High School Outdoor Season is Underway

It’s early February, so that means the outdoor season in Texas is underway.
Four meets in El Paso have been posted on the Results page of the TTFCA website.
In addition, the Bruce Bell Relays in Spring have been posted, and we’re still waiting for two other results to post – the Bobby Morrow Relays and the PSJA North Winter Relays results.
At the PSJA North Winter Relays, Arkansas signee Leigha Brown of Economedes stole the show: “Brown won the long jump (16-0 3/4), and set meet records in the 100-meter hurdles (14.26 seconds) and 300 hurdles (45.53). In addition, she ran the anchor legs on the Lady Jaguars’ second-place 4 x 400 meter relay. Brown was named the meet’s outstanding female athlete.” — [RGV Online – David Hinojosa]
Collegiately, Kennedy Kithuka and Katie Grimes, both of Texas Tech — At the Tyson Invitational, Kithuka broke his third school record of the season (13:26.65 in the 5,000) and Katie Grimes broke her 60-meter hurdles record for the third time this season, lowering her school-record time to 8.16.
Several high school meets from around the state for next weekend:
Houston St. Thomas Eagle Relays
Richardson Co-Ed Meet
Steve Stark Meet
Azle Relays
Brazoswood Meet
Bryan Adams
Fort Bend Marshall Buffalo Relays
Mansfield Tiger Relays
Jerry B. Griffin Invitational
LISD Invitational
Oakridge Invitational
Cy Ridge Ram Tough Relays
Rockwall Jacket Classic
Brownsville Sam’s Relays

January Texas Track & Field

Now that the three early-season high school indoor meets are complete – Texas A&M, Arkansas, Carl Lewis – what have we learned? Exactly what Phil Murray said: athletes competing unattached are a nightmare to track for performance lists. Regardless of whose list you’re looking at, do understand that it’s rare a high school athlete in Texas competes at an indoor meet representing his or her school, and relay teams may be comprised of kids from more than one school. While the indoor circuit provides a great early season workout and perhaps will be a sanctioned event in Texas someday, I am looking forward to the outdoor season – at least from a tracking standpoint.

Nine high school girls have cleared the 12′ bar in the vault, 4 of whom have reached or surpassed 13′! Lakan Taylor and Annie Rhodes have reached 13′ 6″ while Daven Murphree is the only boy thus far over 16′ — he’s reached 16′ 8″. Lot of early good sprint times have been registered, led by Cameron Burrell’s 6.69 60 and Rushell Harvey’s 24.80 200.

While several athletes are posting excellent times / marks, the question is: What athletes will have breakout – and perhaps – record seasons? Last year, Shelbi Vaughan, Aldrich Bailey and Shawn Barber emerged as state and national record holders. Will anyone this year challenge a state or national record? How about collegiately? katie Grimes from Texas Tech is shattering hurdle marks, and Prezel Hardy is a rising star at A&M.

UIL took an in-season meet away, reducing the number from 8 to 7 yet adding an Area Meet. If this is all in the name of money, I’m curious as to the longitudinal study and results. I do find it interesting that a sport with such signiciant participation numbers loses an in-season contest.

Are you a fan of the new NCAA rules? Proposals 13-3, 13-5-A and 11-2 allow for “coaches to send unlimited texts and social media messages to recruits, as well as make unlimited phone calls” … “eliminates restrictions on printed recruiting materials sent to recruits” … and allows “for a recruiting coordinator or the support staff at a university to send texts and make calls, as opposed to the current system which permit only coaches to do so.” Unlimited texts, social media and printed materials! In other words, it’s hunting season, and I hope recruits a) have excellent phone plans and b) set their privacy settings on Twitter and Facebook — the initial thought is that this will be a nightmare.

The TTFCA website now has 48 verbal commits, and with the February 6 signing date approaching, the number will grow quickly. Check the website often.

