The Oak Christian Academy, Ascension Academy see medal haul at the TAPPS state track and field meet

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Smiling young man outdoors wearing a blue ribbon medal necklace and a backpack, with trees in the background.
Reagan Sparkman of The Oak Christian Academy won three gold medals during the TAPPS Class 1A state track and field meet Saturday at Waco Midway’s Panther Stadium. [Provided photo]

The Texas Panhandle was well represented at the TAPPS state track and field meet Friday and Saturday at Waco Midway’s Panther Stadium.

The Oak Christian Academy and Ascension Academy made quite the medal haul to highlight the meet for Amarillo private schools.

The Oak Christian Academy boys’ team finished second overall in TAPPS Class 1A with 69 points. Fredericksburg Heritage was the team state champion with 144 points.

Reagan Sparkman was the spark plug for The Oak Christian Academy as the senior left the track with three gold medals Saturday. Sparkman started his day by winning his first gold medal in the 800-meter race with a time of 2:00.26 to win by over two seconds. Later in the afternoon, Sparkman clocked a gold medal time of 4:33.30 to win the 1600-meter run by over 11 seconds. Sparkman wasn’t done there. Moments later, Sparkman helped anchor the mile relay team to a gold medal with a time of 3:36.87.

Teammate Blake Austen also had an impressive showing. Austin used his speed to register a time of 22.24 to win the 200-meter dash, and took silver in the 100-meter dash (11.19). Austen was also part of the mile relay team that took gold, and Blain Holman found the medal stand with a bronze in the 400-meter race (53.11).

Smiling young female track athlete in red and blue uniform with medals around her neck on a grassy field after a race.
Ascension Academy’s Kathleen Bartley won a gold medal and a bronze medal during the TAPPS Class 2A state track and field meet Friday. [Photo courtesy of David Sanders]

Ascension Academy finished off a strong track and field season with six individuals coming away with medals during the TAPPS Class 2A state track and field meet.

Senior Kathleen Bartley ended her stellar career with a gold medal in the pole vault and a bronze in the high jump. On Friday, Bartley tied a school-record by clearing 10-feet to win the pole vault event. This is the fourth straight year Bartley has medaled at state in the event and the second time to win a gold. Bartley then won a bronze in the high jump with a leap of 4-8.

Young runner with multiple medals on red, white, and blue ribbons, posing in front of a metal backdrop.
Ascension Academy’s Owen Chow won a gold medal and a bronze medal during the TAPPS Class 2A state track and field meet Friday. [Photo courtesy of David Sanders]

On the boys’ side, Wyatt Cox won a silver medal in the discus as the senior set a new school-record with a toss of 131-6. In the running events, Owen Chow carried his momentum from the regional meet with two trips to the medal stand. Chow blazed a time of 50.66 to claim a gold medal in the 400-meter race. Later in the day, Chow, along with teammates Zachary Parker, Gabriel Miller and BJ Britton, tallied a time of 3:34.21 to earn a bronze medal in the mile relay. Chow also finished fourth in the 200-meter sprint (23.16).

The Oak Christian Academy and Ascension Academy weren’t the only two schools to represent Amarillo. San Jacinto Christian Academy’s Siscely Mincher won a bronze medal in the 100-meter hurdles clocking a 17.37.

Check out the results

For a look at the full results from the TAPPS state track and field meet, please visit https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/645313/results

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