Summer Creek boys win second-ever title, first as Class 6A program
Shelton Ervin's team went through a lot this year.
In fact, the word the veteran coach would use to describe it is a stressful one.
From dealing with the day-to-day obstacle of COVID-19, the Summer Creek community also went through and is still healing from the tragic and sudden loss of teammate Kylie Pope, who passed away a few weeks ago in an ATV accident.
Winning the Class 6A State Championship on Saturday night, scoring 54 points, was for the community, the team and for Kylie.
"That was sudden and it really shocked our community," Ervin said of Kylie's passing. "Battling through COVID, we lost a couple of individuals that were supposed to be a part of our team to make us even stronger and the next man stepped up. The support that we've gotten from our community and our school has been outstanding and that really catapulted us into this position that we're in now."
Senior Jalen Rivers added: "We definitely did this for her. It really hurt us, we were really trying to push through for her and make sure we win state and honor her. It's great to see."
It was a balanced attack from Summer Creek all day long.
First, Jalen Rivers won the high jump, clearing 6-foot-9, then Kevin Grubbs shocked the stadium with a 207-foot-1-inch final throw in the discus to win that title. Then Barry Richards, flying down the track with his red-dyed hair, brought the crowd to their feet in his 110-meter hurdle win.
That was 30 of the Bulldogs' eventual 54 points.
"Last year our season got stripped away and we were predicted to be state champions again," Grubbs said. "I just love how we all came together, strived and get first."
The final points came from the 800-meter run and the second-place 4x400-meter relay finish to push them over the top. In the end, Summer Creek stood atop the boys track & field world with a complete team victory.
"This is all for the community and for the Houston area when it's all said and done," Ervin said. "These kids deserve it." '
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DeSoto girls win second-straight State Championship
DeSoto won the program's ninth overall state championship on Saturday night, scoring 72 points.
The Lady Eagles took third in the 4x100, won the 4x200 and took second in the 4x400 meter relays and then also garnered points from their hurdlers and 100-meter dash runner to rack up the monster points.
DeSoto has now tied Dallas Skyline with their ninth for second-most all-time. They have won the last six Class 6A State Championships.
What a Show!: 4x100 meter relay come down to 1,000ths of a second
The relays always provide a good show and this year was no different.
In the first boy's relay of the night, the top three were separated by a total of 17 thousandths of a second. That is a fraction of a fraction of a second.
Cedar Hill, Tompkins, and Alief Taylor battled neck and neck down the stretch and it took a photo finish. In the end, Cedar Hill crossed the line at 40.483, while Tompkins took second at 40.490 (a difference of 0.007 seconds) and then it was Alief Taylor crossing at 40.50.
Hands down one of the best finishes of the day.
Men's 100-meter dash comes down to a 1,000th of a second
You thought the 4x100-meter relay was crazy, the 100-meter dash was a classic as well.
In the final stretch, it came down to Jose Garcia of SA Harlingen and Connor Washington of College Park. The two duked it out down the track and in the end, Washington even lunged a bit and fell to the track across the finish line.
When the final times popped up on the big video board inside Mike Myers Stadium it was Garcia in first at 10 seconds flat and Washington in second at 10 seconds flat. In the end, it was a thousandth of a second that seperated them (Garcia 9.998 and Washington at 9.999).
Cinco Ranch's Flynt wins shot put, discus crowns
Vikings have always fascinated Amelia Flynt.
The Cinco Ranch senior does her blonde hair up in a Vikings braid since her freshman season and prior to the District meet started she wanted to push it over the top.
"I looked up the Viking look," Flynt said. "A lot of them had this paint on their face, which a lot looked like football players and I didn't want that and then I saw what I have now. I was like, that's it."
Down the right side of her face Flynt put maroon and gold paint and on the left some blue streaks on her cheek.
"It's war paint."
Flynt went to war on Saturday in the shot put and discus. In her first event of the day, Flynt tossed the shot put 46-feet-5-inches to win the state title. Later in the day, the senior hurled the discus 173-feet-7 inches to win that state championship.
She is the first state champion from Cinco Ranch since 2005.
Denton Guyer's Brown smashes own State and UIL record
Heading into the 3200-meter race on Saturday morning, the clear favorite for the 6A girls state title was Denton Guyer's Brynn Brown.
The North Carolina-signee was the state record holder from 2019 and had the fastest time coming into the meet. Brown ran away from the competition and smashed her own Class 6A and overall state record posting a time of 9:58.77.
Summer Creek's Jalen Rivers wins Boys High Jump
This was a moment that the Summer Creek senior had been waiting for all year long. He had worked for it since the summer, and at one point was considering a different jump.
In the end, the high jump was the right choice.
