The Texas High boys and girls track team competed in the 40th annual Watty Myers track meet on Feb. 27 at the Texas High Track. The boys nudged runner-up Atlanta Rabbits 163-161 while the girls won handily 182-156 over runner-up Liberty Eylau Leopards.

“I was pleased with our kids performance,” girls track coach Patricia Daniels said. “We ran two teams, everybody played and performed well.”

In the varsity boys’ running events, sophomore Will Harrell finished first in the 3200 and 1600 meter event with times of 10:33.01 and 4:55.13 respectively. Stewart competed in the 100 meter dash and finished first with a time of 10.53. In the 400 meter dash, senior Jacorien Walker placed first as well with a time of 52.65.

“It felt good [winning],” Harrell said. “It was my first Watty Myers ever, so it always feels good running in front of your family.”

All of the boys relay teams placed first. The boys 4 by 100 meter relay consisting of Jacorien Walker, DaVuntay Walker, Kaveone Ragland, and Jawuan Stewart had a time of 42.32, the 4 by 200 team of JaQuelen Brown, Chaz Davis, Ragland, and Stewart finished with a time of 52.65, and the 4 by 400 relay team of Davis, DaVuntay, Tashun Richardson, and Jacorian placed first with a time of 3:28.06.

“I was proud of my teammates,” Walker said. “They ran some pretty good times.”

The boys squeezed by the Rabbits 163-161.

In the girls’ field events, senior Kristin McDuffie placed first in shotput with a distance of 35’ feet and 7 inches, and junior Hannah Higgins finished first in discus with a distance of 125 feet and 6 inches. In the high jump event, junior Chauntiana Meadows topped her competition with a vertical of 5 feet and 2 inches.

The girls had some success in the 200 meter dash, 300 meter hurdles, and 400 meter dash. Deaja Hubbard, with a time of 26.34, finished first in the 200 meter dash, Senior Shaleigh Chandler, with a time of 49.07, placed first in the 300 meter hurdles, and Khabril Kirkendall placed first in the 400 meter dash with a time of 1:01.07.

“I thought I did pretty good,” Chandler said. “I worked pretty hard to get where I am at right now.”

The girls 4 by 400 relay team of Meadows, junior Ashunte Collins Christine Evans, and Kirkendall, with a time of 4:14.25 placed first as well as the 4 by 100 relay team of junior Grace Brooks, Kiasyia Morrison, Hubbard, and Collins with a time of 49.19.

The girls easily won 182-156 over the Leopards.
“It was a good track meet overall for us,” Walker said. “We are looking to get better everyday, but overall, it was a good track meet for Texas High.”