setxsports
04-05-2008, 09:26 PM
Mustangs race to 21-3A track title
Van Wade
The Orange Leader
SILSBEE — They may be some young stallions, but the West Orange-Stark track team flexed some major speed to win the District 21-3A Track & Field Championships Saturday at Silsbee High School.
With the help of sophomore James Haynes, who was the meet’s high-point boy, the Mustangs ended the Bridge City boys’ six-year run as district champs under first-year coach Freddy Strange.
The Mustangs won the meet with 150 points, with 60 points coming via sweeping all three relay events. Silsbee was second with 120 points while Bridge City as third with 111.
Haynes tallied 36 points in the meet. The sophomore won the triple jump with a 44 foot- 3 inch effort on Thursday in the field events and was also second in the long jump (21-5). He ran legs on both the winning 400-meter relay unit (42.68 seconds) that also included Trey Franks, Josh Gloston and Seth Thomas, and the winning 800-meter relay quartet (1:30.16) that included Franks, Thomas and Cedric Dantzler. He even found time to place second behind ranks (22.39) in the 200 meters by running a 22.57.
“As a sophomore, I never thought I could reach the heights I’ve been able to reach in this meet,” said Haynes. “My biggest surprise was in the triple jump. I was looking to go 43 feet but to go 44-and-a-half, that was a super feeling. I’m just so proud of the entire team. We knew going into the season that we were young and inexperienced. Once we ran that first meet in Nederland, we realized then that we had something special.”
The Mustang 1,600-meter relay team of Gloston, Ronnie Dennis, James Ross and Nick Reed also won with a time of 3:29.50. Gloston, who was a member of the Mustangs’ state relay teams last year as a sophomore, proved he’s just as fast as a junior as he claimed the 100 meters in 10.94.
The Mustangs also received two solid second-place finishes from both Reed in the 400 meters (50.75) and Phillip Jones in the 300-meter hurdles (41.17).
Strange was thrilled with what the young Mustang group accomplished.
“We knew we were young when the season started but WO-S has always been known for an excellent track program and the kids just got after all season long,” said Strange. “Everyone thought we might have been in a rebuilding mode but the kids basically said no way. Their work ethic has to be commended. Our district is tough and our kids responded. The scary thing, we have a chance to be even better next year.”
The top three finishers in each event advanced to the Class 3A Region III Championships, which will be held at Humble High School Apr. 25-26.
Another big winner came in the form of Bridge City senior Corey Smith. Smith had not ran track since his eighth grade year but decided to come back out as 12th grader. Well, that notion paid off.
Smith stormed his way to the 800 title, winning in 2:03.67. However, the biggest surprise was his victory in the 400 (50.68) as he outlasted WO-S’ Reed (50.75) and Orangefield’s Caleb Worthy (51.43).
“I decided I didn’t want to play baseball anymore so I didn’t want to be bored during the spring and decided to give track a shot again,” Smith said. “The coaches gave me a good workout plan and I stuck by it. They thought I had some potential and I got caught up in that. It’s great to have them believe in me. The 800, I thought I could take that one. The 400, that was a surprise because of Reed and Worthy. Those two are both so strong in that event. That’s not bad though, an Orange County sweep.
Bridge City had another double-winner as well in sophomore distance man Tim Cude. After winning the 3,200 meters on Thursday, Cude won the 1,600 in 4:39.58. He was followed by teammates Kirby Shepherd (4:46.50) and Ryan Kelly (4:46.66). Shepherd was also second in the 800 with a 2:05.30 and Orangefield’s Kellen Free was third with a 2:06.73.
On the girls side of the ledger, the Hamshire-Fannett Lady Longhorns steamrolled their way to the crown, amassing 183 points, easily outdistancing second-place Silsbee (113).
Orangefield senior Laura Riddick continued to prove her might in the 100-meter hurdles, winning with a clocking of 16.08 while WO-S sophomore Hannah Mobley dominated the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 48.64.
Bridge City freshman Mary Nguyen, who won the 3,200 meters on Thursday, placed a strong second in the 1,600 meters with a 5:53.96.