In case you did not know, the UIL state meet and TAPPS state meet are the same weekend this year. Just the way the schedule worked out.

The outdoor season isn’t too far away, and for January 20th, the weather today was a beautiful omen of what’s hopefully a pleasant early outdoor season.

Track & Field Clinic Thank You’s

Thank you to all who attended the January 4-5, 2013 Track & Field Coaches Clinic of Texas at the Crowne Plaza-Addison. The speaker lineup was absolutely amazing: George Lutkenhaus of Justin Northwest HS, June Villers of DeSoto HS, Olympian and Super Bowl Champion Michael Carter, University of Florida Head Coach Mike Holloway, University of Florida Jumps Coach Nic Petersen, Head Coach of Oral Roberts University Joe Dial, and USA Olympics Relays Coach Jon Drummond.
In addition, the 4th Annual TTFCA Hall of Fame class was inducted – fantastic speeches by Don Hood, Johnny ‘Lam’ Jones, Roy ‘Robot’ Martin, John Pritchett, Eddie Southern, and Ychlindria Spears.
Thank you to the vendors supporting the clinic: D&L Trophies, Fisher Tracks, M-F Athletics, VS Athletics, Blue Moose Tees, Flash Timing, Boomerjack’s Grill, and GTM Sportswear.
Next year’s clinic is the weekend of January 10-11, 2014 — mark your calendars!

Johnny ‘Lam’ Jones’ 1976 UIL Race – On DVD!

Over time, legendary feats grow exponentially till they border on mythic. Such is the case with Johnny ‘Lam’ Jones’ anchor leg for Lampasas in the 1976 UIL AAA State Championships. Procuring the baton anywhere from 30 – 60 meters behind, Jones found 5th and 6th gear to pass the entire field, clinching gold in both the 4×4 and the overall team title. Soon after – at age 18 – he’d be a 1976 Olympic Gold Medal winner as 2nd leg of the U.S. 4×1 team.

Well, more than 30 years later, film has been procured to prove the legend true.
I’ve seen the film.
Johnny played it for me on my computer.
It’s grainy indeed, but after 30+ years, we all are!

At the Track & Field Coaches Clinic of Texas, January 4-5, 2013, we will watch this race and an accompanying recent interview with ‘Lam’ Jones as he embarks on his latest venture, a foundation to help kids.

Join us at the Crowne Plaza-Addison for the Track & Field Coaches Clinic of TX.
More information at http://www.ttfca.com

Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

On Friday night, January 4, 2013 – at the Crowne Plaza-Addison – 6 new members will be inducted into the Texas Track & Field Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame.
The new members include:
Don Hood – legendary Abilene Christian Head Coach
Johnny ‘Lam’ Jones – Lampassas speedster whose anchor leg at the state meet is still talked about
Roy ‘Robot’ Martin – Dallas sprinter many consider America’s top high school sprinter ever
John Pritchett – long-time announcer
Eddie Southern – UT product who competed in the ’56 Olympics
Ychlindria Spears – the most decorated female T&F athlete in TX prep history

After the last speaker, stay and enjoy stories from these incredible athletes and contributors to Texas track & field.

Partners at the 2013 Track & Field Coaches Clinic of TX

In addition to an amazing lineup of speakers for the 2013 TFCCT, here are the confirmed TTFCA Partners that will be on site to help with your Track & Field needs:

Blue Moose Tees

D&L Trophies

Fisher Track

Flash Timing

GTM

M-F Athletic

VS Athletics

In between speakers, make sure you visit these terrific companies. 

 

Roy ‘Robot’ Martin to be Inducted into TTFCA Hall of Fame

Roy ‘Robot’ Martin

Considered among the greatest high school sprinters in United States history, Roy ‘Robot’ Martin blazed the 200 meters in 20.13, a record still standing after 28 years. He set Memorial Stadium track on fire and electrified over 30,000 spectators at the UIL state meet a year after finishing fourth in the 200 at the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials, earning an alternate’s spot on the Olympic team.

