Run. Addy. Run.
Not only has Addison Bristow run varsity for Canyon High the past four years, she has run like no other high schooler in the history of the Amarillo-area.
The senior put the icing on her historic state medal haul at the recent 2026 UIL Texas Class 4A State Track and Field meet at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin adding three individual gold medals by winning the 800-meter dash, the 1600-meter run and then stamping her name in UIL state track meet lore with a fantastic finish anchoring Canyon’s winning 1600 Relay team.
The three gold medals – along with gold for Canyon claiming Class 4A co-state champion – pushed Bristow’s gold medal count in track and cross country to 15 making her one of the greatest to ever run in the 806 and believed to be the most decorated state track athlete in Texas Panhandle history.
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Her state-meet legacy is also written in permanent ink: Class 4A state meet records in the 1600-meter run (4:48) and 800-meter run (2:07.17).
Last Thursday night the Oklahoma State signee, owner of a smooth, picturesque running stride, put on a career-ending show within a three-hour span, running and winning the 800 by nearly eight seconds, followed by winning the 1600-meter run in 4:59.96, then 30 minutes later dropping jaws by somehow bursting/zig-zagging/squeezing past four runners over the final 30-meters of the 1600 Relay for the victory handing Canyon a co-state team championship.
Sam Tipton is president of the Texas High School Girls Coaches Association and was attending his 37th UIL state track and field meet and had this to say after watching Bristow’s 1600 Relay finish.
“Unbelievable what I saw and I’ve seen a lot here,” Tipton said. “I don’t know how fast Bristow is, but I do know how big her heart is.”
Those who know Addison Bristow best were of course impressed with the remarkable 1600 Relay finish, but surprised? Naw, it was Addy. If nothing else, fans of Canyon High track have learned never count out this Addy, the one who is nicer than Santa Claus on Christmas morning.
Run. Addy. Run.
Anybody 10-12 years ago watching the annual city of Canyon fun run and recognized little Addy back then just knew. They knew running was her future. Not because she blazed a trail, but the joy they witnessed.
“I remember going to those community runs and being so excited for the kids run,” Bristow said. “I think the first time I ran in it, I was leading the race and then went the wrong way. But it didn’t matter. I was still smiling and just so happy to be running. I loved it.”
Run. Addy. Run.
Bristow certainly showed signs of greatness in junior high winning her share of races. But it’s not like she burst onto the high school scene right away like her freshman sensation of a teammate Presli Pool.
Pool already is the owner of four state cross country and track medals. She placed third at the 2025 state cross country meet, then last weekend at the 2026 state track meet set a UIL Class 4A state meet record winning the 3200-meter run in 10:26.73, placed second in the 1600-meter run, then ran a leg on Canyon’s gold medal winning 1600 Relay.
As a freshman Bristow placed 51st at the UIL Class 4A Texas state cross country meet and she said, “I thought I ran pretty good.”
By track season she was on the varsity and running decent times but nothing close to her senior teammate and mentor Abree Winfrey, who currently runs for the University of Kansas.
When Canyon’s district meet rolled around Bristow’s freshman season she was still finding her way, trying to build confidence, but still not running up with Winfrey and the leaders.
Before that district meet, Canyon High legendary girls track coach Ray Baca had a chat with Bristow. Pretty simple strategy. Baca wanted Bristow to run behind Winfrey for as long as she could during the 800-meter race. He needed Bristow to score points for Canyon in the team race.
“I was surprised,” Bristow said. “I had no idea Baca had expectations out of me until then.”
That day, Bristow became a changed runner. She didn’t beat Winfrey, but she had stayed close behind her nearly step for step surprising herself. She had hung with a gold medalist and Division I athlete in Winfrey. The thing is, Bristow wasn’t rolling on the ground in pain, totally gassed after the race. In fact, she felt pretty good walking away from the track.
“What do I remember about that race? Pretty much the back of Abree’s head the whole way,” Bristow said, breaking into a little chuckle.
