The Wylie East girls’ track and field team poses for pictures after winning the team title at the District 9-6A meet April 4 at Williams Stadium. Photo by David Wolman / C&S Media

By David Wolman

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Weather conditions were less than ideal for the District 9-6A track and field meet from Williams Stadium.

Cooler than normal temperatures settled over Garland, but Sachse, Wylie and Wylie East didn’t let the chilly weather deter them from the ultimate goal – a berth in their respective area meets.

All three schools put forth solid performances and qualified multiple athletes for this Thursday’s area meet at Wylie Stadium.

For the Wylie East girls, in particular, it was a week to remember. 

The Lady Raiders qualified for the area meet in 15 events while crowning a whopping eight district champions – all part of an all-around effort for Wylie East, which captured their first District 9-6A title in runaway fashion; the Lady Raiders amassed 211 points, 72 more than runner-up Sachse (139) and 142 ahead of third-place Wylie (69).

Landry Titsworth set the tone for the Lady Raiders by capturing first place in the girls’ long jump with a clearance of 17-11.25. 

Wylie East’s girls’ 4×100 relay of Maranata Tadesse, Alauna Booker, Precious Akpati and Egypt Baxter posted a winning time of 47.49. The 4×200 of Baxter, Titsworth, Ava Bradshaw and Alauna Booker won in 1:42.33. The Lady Raiders made it a clean sweep of the relays after Bradshaw, Adaze Ejikeme, Oluwaseyi Ajakaiye and Maranata Tadesse crossed the finish line in first place at Williams Stadium in a time of 4:03.3.

Tadesse added a third gold medal in the 400 (59.3) and also qualified for area in the 100 hurdles (3^rd, 14.9), Madison Akers won the 800-meter run (2:27.84) and added silver in the 3,200 (2^nd, 11:58.07), while Akpati captured the 9-6A title in the 100 dash (12.15) to go along with fourth place in the 200 (25.57).

Eliana Young edged the competition to win the girls’ high jump with a height of 5-feet, 6-inches.

As for the Wylie East boys, Tyree Washington dominated in the triple jump, recording a winning leap of 45-9.75.

Jayden Young picked up a pair of victories in the hurdles, winning the 100 hurdles in 14.35 and the 300 hurdles with a time of 38.3.

Other area qualifiers for Wylie East include: Jamal Olford (100-meter dash, 3^rd, 11.02), boys’ 4×100 relay of Charles Perry, Eruvwetaghware Oghenrukevwe, Olford and Howard Fisher (2^nd, 42.83), boys’ 4×200 of Amarean Porter, Jon Connelly, Fisher, Oghenrukevwe (4^th, 1:31.22), Michael Price (3,200, 2^nd, 10:00.32), Nash Chapman (discus, 2^nd, 132-11), King Baribe (long jump, 3^rd, 21-4.75; triple jump, 3^rd, 42-0), Hudson Sepe (pole vault, 2^nd, 12-6), Booker (girls’ 100-meter dash, 3^rd, 12.26), Baxter (200, 2^nd, 25.36), Ajakaiye (400, 2^nd, 59.49), Kaylin Caruso (100 hurdles, 2^nd, 14.54), Bradshaw (long jump, 2^nd, 17-1.75), Avery Reynolds (pole vault, 2^nd, 10-6) and Tadesse (triple jump, 2^nd, 36-9). 

Wylie crowned three individual champions on the boys’ side. 

Zachary Brumfield paced a dominant effort for the Pirates in middle-distance running. He won the 800-meter run with a time of 2:00.18. Later in the meet, he teamed with Camden Love, Erik Pope and Aaron Lewis in the 4×400, with Wylie capturing first place with a 3:26.43.

Lewis added a second area qualification in the 400 (2^nd, 49.07), while Love will compete on his home track this Thursday in the 4×100, boys’ 4×100 with Trystan Hutchinson, Will McCoy and Erik Pope (4^th, 43.14) and 300 hurdles (2^nd, 39.25).

Ethan McGillan won the district title in the pole vault with a height of 14-feet even.

Cash Nweze was crowned champion in the boys’ high jump with a clearance of 6-4.

Other area qualifiers for Wylie include: Landon Cooper (800, 2^nd, 2:03.43; 1,600, 4^th, 4:44.8), Thorne Owen (800, 4^th, 2:03.76), Noah Smith (pole vault, 3^rd, 12-6), Kinsley Ferguson (girls’ 1,600, 4^th, 5:43.96), Inya Yarbough (300 hurdles, 4^th, 45.69), Mollie Laughery (pole vault, 4^th, 9-6), Rielyn Colclassure (high jump, 3^rd, 5-0), Nailah Echols (triple jump, 3^rd, 36-4), Mia Cobb (triple jump, 4^th, 36-3), girls’ 4×100 of Jaida Simpson, Madison Kemp, Kennedy Butler and Ronelsye Hartfield (3^rd, 48.85), girls’ 4×200 of Simpson, Kemp, Butler and Hartfield (2^nd, 1:43.27) and girls’ 4×400 of Ida Varghese, Nadia Hawkins, Anya Yarbough and Imani Yarbough (4^th, 4:10.5).

Sachse also impressed, winning a total of six individual District 9-6A championships.

Abigail Leonard and Samuel Ledbetter set the tone for the Mustangs in long-distance running. 

Leonard won the girls’ 3,200-meter run in a time of 11:39.74 and the 1,600 with a 5:41.05. Her time in the 3,200 was 18 seconds faster than her nearest competitor. Ledbetter, meanwhile, won the boys’ 3,200 with a time of 9:54 and the 1,600 in 4:38.78. 

Kamryn Harry won two district titles of his own, capturing the 9-6A title in the 100-meter dash (10.59) and 400-meter run (49.07). Harry added a third area qualification in the 200 (2^nd, 21.79).

Cameryn Fair was crowned district champion in the 200, posting a winning a time of 24.9. She qualified for the area meet in three individual events. Fair took second in the 100 dash in 12.21 and was also third in the long jump with a leap of 17-2.

Other area qualifiers for Sachse are: Ozzy Heredia (800, 3^rd, 2:03.59), Dominic Richardson (1,600, 3^rd, 4:41.54), Roman Rabel (3,200, 3^rd, 10:08), Sadiki Mburu (3,200, 4^th, 10:16.48), Ngozi Ofili (high jump, 4^th, 6-0), Elliot Haas (pole vault, 4^th, 11-6), boys’ 4×40 of Jackson Chapman, Hekma Harrison, Josh Eziagwu and Cory Taylor (4^th, 3:32.6), Alicia Payne (400, 4^th, 1:00.27; 800, 2^nd, 2:28.25), Arora Dinh Ngo (800, 3^rd, 2:29.87; 1,600, 3^rd, 5:43.48; 3,200, 3^rd, 12:16.02), Kyla George (pole vault, 3^rd, 9-6), Shamyra Hamilton (shot put, 3^rd, 33-11.5), girls’ 4×100 of Channing Phillips, Tierney Wesley, Jaeda Bradshaw and Maicen Keefer (2^nd, 48.2), 4×200 of Phillips, Wesley, Bradshaw and Keefer (3^rd, 1:44.54) and 4×400 of Phillips, Wesley, Trinity Thompson and Payne (2^nd, 4:07.58).