Jalen Rivers cleared 6-foot-9-inches on Saturday morning to win the Class 6A high jump state championship.
"At the beginning of the year I was trying to do long jump and [Coach Lang] kicked me out, it wasn't for me, I'm glad he did," Rivers said. "The high jump was the better approach. He helped me out lifting and staying strong."
Bryce Foster - Katy Taylor Interview
State Champ 🎙: @ktaylortrack senior @BryceFoster5 talks with the media following his big toss of 71-feet-1 inch to win the 6A state championship in the shot put. #UILState @KatyISDAthletic @katyisd @HTownHSS @KPRC2RandyMc @ToddFreed57 @ktaylortrack @TaylorMustangFB @TTFCA pic.twitter.com/mVHSAEP72B
— VYPE Houston (@vypehouston) May 8, 2021
Ashton Torns, Austin Westlake - Interview
State Champ 🎙: @WHSChaps sophomore Ashton Torns took gold in the 6A long jump as a sophomore. We caught up with Torns who has Olympic dreams. #UILState @ChapBasketball @Westlake_Nation @TTFCA @TXMileSplit pic.twitter.com/APr3tGpKsP
— VYPE Austin (@VypeATX) May 8, 2021
FULL RESULTS
Girls Shot Put
State Champ: Amelia Flynt, Cinco Ranch (46-5)
2nd Place: Lilly Rodel, Conroe (45-8)
3rd Place: Sophia Haberer, Northside Brandeis (44-4.25)
Boys Shot Put
State Champ: Bryce Foster, Katy Taylor (71-1)
2nd Place: Jacob Tracy, Lake Travis (63-7.50)
3rd Place: Matthew Rueff, Seven Lakes (61-2)
Girls High Jump
State Champ: Kennedy Doakes, The Woodlands (5-9)
2nd Place: Abigail Morrow, New Braunfels (5-8)
3rd Place: Claire Lowrey, Rockwall (5-8)
Boys High Jump
State Champ: Jalen Rivers, Summer Creek (6-9)
2nd Place: Turey Stoudemire, The Woodlands (6-8)
3rd Place: Anston Bryant-Kelly, San Antonio East Central (6-8)
Boys 3200M Run
State Champ: Luke Lambert, Wylie (9:13.75)
2nd Place: Alfredo Riena Corona, Haltom City Haltom (9:14.13)
3rd Place: Chris Daniels, Klein (9:14.35)
Girls 3200M Run
State Champ: Brynn Brown, Denton Guyer (9:58.77)*New State Record
2nd Place: Sophie Atkinson, Cinco Ranch (10:09.21)
3rd Place: Heidi Nielson, Cinco Ranch (10:23.14)
Girls Long Jump
State Champ: Keviah Ealy, Rockwall (19-8.25)
2nd Place: Kaitlyn Duhon, Summer Creek (19-8.25)
3rd Place: Alexis Tilford-Rutherford, George Ranch (19-7)
Boys Long Jump
State Champ: Ashton Torns, Westlake (24-1.25)
2nd Place: Jose Garcia, Harlingen (24-1)
3rd Place: Jayden Keys, Tompkins (23-11.25)
Girls Discus
State Champ: Amelia Flynt, Cinco Ranch (173-7)
2nd Place: Chrystal Herpin, Pearland Dawson (166-11)
3rd Place: Emma Sralla, Lewisville Marcus (163-10)
Boys Pole Vault
State Champ: Jack Mann, Lake Travis (16-4.75)
2nd Place: Colton Rhodes, Klein Cain (16)
3rd Place: Robert Postell, Bridgeland (15-6)
Girls Discus
State Champ: Amelia Flynt, Cinco Ranch (173-7)
2nd Place: Chrystal Herpin, Pearland Dawson (166-11)
3rd Place: Emma Sralla, Lewisville Marcus (163-10)
Boys Discus
State Champ: Kevin Grubbs, Summer Creek (207-1)
2nd Place: Jacob Tracy, Lake Travis (195-9)
3rd Place: Bryce Foster, Katy Taylor (191-1)
Boys Pole Vault
State Champ: Jack Mann, Lake Travis (16-4.75)
2nd Place: Colton Rhodes, Klein Cain (16)
3rd Place: Robert Postell, Bridgeland (15-6)
Girls Pole Vault
State Champ: Emily Fitzsimmons, Lake Travis (13-9)
2nd Place: Skyler Schuller, Coppell (13-6)
3rd Place: Olivia Lueking, Clear Creek (13-6)
Girls Triple Jump
State Champ: Brya Brewer, Cedar Hill (42-7.50)
