Port Arthur Memorial moves stick around in 39.80

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

The quality of the sprint relays in Texas -- always exceptional -- hit near all-time highs Friday at the Texas UIL state championships in Austin. 

Ireon Brown, Kary Vincent, Xavier Hull and Deandre Angelle clocked 39.80 to win the Class 5A 4x100 relay. 

That's the first sub-40 performance by a U.S. high school team since 2001 and the second fastest in history behind the squad from Wyatt TX in 1998 that ran 39.76. 

Manvel was right behind Memorial with No, 6 all-time 40.08 in a race that saw an astonishing six teams go under 41 seconds.

Then, they did again in the 4x200 relay. Port Arthur Memorial ran 1:23.52, second only to Wyatt's 1998 national high school record 1:23.31. And Manvel was again second in 1:24.05 -- No. 10 all-time.

Vincent later came back and won the Class 5A 200 meters in 20.71 seconds. 

Relay points are double in Texas, so the relay victory was worth 20 points and Vincent's 200 is worth 10. 

The state meet concludes Saturday.

Finals                                                                       
  1 Port Arthur Memorial                                  39.80*  20         
     1) 4418 Brown, Ireon 09            2) 4425 Vincent, Kary 12             
     3) 4421 Hull, Xavier 11            4) 4417 Angelle, Deandre 12          
  2 Manvel                                                40.08   16         
     1) 4280 Jolivette, Caleb 12        2) 4283 Scott, Kameron 11            
     3) 4279 Johnson, Aaron 12          4) 4275 Colbert, Jaren 12            
  3 Lancaster                                             40.31   12         
     1) 4196 Jessie, LT 12              2) 4191 Bradford, Kevontre 09        
     3) 4194 Hollis, Jordan 12          4) 4195 Jackson, Tylin 10            
  4 Waxahachie                                            40.33    8         
     1) 4709 Reagor, Jalen 12           2) 4712 Snell, Kenedy 12             
     3) 4711 Sargent, De'veon 12        4) 4708 Jackson, Keontrey 12         
  5 Corsicana                                             40.69    4         
     1) 3790 Foster-Hooks, Zantyler 11  2) 3794 Polk, JaMicah 12             
     3) 3789 Blair, Adonte 12           4) 3793 Nathan, Derrion 11           
  6 FW Trimble Tech                                       40.84    2         
     1) 3987 Williams, Isom 10          2) 3985 Everly, Keishawn 11          
     3) 3988 Woodard, Gabriel 10        4) 3984 Brawner, Paul 11             
  7 Austin LBJ                                            41.42              
     1) 3585 Simms, Reggie 10           2) 3586 Thomas, Trelyn               
     3) 3584 Scott, Jaleel 09           4) 3583 McDonald, Tyron 11           
  8 FW South Hills                                        41.46              
     1) 3978 Hobdy, Darius 10           2) 3981 Wallace, Tylan 12            
     3) 3979 Jackson, Kryan 10          4) 3976 Blue, James 11               
  9 Angleton                                              41.71              
     1) 3558 Ross, My'Kell 11           2) 3556 Hawkins, Evrin 11            
     3) 3559 Vallecilla, Javier 12      4) 3561 Williams, Tamerik 11