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Cedric Gooch, shown here competing in the 400-meter dash for boys 10-and-under division, ran the third leg for the silver medal 4x400-meter relay. He placed third in the long jump (13-feet-3) and fourth in the 400-meter dash.
Simeon Harris, who ran the closing leg in the boys-10-and-under 4x400 meter relay, also placed third in the 100-meter dash and fourth in the 400-meter dash.
Romello Keck placed second in the long jump and third in the 100-meter dash for boys 14-and-under division.
Derek Washington, pictured here with teammate Antoine Robinson as they exit the track after a race, earned his way to state in two events with a second-place finish in the 400-and a fourth-place finish in the 200-meter dash.
Trinity Washington punched her ticket to state with a fourth-place finish in the 50-meter dash in the girls 8-and-under division.
By Shiela K. Haynes
The Wylie Flyers turned in an exceptional effort at the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation Region 7 track and field meet held July 15-17 at Garland Williams Stadium. Wylie qualified 20 young athletes for the TAAF state meet that will be held Aug. 5-8 at the Baylor University Track Stadium in Waco.
Competitors, who are limited to entry in three events at regional, ranged in age from 8 to 18 years and competed in age- and gender-related groups in a full gamut of track and field events.
The top six performers in each event earned a state berth. Qualifying out of Region 7 is a considerable accomplishment. As the largest of the state’s 17 regions, Region 7 had more than 1700 athletes competing for a spot at the next level.
Flyers coach Ty Davis said, due to the size of our region, the Wylie team stacks up well against the state’s elite.
“Our region overall will be at the top. You have to be strong to take first because the region is so large,” he said.
Even though the athletes have been competing in track meets all summer, the state meet has a different feel than the meets to which many of them are accustomed.
Davis said, “It’s such a high level because you have so many kids from all over the state there. It’s shock and awe with kids out of Houston and San Antonio and from the far corners of the state. It’s a shock and awe to some of these kids who haven’t even heard of some of these towns.”
Three Wylie athletes, Tara Davis, Cedric Gooch and Simeon Harris, qualified for state in all three events in which they were entered.
Davis, competing in girls 12 and under division, finished second in the 80-meter hurdles with a personal best time of 15:17. The time surpassed last year’s first-place regional time by a full second.
Davis also PR’d in the high jump going over the bar at 4 feet, 4 inches for a third-place medal. She placed fourth in the long jump with a leap of 13 feet, 8 inches.
Gooch, who was entered in boys 10-and-under division (B10U), ran the third leg for the silver-medal 4x400-meter relay. He earned a bronze in the long jump with a distance of 13 feet, 3 inches and was fourth in the 400-meter dash.
Harris ran the closing leg in the B10U 4x400-meter relay. He also placed third in the 100-meter dash and fourth in the 400-meter dash.
Other 4x400-meter relay team members were T.J. Smith and Donavan Satchell.
Savannah Redmond and Trinity Washington earned the trip to Waco in the girls 8-and-under division. Redmond placed third in the long jump and sixth in the 50-meter dash. Washington punched her ticket to state with a fourth-place finish in the 50 meters.
In the boys 12 and under, Derek Washington earned his way in two events with a second-place finish in the 400- and fourth in the 200-meter dash.
The 14-and-under boys cleaned up with six athletes moving on.
Romello Keck placed second in the long jump and third in the 100-meter dash. Grant Buley placed second in the 1600-meter and fourth in the 3200-meter run.
Four other boys in that age group struck paydirt. Nick Lauer was fourth in the 400 meters, Carson Gause was fourth in the 1600-meter run, Donnie Satchell placed sixth in the triple jump and Alan Robinson finished sixth in the 100-meter dash.
The 14-and-under girls were equally impressive with four state qualifiers. Jasmin Robinson earned a fifth-place finish in the 400-meter dash. Robinson was also a member of the sixth-place 4x400-meter relay team along with Bethany Johnson, Vanessa Garcia and Aleah Tyson.
Tearose Hudson placed third in long jump, and Elexus Ervin finished sixth in the triple jump in the girls 16-and-under division.
The results met the expectations Davis carried into the meet.
“There were a couple of disappointments, but some pleasant surprises also. Derek (Washington) had gotten a concussion a few days before, and his doctor said if he felt like it, he could run. He was avid with parents about wanting to compete. To have him compete was really special and, for him to compete so well, it showed a lot of heart on his part,” said Davis.
