Track will be competing in the UIL regional meet at UTA’s Maverick Stadium on April 29-30. The meet will begin at 9 a.m. on both days: Friday will be prelims and Saturday will be finals. Tickets can be purchased online or in person at the meet. 

“Anything can happen,” head coach Montrell Pyron said. “This is kind of when you get to a point in the season where there [are] lots of highly competitive teams, and you just kind of surprise yourself.” 

Pyron said all three field records have a chance of being broken at regionals by the students who currently hold the records: senior Skylar Bohlman for shot put and discus, junior Brayden Jones for pole vault and senior Kelis Armstrong for triple jump.

“I’ve been working on not overthinking and making sure I do what I need to do,” Armstrong said. “At area, I did bad on certain jumps just because I stopped doing what I was supposed to do. I tried to switch it up. I just try to shake my nerves and go in. Usually I just try to keep a clear head.”

The athletes who place in the top two for each event within each region will progress to state in Austin from May 12-14. For each event, the third place with the best mark or time in the region will also go to state as a “wildcard” athlete. 

“We knew getting a district title was going to be difficult for us, so our big focus was [to] put people in events that they’re going to make it as far [in],” Pyron said. “Now for regionals, the goal is obviously making it to state. It doesn’t matter what position you’re in, you have the chance to get there. All you have to do is make it to finals then get in the top two.”

Senior Owen English, sophomore Sean Horton, sophomore Dylan Goodrich, junior Trenton Brounaugh, sophomore Jaden Henry and senior CJ Dixon will be competing in the 4×200-meter relay. Last year, the 4×400-meter relay team advanced to state, and English said he is trying to live up to that team’s legacy since he was sidelined last year due to an injury.

“We’re ranked fourth for our 4×200,” English said. “To be second, we’re only 0.3 [seconds] off. I’ve been trying to keep the team focused when it comes to handoffs for relays and just making sure everyone is doing the right thing. It’s going to be a really close race, but we’re going to do everything we can to try to get to state.” 

Pyron said he does not want to negate the accomplishment it took the athletes to get to regionals since district and area are not easy.

“You get some of the best of the best in Texas that show up [to this meet,]” Pyron said. “Making it there is an accomplishment in itself. The goal is state, and we’ve been talking about it a lot this season. I always say after we go to one of our championship meets — district, area and region — a quote from Kobe Bryant: ‘job’s not finished.’”