Van Wade
The Orange Leader
SILSBEE — They may be some young stallions, but the West Orange-Stark track team flexed some major speed to win the District 21-3A Track & Field Championships Saturday at Silsbee High School.
With the help of sophomore James Haynes, who was the meet’s high-point boy, the Mustangs ended the Bridge City boys’ six-year run as district champs under first-year coach Freddy Strange.
The Mustangs won the meet with 150 points, with 60 points coming via sweeping all three relay events. Silsbee was second with 120 points while Bridge City as third with 111.
Haynes tallied 36 points in the meet. The sophomore won the triple jump with a 44 foot- 3 inch effort on Thursday in the field events and was also second in the long jump (21-5). He ran legs on both the winning 400-meter relay unit (42.68 seconds) that also included Trey Franks, Josh Gloston and Seth Thomas, and the winning 800-meter relay quartet (1:30.16) that included Franks, Thomas and Cedric Dantzler. He even found time to place second behind ranks (22.39) in the 200 meters by running a 22.57.
“As a sophomore, I never thought I could reach the heights I’ve been able to reach in this meet,” said Haynes. “My biggest surprise was in the triple jump. I was looking to go 43 feet but to go 44-and-a-half, that was a super feeling. I’m just so proud of the entire team. We knew going into the season that we were young and inexperienced. Once we ran that first meet in Nederland, we realized then that we had something special.”
The Mustang 1,600-meter relay team of Gloston, Ronnie Dennis, James Ross and Nick Reed also won with a time of 3:29.50. Gloston, who was a member of the Mustangs’ state relay teams last year as a sophomore, proved he’s just as fast as a junior as he claimed the 100 meters in 10.94.
The Mustangs also received two solid second-place finishes from both Reed in the 400 meters (50.75) and Phillip Jones in the 300-meter hurdles (41.17).
Strange was thrilled with what the young Mustang group accomplished.
“We knew we were young when the season started but WO-S has always been known for an excellent track program and the kids just got after all season long,” said Strange. “Everyone thought we might have been in a rebuilding mode but the kids basically said no way. Their work ethic has to be commended. Our district is tough and our kids responded. The scary thing, we have a chance to be even better next year.”
The top three finishers in each event advanced to the Class 3A Region III Championships, which will be held at Humble High School Apr. 25-26.
Another big winner came in the form of Bridge City senior Corey Smith. Smith had not ran track since his eighth grade year but decided to come back out as 12th grader. Well, that notion paid off.
Smith stormed his way to the 800 title, winning in 2:03.67. However, the biggest surprise was his victory in the 400 (50.68) as he outlasted WO-S’ Reed (50.75) and Orangefield’s Caleb Worthy (51.43).
“I decided I didn’t want to play baseball anymore so I didn’t want to be bored during the spring and decided to give track a shot again,” Smith said. “The coaches gave me a good workout plan and I stuck by it. They thought I had some potential and I got caught up in that. It’s great to have them believe in me. The 800, I thought I could take that one. The 400, that was a surprise because of Reed and Worthy. Those two are both so strong in that event. That’s not bad though, an Orange County sweep.
Bridge City had another double-winner as well in sophomore distance man Tim Cude. After winning the 3,200 meters on Thursday, Cude won the 1,600 in 4:39.58. He was followed by teammates Kirby Shepherd (4:46.50) and Ryan Kelly (4:46.66). Shepherd was also second in the 800 with a 2:05.30 and Orangefield’s Kellen Free was third with a 2:06.73.
On the girls side of the ledger, the Hamshire-Fannett Lady Longhorns steamrolled their way to the crown, amassing 183 points, easily outdistancing second-place Silsbee (113).
Orangefield senior Laura Riddick continued to prove her might in the 100-meter hurdles, winning with a clocking of 16.08 while WO-S sophomore Hannah Mobley dominated the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 48.64.
Bridge City freshman Mary Nguyen, who won the 3,200 meters on Thursday, placed a strong second in the 1,600 meters with a 5:53.96.