Canyon stacked up 139 points holding off a very good Amarillo High squad that finished with 128 points.
“It was a great day and a great weekend for us,” Canyon head coach Ray Baca said. “We had girls set records here on Friday and some others set new records Saturday.”
Kansas University signee and Canyon senior Abree Winfrey highlighted the afternoon. Last season, Winfrey was at the Texas Relays and didn’t participate in Amarillo, but this season those in attendance were able to see how special the senior really is. Winfrey opened her afternoon running a season-best 2:15.16 to win by six seconds. She then held off Amarillo High’s Keely Harper to claim her second gold of the day with an impressive season best 44.12 in the 300-meter hurdles, then took a silver home in the mile relay.
“It was a fun and great afternoon,” Winfrey said. “I was able to run a great couple of races and the team ran really well. I’m getting stronger and better, and this team has so much depth and with the chemistry. It makes the practices tough, and we all love each other.”
After setting a meet record on Friday in 3200 with a time of 10:58.12, Canyon senior Hannah Stuart was amazing once again leaving the field in the dust to win the 1600-meter run with a time of 5:02.96, just four-tenths off of Hereford’s Betzy Jiminez (5:02.56) 2006 record that still stands. Besides Stuart and Winfrey’s performances, teammate Addy Bristow set a new personal best to earn a bronze in the 800-meter run with a 2:22.38. Sophomore Brooklyn Kinsey earned three bronze medals with new personal records. Kinsey started Friday taking third place with a new PR in the long jump (17-feet-1 1/2 inches). On Saturday, Kinsey earned bronze in the triple jump (35-feet-6 inches), then got her third bronze with another personal best in the 100-meter hurdles (16.17), as well as getting a silver as the lead leg of the mile relay team that ran a 4:01.72.
“I went in with mindset to make it to finals so I could help my team,” Kinsey said. “I knew this was going to be a very competitive meet, so I was ready. This is always the most competitive meet until regionals. I had been working hard and I was able to score some points and took home some medals. This team does a lot of the little things and we’re really deep even more than last year and we all love each other.”
Baca echoed Kinsey’s comments.
“It was just a total team effort,” Baca said. “Look at what Addy (Bristow) did. Look at Brooklyn (Kinsey) and Taryn Gullick won the discus. I’m just so proud of how we competed.”
Brandt shines in wheelchair competition
Randall freshman Tahlie Brandt had a very strong showing winning all three events setting two new personal marks on Saturday.
Brandt started her morning by winning the shot put competition with a toss of 15-feet. During the racing portion in the afternoon, Brandt left the field in the dust in the 100 meter and 400-meter races. In the 100-meter race, Brandt set a new personal record time of 21.73. Brandt then ended her day with a very impressive time of 1:25.19 for another personal best in the 400-meter race.
Saturday’s champions
The Amarillo High mile relay team of Gracee May, Keely Harper, Mady Castellion, and Sierra Cornell ran a season best time of 3:58.31 to win the gold medal in the event.
Amarillo High’s Keely Harper won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.67. Harper also took silver in the 300-meter hurdles with a season best time of 44.46.
Amarillo High’s Sierra Cornell claimed victory in the 400-meter run with a time of 59.54.
Kassidy Walker of Randall blazed to a gold medal with a personal record time of 12.27 to win the 100-meter dash.
Lubbock-Cooper’s Niomi Wines held off Palo Duro’s Juantai Williams by two-tenths of a second to claim gold in the 200-meter dash. Wines ran a 25.12 to William’s time of 25.14.
Lubbock-Cooper’s sprint relay and 800-meter relay teams won gold medals. The sprint relay clocked a 48.91 for the win, and the 800-meter team ran a 1:43.63.
Lubbock-Cooper’s Sofia De Groot followed up her gold medal long jump performance from Friday of 19-feet 3/4 inches winning another gold medal on Saturday this time in the triple jump by leaping 38-feet-1 inch.
