Canyon Lady Eagles win team title, Spearman's Thompson highlights

AUSTIN — The Class 4A girls UIL state track and field title is coming back to the Panhandle.

Canyon scored 70 points as a team behind three medals from junior Abree Winfrey, two silvers from distance runner Hannah Stuart and one silver by pole vaulter Kashlee Dickinson and a comeback win in the 1,600 to cap off the team's historic day.

"It was fun," said Canyon coach Ray Baca, who squad won its first state title since 2019. "Hannah Stuart sets a PR right off the bat and I felt like things were going to get rolling after that and they did. We had several PR's today. … We picked up a couple that we thought we wouldn't and then we lost a couple, so we were kind of even the whole way."

Winfrey began her day with a dominant win in the 800 in two minutes, 14.42 seconds before a second-place finish in the 300 hurdles and set the tone as the anchor leg of the 1,600 relay.

The junior finished second just .08 seconds behind the winner and was upset with her performance. After her second straight year of finishing with the silver in that event, Winfrey wanted to show her relay teammates Thalia Solis, Whitney Willeford and Brooklyn Kinsey that she would not be beaten again.

During the final relay, she took the baton from Kinsey and quickly eliminated any gap between herself and the gold medal. Winfrey passed the Kennedale runner for first with around 30 meters to go and crossed the finish line to an eruption of cheers from the Canyon fans in the crowd.

"I had already gotten a silver medal, I didn't want another one," said Winfrey, who has secured five gold medals in the last two seasons.

Canyon capped off a stellar season with six different girls finishing their respective events with a spot on the podium. This is the Lady Eagles' second state track title in the past four years under Baca and there rightfully should be some chatter about a potential dynasty brewing just south of Amarillo.

Throwing another thought: last season, Canyon netted 70 points and finished runner-up at state in the team standings.

"These girls are so tough and so resilient," Baca said. "We put a lot on them. There are some people that aren't happy that we work out on spring break or on Easter weekend when other people are taking off and we're going to meets. Our kids just adapt to it. We have a bunch of hardworking kids."

Thompson wins pair of golds

Spearman senior and the University of Texas commit Brenen Thompson prevailed in both the 100 and 200 at the state meet on Thursday evening.

Thompson placed first in the 100 with a time of 10.24 seconds before once again leaving the competition behind in the 200 with mark of 20.73 seconds to win his second straight state gold in the event.

"It feels good," Thompson said following the 200. "I knew coming into this and especially before that race that (the record) was beatable. I went out there and got it."

Thompson leaves behind a legacy that will have him talked about in Texas Panhandle sports circles for decades to come.

Emptying the Notebook

► Spearman sophomore Braylen Lusby won a silver medal in the 800 (2:19.59) in her first state appearance in that event and finished ninth in the 300 hurdles (48.46) later in the day. Lusby had placed ififth last spring as a freshman in the 300 hurdles.

On the boys' side, Spearman junior Jeb Garnett won a bronze medal in the 110 hurdles (14.83) in his first trip to the UIL state meet.

► Muleshoe sophomore Daniel Sianez claimed a bronze medal in the 400 (49.47) in what was a neck-and-neck race with the other top finishers.

► Canyon freshman girls distance runner Avery Brown finished fourth in the 1,600 (5:10.92) and fifth in the 800 (2:19.27).

► The Bushland Lady Falcon 1,600 team of Joscelin Watson, Kenley King, Sloane Hale, and Ellie Frye won the bronze (3:58.11) while the Dumas boys 1,600 team of Emmanuel Ibanez, Brayden Boggs-Rushing, Juan Romero, and Oliver Ortiz will take the silver (3:19.53) back to the Panhandle.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Canyon wins team title, Spearman's Thompson sets records in 100 & 200