National Scholastic Athletics Foundation

Note: Check back on this page Monday for further mention of more of Saturday’s top performers and performances from 3A and 1A.

Top 10-level national class performers

• US#1 17-8.5 national junior class record boys’ 3A pole vault (=#10 all-time) by Brandon Bray (China Springs junior).  He missed what would have been a state record 18-3 and didn’t even get the conference 3A mark since that happens to be Eric Eschbach’s 18-2.25 from 1999 (#3 all-time).  Second was Nicholas Meaders (Gatesville) at 16-3.
• US#1 46.10 boys’ 5A 400m dash by Devante Lacy (Klein Oak senior), winning by nearly a second over Cager Jack (Belton senior) at US#10 47.07.  Terry Brown (Round Rock junior) was 3rd with 47.53.  Lacy also ran on Klein Oak’s winning 4x100 (below), as his team took 2nd overall.
• US#1 3:13.25 boys’ 5A 4x400m relay by Humble Kingwood, using a monster come-from-behind anchor by junior DeWitt Thomas (300H runner-up) to win and move up from 8th place for the title.  Thomas was joined by Garrett Williamson, 800 champ Myles Marshall and Dawson Trudell.  Kingwood was followed by Arlington Martin at 3:15.48, Converse Judson at 3:16.40 and Kileen Harker Heights at 3:16.45.
• US#2 2:07.07 800m run, 4:50.98 1,600 girls’ 5A distance double by Aaliyah Miller (McKinney Boyd soph).  Miller dominated the 800, winning by more than four seconds over Camry Grigsby (DeSoto senior) at 2:11.26, with Hannah Bradley (Marcus junior) 3rd at 2:12.06.  In the 1,600, Miller outkicked 3,200 champ Devin Clark (SB Smithson Valley junior) at 4:51.26, Paige Hofstad (New Braunfels soph) at 4:52.18, and Hofstad’s top-seeded senior teammate Morgan Szekely with 4:53.66.
• 1:24.56 boys’ 5A 4x200m relay by DeSoto team of Trevin Chambers, Nick Orr, LaDarren Brown and London Dunn – just short of their previous US#1 of 1:24.24 and faster than any other team nationally except Texarkana Texas.  They won by more than a second over Cibolo Steele at 1:25.84, with Denton Ryan 3rd at 1:26.24 and Converse Judson 4th at 1:26.30.  Temple and Katy Morton Ranch were both DQ’d.
• 13.39w(+6.7) girls 5A 100m hurdles (already US#1 all-conditions w/13.36 PR) by Alexis Duncan (DeSoto soph).  Five girls broke 13.80, with Alaysh’A Johnson (Spring senior) at 13.59 and eventual 300H champ Ariel Jones (Atascocita senior) at 13.64 taking the next two spots.  Duncan also ran on her team’s 4x1 and 4x2 relays.
• US#2 (all-conditions) 20.76w(+2.8) boys’ 5A 200m dash by Corey Dauphine (Pt Arthur Memorial junior), winning decisively.  Following in the next three spots were Andrew Hudson (Cibolo Steele junior) with 21.09w, Jacarius Martin at 21.18w and Darius Mitchell (Harker Heights senior) with 21.29.
• US#3 40.47 boys’ 5A 4x100m relay by the Klein Oak team of Jontavis Smith, 400 champ Devante Lacy, Jacob Harper and Larenz Stewart.  Three others broke 41 – Killeen at US#6 40.69, Katy Morton Ranch at US#7 40.79 and Port Arthur Memorial (with 200 champ Corey Dauphine) at US#10 40.89 – and two more beat 41.10. 
• US#3 50-2.25(+1.0w) by Kerwin Roach (GP North Shore junior), as five of his jumps were 48-10 or better.  Three others went 48-8 or better: Jordan Thomas (Klein Collins senior) at US#8 49-2(+0.9w), Altany Wilson (Del Valle junior) at 49-1.25(nwi) and Alvin Chikaeze (Lakeview Central) at 48-8.75w(+2.6).
• US#4 3:44.57 girls’ 5A 4x400m relay by Cedar Hill team of Victoria Jackson, Sha’Nia Williams, Dawnshae Evans and 200 champ Danyel White.  Five ran 3:47 or faster, with Fort Bend Hightower at US#10 3:45.93 and Converse Judson with 3:46.28 taking the next two places.
• US#4 1:36.76 girls’ 4x200m relay by Converse Judson team of Konstance James, Kiana Horton, Ariel Watson and Talajah Murrell – winning by nearly a second.  Houston Cypress Springs was 2nd with 1:37.72, Klein 3rd with 1:38.15 and Duncanville 4th at 1:38.20.
• US#4 (all-conditions) 13.82w(+2.4) boys’ 5A 110m hurdles by Chevis Armstead (DeSoto junior), with Grant Finney (Allen senior) also under 14 at 13.96w.  Vince Castillo (Donna junior) was 3rd at 14.07w and Yousef Shahin (Cy-Ranch senior) 4th at 14.13w.
• US#5 23.60(+1.3w) girls’ 5A 200m dash for Danyel White (Cedar Hill soph), winning by a clear margin over Kiana Horton (Converse Judson junior) at 23.81.  Also under 24 was LaTessa Johnson (Richardson junior) with 23.93.
• US#5 48-10 girls’ 5A long jump for N’Dia Warren-Jaques (Oak Ridge senior), more than two feet ahead of Meia Gordon (Cy-Creek junior) at 46-9.
• US#6 10.39(+1.9w) boys’ 5A 100m dash by Darrion Flowers (Houston Arlington junior), outleaning Malcolm White (Katy Taylor senior), also 10.39, by nearly the thinnest of margins: .002.  Two more were within .07, with Chris Ntreh (Plano East junior) 3rd at 10.45 and De’Andre Goodley (Midland senior) 4th at 10.46.
• 8:57.75 3,200m run, US#7 4:07.53 1,600 boys’ 5A distance double by Austen Dalquist (Keller senior).  In the 32, he pulled away in the final 400-plus, closing in about 61, followed by Connor Meaux (College Park junior) at 9:07.25, with Zachariah Hamstra (Flower Mound) 3rd at 9:15.61.  In the 16, he closed in 2:02 for the final 800 and won by more than seven seconds over Christopher Williams (College Park senior) at 4:15.01 (giving College Park both runner-up spots).  Logan Emery (The Woodlands senior) was 3rd at 4:15.68.
• US#6 19-7.5(+1.7w) girls’ 5A long jump by Kelsey Johnson (Mansfield Timberview senior), beating Sarea Alexander (SA MacArthur senior) at 19-4(+1.4w).
• US#9 37.01 boys’ 5A 300m hurdles for Vince Castillo (Donna junior), pulling away late as DeWitt Thomas (Kingwood junior) and Roman Hernandez (Harlingen senior) were 2-3 with both at 37.57 (.002 between them).  In 4th was Jesus Serrano (Abilene soph) at 37.66.
• US#10 41.78 girls 5A 300m hurdles by Ariel Jones (Atascocita senior), edging Deonca Bookman (Allen senior) at 41.89.  Raygen Smith (Clear Brook junior) and Markaaisha Richardson (Am Tascoca soph) were 3rd and 4th with 42.40 and 42.58.
• 1:51.61 boys’ 5A 800m run (already US#5 with 1:51.53 PR) by Myles Marshall (Kingwood junior), outrunning Robert Ford (San Antonio Johnson senior) at US#11 1:52.01.  Efrain Hernandez (Killeen Ellison senior) was 3rd at 1:52.27 and Derek Gutierrez (Keller senior) 4th at 1:52.93.  Marshall also ran on the winning 4x4.

