AUSTIN, Texas – Plano East (Texas) is the largest high school in Texas, with about 3,000 students in its junior and senior classes alone. But at the University interscholastic League's state track and field meet on Saturday, Jennifer Madu was the only girl from the school to earn a medal.
Still, that was almost enough for Plano East to win the Class 5A girls team title at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Madu, who has signed with Texas A&M, won the 100 and 200 meters, the long jump and the triple jump. The senior scored 40 points, putting her – and Plano East -- in fourth place, only 10 points behind repeat champion
DeSoto.
"It's been a really long day," Madu said. "I'm ready to sleep."
Madu was in a fifth event, the 4x100 relay. But she was the anchor and never got to run because a teammate dropped the baton on the first handoff.
The toughest event, Madu said, was the final event: the 200.
"Fifty meters in, I was like, ‘my legs aren't lifting,'" Madu said.
But Madu fought through the fatigue to finish in 24.03 seconds, just in front of Flower Mound's Dephanie Adeyemi.
DeSoto sweeps boys, girls titlesThe DeSoto girls repeated as 5A champion by passing
Garland and
Mansfield Timberview (Arlington) on the final event, the 4x400 relay. Garland finished second in the event, earning 16 points to finish with 50. Garland had 46 and Timberview 41.
The DeSoto girls won their third overall title on the night the boys won their first. The DeSoto boys, who were second in 2004 and 2010, scored 58 points to stay well in front of
Galena Park (44).
South Grand Prairie's Hall wins 100 and 200South Grand Prairie senior Abraham Hall is headed for West Point, and it's going to be difficult for anyone to catch him there. Hall won the 5A 100 in a sizzling 10.19 seconds, the second fastest 100 run by a high school athlete this year. In the 200, he won with a time of 20.58, which is also among the best in the nation this year.
"I expected nothing less," Hall said. "I trained really hard this year."
Aldrich Bailey didn't lower his national
high school record of 45.19, but still
won with an impressive mark of 45.92.
File photo by Tim Dennis
Mansfield Timberview senior Aldrich Bailey set a national high school record two weeks ago with a 45.19 in the 400. The Texas A&M signee won the 400 on Saturday, but he was disappointed in his time of 45.92.
"It's good to be a state champion, but sometimes you just have off days," Bailey said. "I wanted to break 45."
More gold for Celina football/track starCelina senior Jordan Roos, an offensive lineman who signed with Purdue for football and track, tore his ACL in a football game in September. But he recovered enough to win the 3A shot put for the third straight year, and his throw of 62 feet, 11¼ inches beat the rest of the field by eight feet.
Roos, who said his injured knee is only at about 50 percent strength, also won the discus title with a throw of 185-9.
"When I tore my ACL, I didn't think I would be back for track and field," Roos said. "I got to compete in four state meets and I have four golds and a bronze. I'm pretty happy."
Vaughan breaks record, wins twiceMansfield Legacy (Mansfield) senior Shelbi Vaughan's mark of 187 feet, 10 inches in the discus broke the state meet record by more than 24 feet. But it still wasn't a personal best for the senior, who has signed with Texas A&M for track and field and volleyball.
Vaughan set a national record with a throw of 191-6 in March.
"I was hoping to get a 200 or close to it," Vaughan said. "I don't expect it, but I know I'm capable of doing it."
Vaughan also won the shot put with a toss of 50-1¼.
