nutcrackin
05-17-2005, 03:34 PM
http://www.tylerpaper.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14527392&BRD=1994&PAG=461&dept_id=374749&rfi=6
Quote:
GILMER'S JOHNSON WINS LONG JUMP
By: SHANE STARK, Staff Writer May 13, 2005
AUSTIN - Bling. Bling.
Gilmer senior Manuel Johnson completed his high school athletic career in style Friday, winning two gold medals at the UIL State Track & Field Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas.
He captured gold in the Class 3A boys long jump and in the triple jump, pushing his number of state championships won this school year to three, including the state football title he quarterbacked the Buckeyes to in the fall.
The medals culminated a unbelievable senior year for Johnson.
"This senior year has been crazy," said Johnson, who next fall will attend the University of Oklahoma on a football scholarship. "I won state in football. We had a real good season in basketball and I ended up winning two events at state track, so I don't think anybody could ask for a better senior year than the one the Lord blessed me with today."
Meanwhile, other area athletes won medals in 3A and 4A Friday. Leading the way was Kilgore senior sprinter Courtney Thomas, who finished second in the 4A boys 100 and 200-meter dashes. Also capturing medals were Gladewater's Memrie Ferguson (second in the 3A girls discus), Athens' Morgan Mayse (third in the 4A girls high jump), Mineola's Meredith Blocker (third in the 3A girls 1,600 run) and Wills Point's Deshayla Spencer (third in the 3A girls 800 run).
But this day belonged to Johnson, who with his two golds gave Gilmer a 20-point showing in the team standings.
He set personal best marks in both events, recording a jump of 24 feet 1 and ¾ inches in the long jump and 47-6 in the triple jump. He entered the meet with the best long jump in the state (23-1 and ½ inches ) for the second straight year and with the second best triple jump (47-4). He finished fourth in the long jump at state last year.
"It's just an awesome thing for him, but also for our track team and Gilmer," said Gilmer track coach Mike Maddox. "We'll have to back in our record books to see if anybody has ever won two gold medals at the same (state) meet. He may be the only one. "
It didn't take Johnson very long to prove he was indeed the best in the long jump. On his second attempt, he registered the jump that pushed him to the top of the final standings on top of second-place finisher Jawann Giddens of Coldspring-Oakhurst, whose best jump was 23-1¼, and Tommy Wolfe of Raymondville, who walked away with the bronze after jumping 22-3¼ .
In the triple jump, Johnson had jumps of 45-9 and 46-10 on his first two tries before scoring the winning jump on his third attempt. Michael Flowers of Hondo finished third (45-2½) while Jeremy Kerely of Hutto finished third (46-4¼). Waco La Vega's Dietrick Burr, who coming in was the only jumper with a better jump Johnson, placed sixth.
"I wanted to come out and win," Johnson said. "I came out and ended up jumping farther than my farthest jump. I guess the adrenaline was going and I got a good jump. In the triple jump, I really wasn't expecting to win it. But I guess I had a good day and the Lord blessed me to get first at state in two events. "
Spring Hill's DeMikel Shankle missed out on a medal by one place in the long jump, finishing fourth at 22-¼. Brownsboro's Daniel Bell finished fifth in the triple jump at 44-10.
Friday's session had an announced crowd of 16,885.
Quote:
GILMER'S JOHNSON WINS LONG JUMP
By: SHANE STARK, Staff Writer May 13, 2005
AUSTIN - Bling. Bling.
Gilmer senior Manuel Johnson completed his high school athletic career in style Friday, winning two gold medals at the UIL State Track & Field Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas.
He captured gold in the Class 3A boys long jump and in the triple jump, pushing his number of state championships won this school year to three, including the state football title he quarterbacked the Buckeyes to in the fall.
The medals culminated a unbelievable senior year for Johnson.
"This senior year has been crazy," said Johnson, who next fall will attend the University of Oklahoma on a football scholarship. "I won state in football. We had a real good season in basketball and I ended up winning two events at state track, so I don't think anybody could ask for a better senior year than the one the Lord blessed me with today."
Meanwhile, other area athletes won medals in 3A and 4A Friday. Leading the way was Kilgore senior sprinter Courtney Thomas, who finished second in the 4A boys 100 and 200-meter dashes. Also capturing medals were Gladewater's Memrie Ferguson (second in the 3A girls discus), Athens' Morgan Mayse (third in the 4A girls high jump), Mineola's Meredith Blocker (third in the 3A girls 1,600 run) and Wills Point's Deshayla Spencer (third in the 3A girls 800 run).
But this day belonged to Johnson, who with his two golds gave Gilmer a 20-point showing in the team standings.
He set personal best marks in both events, recording a jump of 24 feet 1 and ¾ inches in the long jump and 47-6 in the triple jump. He entered the meet with the best long jump in the state (23-1 and ½ inches ) for the second straight year and with the second best triple jump (47-4). He finished fourth in the long jump at state last year.
"It's just an awesome thing for him, but also for our track team and Gilmer," said Gilmer track coach Mike Maddox. "We'll have to back in our record books to see if anybody has ever won two gold medals at the same (state) meet. He may be the only one. "
It didn't take Johnson very long to prove he was indeed the best in the long jump. On his second attempt, he registered the jump that pushed him to the top of the final standings on top of second-place finisher Jawann Giddens of Coldspring-Oakhurst, whose best jump was 23-1¼, and Tommy Wolfe of Raymondville, who walked away with the bronze after jumping 22-3¼ .
In the triple jump, Johnson had jumps of 45-9 and 46-10 on his first two tries before scoring the winning jump on his third attempt. Michael Flowers of Hondo finished third (45-2½) while Jeremy Kerely of Hutto finished third (46-4¼). Waco La Vega's Dietrick Burr, who coming in was the only jumper with a better jump Johnson, placed sixth.
"I wanted to come out and win," Johnson said. "I came out and ended up jumping farther than my farthest jump. I guess the adrenaline was going and I got a good jump. In the triple jump, I really wasn't expecting to win it. But I guess I had a good day and the Lord blessed me to get first at state in two events. "
Spring Hill's DeMikel Shankle missed out on a medal by one place in the long jump, finishing fourth at 22-¼. Brownsboro's Daniel Bell finished fifth in the triple jump at 44-10.
Friday's session had an announced crowd of 16,885.