Winfrey had already become Bristow’s mentor, someone who encouraged her and taught her how to prepare for races. Yeah, that’s right. A senior putting an arm around a freshman. No egos. No senior shutting out the freshman afraid she might steal some thunder away.
Bristow responded to the new-found confidence by soon putting her name on the statewide map.
When the 2023 state meet rolled around there Bristow was, on the biggest stage high school track offers, once again seeing the back of Winfrey’s head for 800 meters. Only this time it was Winfrey winning the state gold medal in 2:15.02, while Bristow claimed the silver medal seventh hundredths of second behind in 2:15.09.
“I know this, I would not be where I am today without Abree Winfrey,” Bristow said.
Talking about lessons learned and paying it forward. That’s Bristow.
Anybody watching the 2026 Canyon High girls track workouts and meets, Bristow was helping freshman Pool learn the ropes of being a varsity athlete. Minutes after the Class 4A state meet had concluded and Canyon’s 1600 relay team was standing together with gold medals draped around their necks, Pool was asked what Bristow meant to her.
“I couldn’t keep up with Addy during cross country,” Pool said. “But she was there for me and in track she has helped me so much …” Pool’s voice suddenly faded out as her emotions took over, fighting back tears. Pool’s respect for Bristow screaming out loud without saying another word.
And Pool’s not alone. How about freshman Aubrey Holloway, also running a leg on that epic 1600 Relay and wearing a gold medal while asked about Bristow.
“Addy pushed me to be my best,” Holloway said. “It’s crazy. She is the best athlete I know and you would never guess that just meeting her. She’s really a good friend.”
Even Bristow’s rivals have good things to say. Randall High star cross country and distance runner Brook French was impressive at the state meet placing second in the 3200 behind Pool and giving District 3-4A a clean sweep in the 1600-meter run finishing third behind champion Bristow and runner-up Pool.
“I like running against those girls (Bristow and Pool),” French said. “They inspire me.”
Canyon girls track coach Baca also gets emotional talking about Bristow. He would be a fan, even if Bristow never ran a race.
“Yeah, Addy wins races,” Baca said. “And yeah, Addy is fast. But for instance, she had some health issues and she has taught me how to manage injuries and things that I can do to help kids in the future.
“Our girls just adore her. She is their idol. Running is one of the bottom things about her. With Addy, you can never tell anything is going wrong. She is so polite. She’s always inspirational to others. She is the first after a race ready to help her teammates. Even if she wasn’t in the race she’s the one helping take their shoes off and get their bag. She’s taught these girls to serve each other. That cones down from Abree Winfrey and other girls. But for her to be so dominate and to win so many races, it’s just incredible. She’s so fun to coach.”
Bristow said with Coach Baca guiding her path, she would not be anywhere near the runner he is, or the person.
“Baca is the best,” Bristow said. “He teaches you so much more than just running. He seems to say the right thing at the right time. I can’t thank him enough.”
Run. Addy. Run.
If say, somebody was visiting the Bristow household for the first time and happened by Addy’s room, they’d have to suddenly stop for a second take.
Yep. That’s around 100 cross country and track medals hanging in the room. Not really on display but just hanging together.
That scene alone says greatness. Some medals greater than others.
You have the three Class 4A state cross country gold medals from 2023, 2024 and 2025. Of course, the first UIL state track and field medal earned back in 2023, a silver in the 800-meter run. The back-to-back-to-back gold medals won running the 800 meters from 2024-2026. The three golds from team state championships in 2022, 2023 and just last weekend. The two golds and silver from the 1600-meter runs in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
And, of course, the trio of gold medals won running a leg of the Canyon 1600 Relay team as a freshman, junior and senior. Her last and final race running “For the C” may have been her best as Bristow’s unforgettable 400-meter anchor leg of that 1600 Relay won’t soon be forgotten.
Especially, by Bristow.
Anybody thinking Bristow cruised into the 2026 state track and meet riding Cloud Nine for an entire senior season would be wrong. The nagging leg injury. The illness which crippled her stamina for part of the track season was an every day challenge to figure out training and meets.
