In cool, cloudy and breezy weather conditions Thursday evening, Vernon collected three more titles in individual events at Day 2 of the District 7-3A Track & Field Meet in Iowa Park. Vernon also claimed an additional 13 spots in the Area Track & Field Meet scheduled for next week in Graham. The top four finishers in each event qualify for the Area Meet.
Two of those event titles were captured by the same person, as Jackson Aydelott won both the Boys 200 Meter Dash and the Boys 400 Meter Dash. Jackson, the defending Class 3A 400 Meter Dash champion, cruised to the district 400 Meter title with a time of 48.88 seconds. The senior, who will be running track on a scholarship for the University of Wyoming next year, took the title in the 200 Meter Dash with a time of 22.06.
Junior Tru Gipson claimed gold in the Boys 100 Meter Dash with a time of 11.29, which was a personal best.
Vernon’s two second-place finishes in individual events came from Lady Lion Klancy Sherrill. She ran a personal-best time of 16.36 to grab the silver medal in the Girls 100 Meter Hurdles, and was second in the Girls 300 Meter Hurdles with a time of 47.52.
There will be three Lions running at the Area Meet in the 200 Meter Dash, as both Ty Scott and Jamari Chance joined Jackson Aydelott in getting out. Ty finished third with a time of 22.94, which is a personal-best time, and Jamari also had a personal-best time of 23.01 to take fourth.
In the Boys 110 Meter Hurdles Tyce Payne ran a personal-best 16.68 for a fourth-place finish and a berth in the Area Meet.
The Lady Lions advanced to the Area Meet in all three of the girls’ relays, while the Lions advanced in two relays.
The Lady Lions took silver in the Girls 800 Meter Relay with a time of 1:48.23. Running on the relay were Breasha Waggoner, Key’Maria McBride, Klancy Sherrill, and Zayleigh Sweet. The team of Lily Beam, Key’Maria McBride, Breasha Waggoner, and Zayleigh Sweet was third in the Girls 400 Meter Relay with a time of 51.57 seconds, while the quartet of Zayley Horn, Kendell Horn, Key’Maria McBride, and Zayleigh Sweet was third in the Girls Mile Relay with a time of 4:35.59.
The Lions were second in both the Boys 800 Meter Relay and the Boys Mile Relay. Tru Gipson, Jamari Chance, Ty Scott and Kylan Jagiere turned in a time of 1:31.47 in the 800 Meter Relay, and Kylan, Nevan Schur, Ty, and Jackson had a time of 3:25.41 in the Mile Relay.
The Lions’ sprint relay finished second, but were disqualified for running out of the passing zone.
Also finishing in the Top 6 in their events and earning points for their team were: Devin Arthur, fifth in the Boys 800 Meter Run with a time of 2:12.98; Kyndell Horn, sixth in the Girls 800 Meter Run with a time of 2:45.98, a personal best; Kayson Sanders, sixth in the Boys 110 Meter Hurdles with a time of 17.43, a personal best; Ethan Robledo, sixth in the Boys 400 Meter Dash with a time of 54.65; Brek Payne in the Girls 300 Meter Hurdles with a time of 53.08, a personal best; and Mason Ballard, sixth in the Boys 300 Meter Hurdles with a time of 44.52.
Holliday won the overall team district titles in both the Girls Division and the Boys Division. In the Girls Division, Holliday finished with 186 points, while Jacksboro was second with 116, followed by Vernon with 101, Henrietta with 71, City View with 55, Iowa Park with 52, and Bowie with 30. The Lady Lions earned those 101 points with just 21 members on the team.
In the Boys Division, Holliday finished with 182 points, while Vernon had 114 for second place, followed by Bowie with 86, Jacksboro with 83, Iowa Park with 68, City View with 55, and Henrietta with 26.
Vernon finished the two-day district meet with seven event district titles, and 24 spots in the Area Track & Field Meet scheduled for Thursday, April 10, in Graham.