2nd Place: Alexis Tilford-Rutherford, George Ranch (40-7.50)
3rd Place: Kennedy Doakes, The Woodlands (39-5)
Boys Triple Jump
State Champ: Jaden Patterson, Atascocita (50-7)
2nd Place: Donald Lee, Klein Collins (49-3.25)
3rd Place: Charles Demmings, Mesquite Horn (48-4.50)
Girls 4X100 Meter Relay
State Champ: Seven Lakes (44.89)
2ND Place: San Antonio Reagan (45.0)
3rd Place: DeSoto (45.22)
Boys 4x100 Meter Relay
State Champ: Cedar Hill (40.483)2nd Place: Katy Tompkins (40.490)
3rd Place: Alief Taylor (40.50)
Girls 800 METER
State Champ: Aubrey O'Connell, Prosper (2:08.64)
2nd Place: Kennedy Wade, Clear Falls (2:10.51)
3rd Place: Amalie Mills, Comal Smithson Valley (2:11.69)
Boys 800 Meter Race
State Champ: Joshua English, The Woodlands (1:50.95)
2nd Place: Darius Rainey, Summer Creek (1:52.48)
3rd Place: Isaac Barrera, Lewisville Hebron (1:52.56)
Girls 100-Meter Hurdles
State Champ: Jalaysi'ya Smith, DeSoto (12.93)
2nd Place: Destiny Smith, Dickinson (13.22)
3rd Place: Jaiya Covington, Eisenhower (13.28)
Boys 110-Meter Hurdles
State Champ: Barry Richards, Summer Creek (13.31)
2nd Place: TJ Caldwell, Northwest Nelson (13.63)
3rd Place: Sam Alves, Rockwall (13.75)
Girls 100-Meter Dash
State Champ: Jasmine Montgomery, San Antonio Reagan (11.09)
2nd Place: Saniya Friendly, Schertz Clemens (11.44)
3rd Place: Camryn Dickson, Clear Brook (11.47)
Boys 100-Meter Dash
State Champ: Jose Garcia, Harlingen (9.98)
2nd Place: Connor Washington, College Park (9.99)
3rd Place: De'montray Callis, Alief Taylor (10.16)
Girls 4X200 Meter Relay
State Champ: DeSoto (1:36.93)
2nd Place: FB Bush (1:37.69)
3rd Place: Shadow Creek (1:37.91)
Boys 4X200 Meter Relay
State Champ: Cedar Hill (1:23.99)
2nd Place: Cypress Ridge (1:24.27)
3rd Place: Killeen Shoemaker (1:24.40)
Girls 400 Meter
State Champ: Kennedy Wade, Clear Falls (52.72)
2nd Place: Haley Tate, Seven Lakes (52.97)
3rd Place: Ariana Sutton, Schertz Clemens (54.68)
Boys 400 Meter
State Champ: Charlie Bartholomew, McKinney Boyd (47.27)
2nd Place: William Marshall, Ft Worth Paschal (48.11)
3rd Place: Aaron Cooper, Cypress Woods (48.27)
Girls 300-Meter Hurdles
State Champ: Morgan Taylor, Summer Creek (42.28)
2nd Place: Jalaysi'ya Smith, DeSoto (42.46)
3rd Place: Destiny Smith, Dickinson (42.65)
Boys 300-Meter Hurdles
State Champ: Bryce McCray, George Ranch (36.27)
2nd Place: Denzel Hinds, Northside Health Careers (36.28)
3Rd Place: Cameron Boger, Mesquite (36.69)
Girls 200 Meter
State Champ: Jasmine Montgomery, SA Reagan (22.94)
2nd Place: Camryn Dickson, Clear Brook (23.28)
3rd Place: Ani Vea Gilbert, Spring Westfield (23.60)
Boys 200 Meter
State Champ: Connor Washington, College Park (20.39)
2nd Place: Jose Garcia, Harlingen (20.59)
3rd Place: Tyler King, Alief Taylor (20.74)
Girls 1600 Meter Run
State Champ: Brynn Brown, Denton Guyer (4:41.29)
2nd Place: Sophie Atkinson, Cinco Ranch (4:42.84)
3rd Place: Heidi Nielson, Cinco Ranch (4:51.23)
Boys 1600 Meter Run
State Champ: Luke Lambert, Wylie (4:14.62)
2nd Place: Anthony Gregory, Strake Jesuit (4:15.32)
3rd Place: Emanuel Galdino, Stratford (4:16.95)
Girls 4X400 Meter Relay
State Champ: Seven Lakes (3:44.23)
2nd Place: DeSoto (3:45.06)
3rd Place: Clear Falls (3:46.86)
Boys 4X400 Meter Relay
State Champ: College Park (3:13.37)
2nd Place: Summer Creek (3:15.59)
3rd Place: George Ranch (3:16.65)