More great performances

• 40-11.25w(+2.1) girls’ 3A long jump by Felicienne Axel (Columbus junior), beating two others over 40 feet.
• 64-4.5 boys’ 5A shot put by Felipe Valencia (La Joya Palmview senior), about two feet ahead of Tristen Newman (College Park senior).  A stunning 3rd for freshman Adrian Piperi (The Woodlands) at 60-8.5.
• 46.30 girls’ 5A 4x100m relay by Houston Cypress Springs team of Tramecia Sample, Essance Sample, Kelsey Jordan and Samiyah Samuels.  The first eight teams all broke 46.8, with Cibolo Steele at 46.34, Converse Judson at 46.49 and Kileen Harker Heights 46.55 taking the next three spots.
• 13-6 girls’ 5A pole vault by US#1 and HSR-holding Desiree Freier (Justin Northwest senior), winning her 3rd straight title.  She beat four others who cleared 13-0.
• 16-6 boys’ 5A pole vault by Paulo Benavides (EP Franklin junior), followed by Barrett Poth (Klein Oak senior) at 16-3.
• 10:20.21 girls’ 5A 3,200m run by Devin Clark (SB Smithson Valley junior), barely outkicking Madi McLellan (The Woodlands senior) at 10:20.41.  They were followed by Paige Hofstad (New Braunfels soph) at 10:27.01 and Safiya-Hana Belbina (Flower Mound junior) at 10:31.18.  Clark later took 2nd in the 1,600, with Hofstad 3rd, McLellan 5th and Belbina 7th.
• 24-1.25w(+2.1) boys’ 5A long lump by Trumaine Jefferson (Oak Ridge senior), followed by Ishmael Zamora (Alief Elsik senior) at 23-10.25w(+3.4).
• 6-11 boys’ 5A high jump for Natron Gibson (Arlington Bowie senior), before three misses at 7-1.  In 2nd was previous 7-footer Elton Dyer (South Houston senior) at 6-10 and Tre’ Culver (Lubbock Coronado senior) with 6-9.
• 158-2 girls’ 5A discus throw (already with US#4 165-4 PR) for Jeia Gilliam (Hightower), winning by 4-1/2 feet over Lauryn Caldwell (Dickinson senior) at 153-8.  Yesenia Ruiz (Brownsville Pace senior) was 3rd at 146-7.
• 188-0 boys’ 5A discus throw by Aaron Akens (North Mesquite senior), coming from behind on his 4th throw and beating Duke Kicinski (Northwest senior) at 187-6.  Brian Peterson (RR Cedar Ridge) was 3rd at 182-3.
• 11.66w(+2.4) girls’ 5A 100m dash by Kira White (DeSoto soph), edging Talajah Murrell (Converse Judson junior), also 11.66w, by three-thousandths of a second.  The first five finished within .07, as Taylor Bennett (Klein Collins junior) was 3rd at 11.68w.
• 54.67 girls’ 5A 400m dash by Olamide Olowe (EP El Dorado senior), followed by Elizabeth Osondu (Flower Mound senior) at 54.93 and Jarra Owens (Ft Bend Bush junior) at 55.09.
• 5-9 girls’ 5A high jump for Diayja Sheppard (Arlington Bowie senior) and Latyria Jefferson (DeSoto junior), with Sheppard winning on misses.  Behind them was a 3-way tie for 3rd at 5-6.