High school track: Gregory-Portland's Harrison claims three titles at district meet
Colton Harrison had expectations of making it through to the area meet in all of his events, starting with the discus on Wednesday.
Though he fell short in his first event, he won his next three events and helped cap Gregory-Portland's meet by anchoring the Wildcats to a third place finish in the 1,600-meter relay, completing a strong meet that started anything but.
"There were definitely ups and downs," Harrison said. "I didn't make it out in discus, and I really wanted to, but in the other three I competed well. I had a close race in the 110s and I was able to pull it out and it has been a successful meet."
Harrison followed his sixth-place finish in the boys discus (132-feet, 5.5-inches) with district titles in pole vault (14-0) and both hurdle events. He clocked 15.04 in the 110 hurdles, edging Ray's Tyler Gatewood (15.09) but had some separation in the 300 hurdles, turning in 39.78 seconds, nearly a second ahead of Veterans Memorial's Temoc Zamora.
"I had some PRs (or personal record) and some positive races," Harrison said. "It has been a good meet."
Harrison has his eyes set on returning to Austin, after qualifying in pole vault as a sophomore, finishing fourth with a height of 15-6.
Earlier this season, he topped that mark by clearing 15-7 at the Texas Relays and he feels those big meet experiences could help him as he tries to qualify for the state meet again.
"The experience will help calm me down in some of the meets leading up to state," Harrison said. "I've been in that position before and it helps me that I'm used it."
Champs again
While the Flour Bluff boys coasted to the boys district title, 85 points ahead of second place, the Gregory-Portland girls overcame early issues of their own to hold off the host Hornets to win the girls team title.
G-P bounced back from a seventh-place finish in the 400 relay to hold off Flour Bluff 168.6-161 for the 11th district championship under coach Damaris King.
The Ladycats had to finish better than fourth in the 1,600 relay to ensure they would hold off the Hornets, who won the final event of the meet.
"We were doing math throughout," King said. "We had misfortune early on in the meet. We just kind of rallied the troops and told them that we needed all hands on deck, we needed spirit and encouraging each other throughout the meet.
"They all came together as a team and it culminated in a great way in the mile relay and winning the district championship."
Zoey Flores won the 800 and 1,600 for the G-P girls for their only titles on Thursday. Kiera Vest (discus) and Tristen Grimes (pole vault) won field events, but the Ladycats earn several of their points in shot put, pole vault and the 300 hurdles with three finishers in the top four in each event.
The Bluff boys were paced by Zach Dewalt, who earned boys high point honors, winning district titles in the 100, triple jump and as the anchor of the 400 relay and 800 relay. The junior also finished third in long jump.
"The kids all understand the role they play and the big picture," Flour Bluff coach Clynt Elwood said. "Some people say track is an individual sport, but at Flour Bluff it is not. Everybody gets a chance to compete. They are extremely competitive, very coachable and our assistant coaches do a great job.
"That is what stands out about our culture here. Our assistant coaches are just as good as anybody else in the area."
The Hornets swept all three relays and finished 1-2 in the 100, 200, 400 and triple jump.
The top four finishers in each event advanced to the District 29-5A/30-5A area meet scheduled for Wednesday, April 19 at Flour Bluff.
Noteworthy
• Flour Bluff all-around athletic star Margaret Croft earned girls high point honors for the meet. She won the 400 (1:00.24) and the long jump (17-6.5) and anchored the 1,600 relay to a district crown.
She also finished third in the 100 with a time of 12.95 seconds.
• Jackson Lovvorn, Diego Canto of King and Bradley Griffin (Carroll) followed Wednesday's podium finish in the 3,200-meter run by finishing 1-2-3 again in the 1,600.
Griffin led for more than three laps of the 1,600 before Lovvorn and Canto kicked to snag the top two spots.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: G-P's Harrison sweeps boys hurdles titles on way to four medals
