The Amarillo-area claimed 45 total medals, including the Canyon Lady Eagles and Valley Patriots winning team championships. Athletes across the Texas Panhandle racked up 17 gold medals, 14 individual state championships, three relay state titles, 17 silver medals, and 11 bronze medals.
Here’s the top five Amarillo-area storylines from the UIL State Track and Field meet.
Land rush
Panhandle’s Mackie Land ended her sensational high school career claiming three more gold medals Friday night during the UIL Class 2A State Track and Field Meet.
Land left the field behind in both the 400 and 200 meter runs, clocking a 54.21 in the 400, followed by a personal-best 23.75 in the 200. Land was also part of the Ettes 1600 meter relay team that broke their own state record from a year ago with a time of 3:55.79.
The Texas Tech signee won three straight 400 meter championships and ended her career with seven gold medals. The seniors 400 meter time ranked fourth among all classifications at the state meet over the weekend. Her 200 meter time ranked third throughout all classifications.
Thompson gives UT fans a glimpse
Spearman’s Brenen Thompson had to have University of Texas fans thirsting for what’s to come after his performance at the UIL Class 3A State Track and Field Meet on Thursday night. The Texas signee went double gold winning both the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.24, and clocked a personal best 20.73 to defend his 200 meter title.
Thompson’s 200 meter time ranked second overall among all classes at the state meet. His 100 meter time was third throughout all classes.
Thompson officially ends his high school career trading in the Lynx purple for the Longhorns burnt orange.
Canyon, Valley win team titles
The Canyon Lady Eagles racked up 70 points staking claim to the program’s second UIL Class 4A team championship since 2019. Junior Abree Winfrey had a monster meet for a second straight year to lead the Lady Eagles. Winfrey defended her 800 meter crown with a time of 2:14.82. She was also part of the 1600 meter relay squad that posted a gold medal time of 3:56.05 for another gold medal.
Not to be outdone, the Valley Patriots won their third Class 1A team state championship in six years. The Patriots won both the 400 and 800 meter relays, as Blake Beard, Parker Hartman and Gunnar Bowles picked up huge points along the way during individual events.
Kane cements legacy
Wellington’s Kyla Kane said goodbye to her high school career in epic fashion. The Lady Skyrockets multisport athlete added more hardware to the trophy case winning Class 2A state championships in both the 800 and 1600 meter runs on Friday night.
The West Texas A&M basketball signee clocked a 2:20.65 for the gold in the 800 meter run. Later in the night Kane showed how tough she was by kicking her 1600 into another gear during the last lap chasing down Normangee’s Cassidy Bilsing in the last 50 meters to win another gold medal with a time of 5:17.02.
Kane leaves Wellington as one of the best to put on a Lady Skyrockets uniform. During her four years, Kane won three individual cross country state championships, a cross country team title, and is a three-time state track champion.
Hudson goes back-to-back
Miami’s Anna Hudson overcame the odds from a severe back injury that’s plagued the junior since the fall to defend her 100 and 200 meter Class 1A state championships on Saturday night. The talented sprinter blazed a 12.24 to reach the gold medal podium in the 100, then ran a 25.87 that left the field in the dust for a win in the 200 meter run. In just two years Hudson has already claimed six medals in Austin, including four golds.
Statewide notes
There were many statewide performances that highlighted the UIL state meet over the three days. Universal City Randolph freshman Taylor Nunez caught major buzz Thursday night helping her team to the state championship. Nunez won the long jump (19-7 1/2), then cleaned house in all three running events. Nunez won the 100 meter dash with an eye-opening 11.59, sprinted to a 24.06 to win the 200, and was a part of a gold medal 400 meter relay team that clocked a 47.01.
Former Sunray Lady Bobcat and now Junction senior, Ella Strickland, defended her Class 2A pole vault record on Friday. Strickland leaped 13-feet-9 1/4 inches that set the new record for all classifications before Tomball Memorial’s Mollie Haywood cleared 14-feet-3 inches on Saturday during the Class 6A meet.
Jace Posey of Houston Strake Jesuit had the full attention of the crowd with his tremendous vertical setting a new state record in the boys Class 6A high jump by clearing 7-foot-4 1/4 inches. Posey went for 7-foot-5 but didn’t convert in three attempts.
For a look at the full results from the UIL State Track and Final Championships for all classifications, please visit https://uil.tfresult.com/
