Athletes from Killeen ISD showed off their speed, hops, heaves and endurance Friday and Saturday during highly competitive regional track and field meets, and three individuals and two relays earned a total of six coveted spots into the UIL State Championships.
Two of the berths were secured in regional championship fashion, two via silver medal status and two others had fate on their side.
The pair of golds went to Ellison’s Ethan Carranza and the Shoemaker boys 4x400-meter relay squad.
Kicking off Day 1 of the Class 5A Region II track and field meet Friday at UT Arlington’s Maverick Stadium, Carranza, a senior, won the 3,200-meter run with a time of 9:27.01.
Carranza, a two-time cross country state qualifier, will make his first appearance in the state track meet. He also advanced Friday to the regional finals in the 800 and 1,600, placing seventh and third, respectively.
The Grey Wolves foursome of Luis Lopez, Tavon Burrell, Michael Bickham and Lamont Reed secured their state trip in the final event of the Class 6A Region II track and field meet at Waco Midway’s Panther Stadium on Saturday.
The group lowered its preliminary time and went 3:17.12 in the finals to capture first place. The 20 points earned for the win boosted the Grey Wolves to second in the team standings, one point shy of DeSoto. Jasiah Long ran a leg on the relay Friday in prelims.
On the first day of competition at the 6A-II meet, Killeen’s Antwoine Warren qualified for state, not just once but twice.
First, the senior posted a mark of 24 feet, 6¼ inches to place second in the long jump and lock up a state berth in an event he just picked up this season.
Warren, who also played football and basketball, later cleared a personal-best 6-10 in the high jump for second place and another state spot. He also qualified last season in 5A for state in the high jump.
While the top two regional finishers in each event automatically qualified, one athlete and a relay got in based on their third-place performances.
The Grey Wolves picked up another entry into the state meet after their 4x200 relay (Maurice Starr, Brandon Brown Jr., Michael Bickham and Lamont Reed) placed third Saturday in 1:25.00, which turned out to be the fastest third-place time out of all four regions. Jamal Polite ran a leg in the preliminary round Friday to help the team qualify for the finals.
Brown, Starr and Reed were part of Shoemaker’s bronze-medal winning 4x200 relay at last year’s state meet.
Meanwhile, Shoemaker's Isaiah Butler-Tanner had to wait a day to find out his fate, but the senior, who threw a PR and school-record 186-7 in the discus to place third Friday in the 6A-II meet, earned a wildcard spot into the state meet.
The state meet is scheduled for May 1-3 at University of Texas’ Mike A. Myers Stadium. Carranza will be in action Friday, May 2, and Warren, Butler-Tenner and the Shoemaker relays take center stage Saturday, May 3.
Killeen ISD had more than 40 combined individuals and relays participate in the regional meets over the weekend.
Two athletes nearly qualified for state with strong showings: Carranza in the 1,600 (third) and Harker Heights’ Arshawn Spann, who was third in the triple jump.
You can view the full results by clicking the links below.
