.), an Oklahoma commit, won the boys 1600 Meter Run (4:14.66) and has claimed the Arkansas state title the last three years in both the mile and cross-country. Devin King (Jewel M. Sumner, Kentwood, Louisiana) took gold in the Pole Vaught with a jump of 17-4 1/2 and St. Mary’s Academy won the girls Division I, 1600-Meter Relay (3:52.38).
First Academy’s speedster Teahna Daniels was pretty excited about her visit to the Lone Star State. Her emotional win and a electric atmosphere were the highlights of her day “I heard about the competition here at the Texas Relays,” said Daniels. “Its great exposure to different colleges, even professional athletes and this crowd is amazing. This is what brought me down here.”
“It’s a challenging race, but we’re dedicated and we wanted to break the record,” St. Mary’s Academy second leg of the 4×400 Meter Dash Aliyah Hale explained. “We missed the record by a few hundredths of a second but we still got our time down. So we’re proud of that.”
Lancaster boys pace Texas winners in division II by winning two of the three relays, including the 4×100 and 4×400 (41.12) (3:14.12). Round Rock Boys 1600 Sprint Medley team, the home favorite, received an arousing roar from the crowd after a winning time of (3:29.63).
The Lone Star State’s competitive nature helped it post impressive victories on the day. DeSoto swept the boys and girls 100 Meter Hurdles when junior Chevis Armstead finished first with a time of (13.92). While sophomore Alexis Duncan won the girl’s title with a time of (13.78). Malcolm White of Katy Taylor won the 100 Meter Dash (10.55). Klein’s Dominic Baptiste took gold in the 2000 Meter Steeplechase (6:22.94). Episcopal claimed the Boys Division I 4×100 Meter Relay (42.45). DeSoto Lady Eagles finished first in the 1600 Sprint Medley (3:58.99) which gave (second Leg) Duncan her second gold medal on the evening.
“I was very surprised at the start, because I have a very slow start,” DeSoto’s Chevis Alex said. “For me to be able to get the first hurdle that fast was good. So I knew I would have a good race. The guy from Long Beach Poly had one of the outside lanes, he was pulling me most of the way. When I run next to competition, it just pushes me more.”
In college and Unversity action, South Plains sprinter Ahmed Ali, an Alief Hasting graduate, won the Mens College 100 Meter Dash (10.28). Baylor’s Trayvon Bromell clocked the fastest time on the day, at any level (10.01) in the Mens University 100 Meter Dash, one-tenth second of tying a Texas Relay record of 10.00.
In the men invitational Gray gets better with time.
Cordero Gray, competing for Nike, took third place behind teammate Jared Connaughton and Japan’s Soto Kawatsura, finishing with a time of 10.16. Earlier, he ran a leg on the winning 4×100 Meter Relay, which posted a 39.5. “I felt like I got out pretty good,” explained Gray. “I could have ran a little faster. But as the season goes on, I get better. I focused on my drive phase.”
A four month layoff after the USA Championships left Jeremy Warner feeling pretty good, as he prepares for the stretch run which will include the Florida and Drake Relays.
“I took four months off after USA’s,” Jeremy Warner said. “I’m just getting back into things. My body feels fine. I have Florida Relays next. My first quarter will be at the Michael Johnson and Drake Relays right after.”
For complete results please visit the site below.
http://stats.texassports.com/sports/xc_tf/2013-2014/140329_Relays_complete_results.html