Then the car wreck. Oh, yeah. Bristow had to be helped out of a car wreck at the beginning of this year, one that left her first thinking like every teenager in the world after experiencing a wreck . “My first thought was my Mom is going to kill me,” Bristow said. The second thought of this teenager owning a strong faith in Jesus Christ? “God’s protection was over me 100 percent. Because I came out of it perfectly fine. But yeah, I mean it really puts things in perspective of how fast things can go downhill even if it feels like you’ve got your future in your hands. Something like that makes you very grateful for what you have.”
Unlike her previous three seasons running track where she faced the normal aches and pains of an athlete grinding, her senior season was test after test after test. The physical challenges of injury, illness and the mental challenge of rehabbing and thanking the Lord above she wasn’t hurt in the wreck.
And she passed with an A. The proof a viral video.
Last Thursday night after winning the 800-meter run, then the 1600-meter run, the final race of Bristow’s Canyon High career would be the 400 meters running anchor leg in the 1600 Relay.
Canyon had to win the race for a chance to capture a state team title. All Dallas Lincoln had to do was either place first or second in the race, or simply ahead of Canyon at the finish line.
Coach Baca called on freshman Pool, freshman Aubrey Holloway, sophomore Reese Wilson and then Bristow to bring it home.
Winning looked out of the question even as Bristow reached the final 200 meters. Four other teams were ahead of Canyon, including Dallas Lincoln. As Bristow rounded the final corner and found the backstretch, she put an exclamation point on one of the great careers in Texas high school girls track history delighting not only Canyon fans attending in Austin but sending a buzz through the entire stadium.
With about 40 meters to go Bristow was running in lane one and the four runners ahead of her were spread out ahead in three lanes. Remember, each team pretty much saving its fastest runner for the anchor leg.
With 20 meters to go Bristow somehow found new energy and a pep in her step. She passed Seminole’s Cambree Crow on her inside moving into fourth place. When Bristow veered to the outside of lane 1 she looked more running back than middle distance runner. As Bristow ran past Crow’s outside shoulder she wiggled back into lane one. Over Bristow’s last seven meters she burst past Waxahachie Life’s Laila Tolbert on her outside shoulder. Then with three meters to go she flew past a shocked Siani Simpson of Dallas Lincoln, and out her sight on the outside in Lane three Katy Freeman’s Tiana Peck was right with Bristow.
Bristow did not lean at the finish line but instead burst through it and the unimaginable finish was imagined.
Bristow immediately looked to the massive scoreboard to see where she finished. When the board showed Canyon in first, she put her hand to her mouth like, ‘I don’t believe what just happened.’’ She hugged and danced first with Wilson. Then Pool and Holloway joined in party.
When all was said and done Canyon finished in 3:50.09 (the second fastest 1600 Relay in school history), Katy Freman was second in 3:50.17, third going to Dallas Lincoln at 3:50.24, and off the medal stand in fourth was Waxahachie Life at 3:50.40.
Do that math, the four teams were separated by .31 hundredths of second. Lincoln was third to Katy Freeman by .05 hundredths on a second. Had Lincoln placed second, Lincoln would have won the 4A team title outright. Instead, Canyon’s 20 points propelled it to a tie with Lincoln at 58 points tied for the 4A state title.
“I was scared,” Bristow said of those final 40 meters. “But my thought process was that I was going to go 100 percent, no matter what happened. The fact I ended up getting first was just so exciting and so shocking. I did not think I was going to be able to weave through like I did. But I was so excited I was able to do that for our team.”
Run. Addy. Run.
Don’t just show up, work hard and you will reap the benefits.
Fifteen UIL state gold medals.
Two UIL state silver medals.
A gutsy runner who in the 800 and 1600 would go out crazy fast leaving those in the race thinking she will come back to us – and she never did.
That’s what the history books will always say about Addison Bristow. But those grueling practices, that strategy and those medals don’t tell the whole story of a Canyon High career that went from a freshman trying to find herself to a senior leading the way.
“To be honest,” Bristow said. “If freshman Addy ever met senior Addy and knew how much other girls looked up to her it would mean more than the world to her. My career was better than I could have ever imagined.”