Byng track teams cap memorable season at 4A State meet
· Yahoo Sports
CATOOSA — One of the best high school track seasons in Byng school history came to an end at the Class 4A State meet last weekend at Catoosa High School.
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More school records were broken, multiple athletes reached the podium and the Pirates capped the season with a memorable performance on the state’s biggest stage.
“I was extremely proud of our kids this weekend. This is the most kids that I’ve ever had qualify for the state track meet, and they all went out and competed hard and represented Byng in the best way possible,” Byng track coach Josh Sawyer told The Ada News. “I could not ask for more from these kids.”
RECORD BREAKERS
Senior Ava Thompson ended her decorated track (and cross-country) career by breaking her own record in the 1600-meter run.
Thompson finished second with a time of 5:10.58, shaving five seconds off her previous mark. Tennyson Housley of Lincoln Christian School won the event in 5:03.56, while Byng sophomore Caris Tilley placed fourth in 5:17.66.
Freshman Riley Colbert also continued her impressive season, breaking her own school record in the 400 meter dash with a time of 1:00.78 — improving the mark by two seconds.
Senior Dax Frazier again added his name to the Byng record book twice during the meet.
Frazier broke the school record in the 3200-meter run with a time of 9:45.62 while finishing fourth.
The following day, he set another school record in the 1600-meter run with a time of 4:25.95, surpassing the previous mark set by Scotty Brasher in 2009. Frazier also placed fourth in the 1600.
BOYS
The Pirates finished ninth in the team standings with 29 points, just behind Heritage Hall (39), Weatherford High School (32) and Bethany High School (30).
Lincoln Christian School captured the Class 4A boys state title with 118 points, while Plainview High School was runner-up with 94.5.
Byng’s 4x800 relay team made up of Blaise Manuel, Adam Hensley, Frazier and True Cooper finished as state runner-up with a time of 8:07.92. Lincoln Christian won the event in 7:53.19.
Hensley, a freshman, also placed sixth in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:57.72 and was the only freshman to finish in the Top 16.
“Adam Hensley had an incredible freshman year,” Sawyer said.
GIRLS
The Lady Pirates placed sixth in the team standings with 44 points, just behind Plainview at 49.
Lincoln Christian ran away with the 4A State title after piling up 148 points. Oklahoma Christian School finished runner-up with 74, followed by Elk City High School with 64.
Thompson and Tilley — distance-running partners in crime — also turned in strong performances in the 3200-meter run. Thompson finished second in 11:45.69, while Tilley earned third place in 11:49.86.
Tilley and Thompson teamed with Kodie Pinley and Naomi Coulson on the Lady Pirates’ 4x800 relay team, which finished second in 9:47.75. Lincoln Christian claimed the event title in 9:22.68.
Despite graduating several key seniors, Sawyer said he is excited about the future of the program, especially with a strong group of underclassmen returning and a new track facility on the horizon.
“We graduate quite a few kids this spring, but I’m excited to build off of this momentum and see what we can do next year,” Sawyer said.