Boys and Girls Track and Field Team Victorious At UIL State Competition
The boys and girls track and field team along with coaches poses together with their newly-won plaques, trophies, and medals from the state competition in Austin.
The boys track and field team won state championships as first place in the state of Texas. They posed with their coaches for a picture with their plaques, trophies, and medals.
The girls track and field team cheered as they pose for a picture with their trophies, plaque, and medals. They won second place overall in state along with wins in other relay races.
Sophomore Kyaliah Davis, junior Avia Jones, and seniors C’Nai Childress, and Nia Hampton pose with their medals and trophy after winning the title of State Champion of the 4x200m relay race.
Seniors Parker Jenkins and Kyan Stringer walks out of the school for the state send-off celebration.
Senior C’Nai Childress, junior Tenia Morris, senior LaTavia Smith, senior Nia Hampton, and sophomore Kyaliah Davis start to line up outside of the school for the send-off celebration.
The girls track and field team lines up for the state send-off celebration.
Seniors C’Nai Childress and Parker Jenkins gets called to the front by administrator Kristen Hardaway to give a brief speech at the send off.
Administrator Kristen Hardaway holds the megaphone up to senior C’Nai Childress. She gave a short speech about going to state. Senior Parker Jenkins smiles as he looks on.
Senior Parker Jenkins gives a short speech through the megaphone stating his and his team’s mindset statement before going to state.
Senior A’lsayah Brown, sophomore Justin Williams, junior Jelani Watkins, and senior Parker Jenkins walk out towards the front of the school entrance after being recognized during the send off.
Senior C’Nai Childress speaks into the microphone as ABC13 sports reporter Joe Gleason interviews her about the send off and going to state.
Senior Kyan Stringer speaks about going to state in an interview with ABC13 sports reporter Joe Gleason.
ABC13 news reporter Joe Gleason calls over junior Ahmir Robinson over to get interviewed. Junior Jelani Watkins smiled towards them.
Senior Terrence Morris and junior Ahmir Robinson gets interviewed by ABC13 news reporter Joe Gleason.
Seniors A’lsayah Brown and Terrence Morris looks at the performers during the send-off.
Sophomore Makayla Baptiste, junior Tenia Morris, junior Avia Jones, sophomore Kyaliah Davis, senior C’Nai Childress, sophomore Zuhnyae Little, and senior LaTavia Smith stands in front of the school after being recognized as runners going to state.
The girls track and field team poses together for a group photo for ABC13 sports reporter Joe Gleason’s camera.
Both the girls and boys track team join the cheerleaders and Golddusters to dance with uplifting music in the background.
Both the girls and boys track team join the cheerleaders and Golddusters to dance with uplifting music in the background.
The band plays for the track send off. They cheered and provided live music that boosted up the team’s confidence.
The band raises their instruments as part of the routine and cheered out.
The band raises their instruments as part of the routine and cheered out.
Senior Jo Hernandez gives a thumbs up towards the camera as the band ends their performance for the send off.
Cheerleaders senior Yelda Larios, junior Erin Prudhomme, sophomore Cyncere Walls, and junior Gabriela Cruz pose for a picture. They got ready to cheer both the girls and boys track and field team on for their state competition.
Cheerleaders senior Helen Perez, senior Xitlaly Diosdado, freshman Rhyan Walker, sophomore Brianna Jefferson, and freshman Christin Adams pose for a picture. They got ready to cheer both the girls and boys track and field team on for their state competition.
Zooming by the district, state, and regional UIL competitions, the girls and boys track and field team both took home wins on their UIL Track and Field state meet on Saturday.
The boys track team won team state championships for the second time in Klein Forest track history, with the school record broken by the team of junior Jaden Galloway, senior Parker Jenkins, junior Ahmir Robinson and junior Jelani Watkins with a time of 40.01 seconds in the 400-meter relay race with 58 points.
“I did good on holding my form, getting up to top speed quickly and passing the stick off fast enough so we could stay in the race,” junior Ahmir Robinson said. “Earning another state championship felt good, it made me want to cry tears of joy.”
The girls track team also came home as the state Runner-Up (second overall in state) but clinched the title of state champions with first place in the 4×100 and 4×200 relay races. The group consisted of junior Avia Jones, senior C’Nai Childress, senior Nia Hampton, and sophomore Kyaliah Davis. For the 4×100, they were timed at 45.11 seconds and the 4×200, one minute, 35.37 seconds.
“I can say it kind of feels unreal, but also well-earned,” senior C’Nai Childress said. “I’m glad to say that I finished my years of highschool winning a championship [at] my last state track meet. I can say that I left a good mark for my last name, and I’m ready to go compete at the next level.”
The athletes trained for months and surpassed many high schools on their journey to state including the other Klein ISD high schools. Crowds of students and staff gathered last Friday to cheer the runners on for their state send off. Junior Jelani Watkins said he would “let everything take care of itself.”
And he did. Watkins claimed first place for the 200 meter race in addition to his team win and won the title of state champion.
“I’m just gonna take it all in and enjoy it,” Watkins said in an interview with Joe Gleason, an ABC13 news reporter. “I love them [my team] to death. We all got our different ways of locking in; I just had to let them do them. We’ve been working for that [state champions] so it’s glad to say we did it.”
Editors Note: The story was edited to correct the name of the UIL state meet. For full results, click here.
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Novella McGinnis • May 31, 2023 at 7:23 am
I am so proud of these young people who set KF on the map. We’re proud of you all, and I hope you continue to be proud of the things that you have accomplish. Congratulations!!!