In 1986, he not only appeared on the cover of Track & Field News, but he also helped SMU claim the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship. A graduate of Roosevelt High School, ‘Robot’, so nicknamed by a middle school girl for his running style, ran for legendary DFW coach and TTFCA Hall of Famer Earnest James.

On July 20, 1988, in Indianapolis, Martin recorded his 200 p.r. – 20.05 seconds. He then participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics before embarking on a coaching career. When one researches internet blogs and continually reads the praises, it’s easy to see why Martin’s name is etched in U.S. sprinting history.

Roy ‘Robot’ Martin will be inducted into the TTFCA Hall of Fame January 4, 2013 at the TTFCA Hall of Fame ceremony after Friday’s last speaker at the Track & Field Coaches Clinic of Texas.  For more information contact ttfca@hotmail.com

Ychlindria Spears – 2013 TTFCA Hall of Fame Inductee

Spears is the most decorated track & field athlete in Texas history, amassing 14 gold and 2 silver state medals and a team state championship where she earned 42 of Luling High School’s 48 points. Spears, who transformed the UIL state meet into a showcase for her jumping prowess, owns the national triple jump record (44-02.25) and Texas long jump mark (21-03.25).

Before embarking on a career at the University of Texas, Spears competed at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials – at age 16. She earned gold in the long jump in England and Scotland as part of two World Junior National teams, and she received the prestigious national Gatorade Track & Field Athlete of the Year award in 2001 (after earning Texas Gatorade Track & Field Athlete of the Year honors for the two years prior.) A four-year letterman at UT, she was a member of three NCAA championship teams and earned All-Big 12 honors for both long and triple jumps.

The daughter of Ronnell and Bernadette Spears – who won her own long jump title at Yoakum High School in 1981 – Ychlindira Spears coaches high school in the San Antonio area.

 

Eddie Southern — 2013 TTFCA Hall of Fame Inductee

“At the state track meet in May 1955, the sensational senior rewrote the record book. Eddie was clocked at 20.7 seconds in the 220-yard dash, best ever by a high-school student in Texas or any other state. Then he turned right around and broke the state and national records in the 440-yard event with a time of 47.2 seconds.”

Bartee Haile’s San Marcos Mercury article captures only a small part of Southern’s greatness. Running for the legendary Clyde Littlefield at the University of Texas, Southern led the Longhorns to Southwest Conference titles from 1957-59. Individually, he earned three straight 440-yard SWC championships and the 1959 NCAA quarter-mile title. Additionally, he ran the anchor for the world-record 440 and 880-yard relays while at UT.

A graduate of Dallas Sunset, Eddie Southern was the youngest member of the 1956 Olympic team that competed in Melbourne, Australia. When asked by a reporter his motivation to run so fast, he replied: “I was just a scared Texan. I was afraid I wouldn’t make the team.”

 

Johnny ‘Lam’ Jones – 2013 TTFCA Hall of Fame Inductee

Over time, legendary feats grow exponentially till they border on mythic. Such is the case with Johnny ‘Lam’ Jones’ anchor leg for Lampasas in the 1976 UIL AAA State Championships. Procuring the baton anywhere from 30 – 60 meters behind, Jones found 5th and 6th gear to pass the entire field, clinching gold in both the 4×4 and the overall team title. Soon after – at age 18 – he’d be a 1976 Olympic Gold Medal winner as 2nd leg of the U.S. 4×1 team.

A high school football star as well, Jones parlayed 45 touchdowns at Lampasas into an electrifying career at the University of Texas. His pre-ESPN highlight reel triumphs earned Jones the #2 overall selection in the 1980 NFL Draft by the New York Jets.

A member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and was honored at the 2011 Texas Relays. A bone cancer survivor, Jones’ latest effort is a fundraising campaign to support kids stricken with cancer.