The District 3-4A/ 4-4A Area track and field meet will be remembered by two individual athletes that didn’t allow any obstacle stand in their way of achieving a goal.
What Randall’s Brooke French and Hereford’s Izak Dominguez did on Wednesday and Thursday is the definition of perseverance and determination.
French completed one of the wildest 24 hours of any high school athletes career. French started this unforgettable journey Wednesday night in Andrews competing in the 3200-meter race. Running with focus, French won the two-mile race outlasting Canyon’s Avery Brown by running an 11:10.34 for the gold medal.
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She then hopped in a car with her family and made the six-hour drive to Georgetown to be with her Lady Raider soccer team that was competing in the programs first ever state championship. French arrived in Georgetown a little after midnight Thursday morning. French went on to play in the match Thursday scoring a goal and helping Randall make history beating Wimberly in penalty kicks, 2-2 (7-6), as Lady Raiders became the first Texas Panhandle team to ever win a UIL state soccer title.
Immediately following the celebration Thursday afternoon, French hopped on a plane and landed back in Andrews at 4:15 p.m. Less than an hour later, at 5:10 p.m. French was back on the track running the 1600-meter where she medaled once more getting silver with a time of 5:14.30.
“Brooke is special,” Randall soccer coach Whitney Bernard said. “I’ve never seen anything like what she did the last 24 hours. She did a sendoff with us and then she went to run track on Wednesday. She won a gold medal and then got here at midnight to join us for breakfast and did the pre-game activities. Then she scored a goal and helped us win state and got back on a plane to go run again. I’ve never seen that before and the UIL people were amazed. That’s who she is she’ll do anything for her team and to win.”
Randall long distance coach Rebekah James echoed Bernard’s comment.
“It’s amazing to see what Brooke did in 24 hours,” James said. “The most amazing part of it is that she didn’t whine about or make excuses. She just took what she had and worked her butt off. At first, she was going to have to decide what to do either run track or play soccer. Coach (Tim) McCune, the boys track coach, got the ball rolling and got the 3200-meter run changed to Wednesday night so she could at least do one event and then go to state soccer. The only way she could get back for the mile run was if she flew back. Her wonderful family worked hard until they found a pilot that could do it for an affordable way. Brooke is a hardworking great athlete that goes to school in an environment that promotes athletes doing multiple sports and we’re all so proud of her.”
In another remarkable accomplishment, Hereford’s Izak Dominguez competing at all Thursday seemed highly unlikely after suffering a broken collarbone when he fell last week during the 300-meter hurdle event during district.
Dominguez had won the 110-hurdles during district but then disaster struck when he fell and suffered a broken collarbone coming off a curve. The following day, Dominguez had surgery to repair the collarbone and didn’t go over a hurdle for five days. Practicing only a day before Thursday’s area meet, Dominguez did the impossible and not only ran the 110-hurdles with that broken collarbone but won the event beating the field with a tremendous time of 14.65.
“It was amazing to watch,” Hereford head track and field coach Charles Garza said. “We didn’t get to practice with him until Wednesday and we had to put limited pressure on his right hand and shoulder. We knew his first hurdle would be key and watch other guys in other lanes. He was truly incredible, and it was inspiring to see.”
When it came to the team championships, the Canyon Eagles and Lady Eagles made it a sweep once again.
The Eagles tallied 146 points for the boys’ title while a very strong Lady Eagles squad totaled 118 points.
Brooklyn Kinsey punched a ticket to the regional meet in four events Thursday. The senior won gold in the 100-meter hurdle race beating the field with a 15.49. She was also part of a fast mile relay team that went low with a 3:55.94. Kinsey was silver in the 300-meter hurdles (44.81) and qualified fourth in the long jump (17-4 1/4).
Teammate Addyson Bristow kept on trucking with her dynamic season. As expected, Bristow won three gold medals starting with the 800-meter race leaving the field behind for a time of 2:10.62, the junior blazed a time of 4:59.88 to win the 1600-meter dash and then anchored the impressive mile relay team.
Ryan Fernandez and Lathan Lewter did the job for the Eagles. Lewter and Fernandez took turns winning the long-distance races. Lewter held off Fernandez for gold in the 3200-meter race with a 9:40.66. Lewter then fell to Fernandez in the 1600-meter run with a 4:34.31. Fernandez took silver in the 3200-meter right behind Lewter with a 9:40.74 and his gold medal time in the 1600-meter was a 4:34.16.
Teammate Baylor West chipped in with a great day as well. West won the 400-meter race sprinting towards a time of 48.57 and he was on the mile relay that got a silver clocking a 3:17.58.
There were several other notable outings Thursday involving Amarillo-area athetles.
Perryton freshman Jacob Erickson broke the school-record with a time of 9:44.83 to finish fourth and advance in the 3200-meter race. Erickson also qualified in the 1600-meter run getting bronze running a 4:36.12.
Dumas’ Imanol Marquez won the 200-meter dash sprinting an impressive time of 22.07. Marquez then anchored the Demons mile relay that set a new school-record with an eye-popping time of 3:16.52
West Plains junior Brycen Williams found his groove leaping 6-8 to take a gold medal in the high jump. Hereford sophomore Brix Manchen followed with a silver clearing 6-6.
On top of French’s unreal day, Randall had a haul make it to regionals starting with Tenera Gray. The senior leader of the Lady Raiders will head to Lubbock next week in five events. Gray broke her own school-record winning gold in the triple jump popping off a 39-2. Gray’s other golds came in the high jump where she cleared 5-3 and won the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 43.61. Gray also had a pair of silver medals in the long jump (18-0 1/2) and on the 800-meter relay team (1:44.45).
Teammate Sophia Bush showed her skill Thursday getting gold in the pole vault clearing 12-feet.
The Randall Raiders also had some big-time performances. Phoenix Sherwood blazed a 10.64 to win the 100-meter dash. He was also on the sprint relay team that set a new school-record with a 41.59. Collin Miller won the long jump (23-feet) and was on that sprint relay team as was Kaiden Miller who also grabbed silver in the 100-meter dash with a 10.84.
In the wheelchair events, Randall’s Tahlie Brandt clocked a 22.25 in the 100-meter race, a 1:24.33 in the 400-meter and threw a 17-9 3/4 in the shot put. Pampa’s Avery Ferguson clocked a 22.96 in the 100-meter, a 1:40.21 in the 400-meter and a throw of 14-4 in the shot put.
For a look at the full results, please visit https://milesplit.live/meets/670939
Up next
The Region I-4A Track and Field meet is set for April 18-19 at Plains-Capitol Park at Lowrey Field in Lubbock.