COACH MISSY MITCHELL & VALERIE HANCOCK

WACO — Copperas Cove High School scholar athlete Valerie Hancock won the girls high jump at the Region II-5A track and field championships on Friday, April 28.

In qualifying for the class 5A Texas state meet, clearing 5-feet-8, Hancock narrowly missed a school record (5-feet-10) set by Sharon Elmore in 1984.

LeJERALD BETTERS

WACO — On his first preliminary round attempt, no. 1 ranked U.S. high school boys 400-meter runner LeJerald Betters fouled a triple jump in excess of 52 feet at the Texas class 5A Region II track and field championships on Friday, April 28.

Betters immediately regrouped to post a distance of 47-feet-1, which ranked him second, behind Thaddeus Gordon of Lufkin (47-feet-5 ½), going into the finals. Betters’ third preliminary jump, a distance of 45-feet-6, measured considerably lower than his second attempt. “Aaaah — my knee popped,” the disappointed Waco High School senior could be heard saying as he exited the sandpit.

Ten minutes later, knee in tact and run-up adjusted to the board, Betters seized the lead on his first jump of the finals (47-feet-8 ½). He then covered distances of 46-feet-10 ¾ and 48-feet-2, the latter his best effort of the day.

CHRIS GILLIS

WACO — Jumping more than a foot behind the take-off board, Baylor University senior Chris Gillis leaped 24-feet-11 ¾ to place second at the Michael Johnson Classic on Saturday, April 22.

Earlier this month, Gillis finished second at the Texas Relays with a distance of 7.78 meters (25-feet-6 ¼). He is ranked no. 2 on the NCAA collegiate men’s list.

ADAM KEUL

WACO — Pole vaulter Adam Keul cleared 18-feet-½ to place ahead of all competitors in his specialty at Hart Patterson Athletic Complex on Saturday, April 22.

In 2004, Keul qualified for and participated in the U.S. Olympic trials. Last year, he placed fifth at the U.S. Championships in 2005.

CHRISTIN CARLILE

AUSTIN — Dallas Highland Park senior Christin Carlile placed fifth at the Texas Relays on Friday, April 7, clearing a height of 3.65 meters (12-feet-0) in the pole vault.

Carlile, who ranks no. 7 in the state, cleared 12-feet-3 at the Tracy Willis Invitational on Saturday, March 18. Her post-secondary vaulting career will continue this fall at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

ALESHA WALKER

BROWNWOOD — Ellison High School senior Alesha Walker jumped 19-feet-0 ½ to win the District 16-4A track and field championships on Wednesday, April 12.

A multitalented athlete, Walker also placed second in the 200 meters, running 24.39 seconds, qualifying her for the regional meet in Denton, Friday and Saturday, April 28-29.

REGGIE LAZENBY

WACO — Stephen F. Austin University field events specialist Reggie Lazenby won the college men’s division of the long jump at the Michael Johnson Classic on Saturday, April 22.

Lazenby covered a distance of 7.67 meters (25-feet-2) in surpassing the NCAA regional automatic qualification mark of 7.34 meters (24-feet-1).

BRITTANI SIMMONS

THE CENTROPLEX — Early in the ‘06 track season, Harker Heights junior Brittani Simmons long jumped 18-feet-7 and ran 11.66 seconds in the 100 meters at the Temple Wildcat Relays, garnering two spots on the Texas girls’ state list.

At the District 13-5A track and field championships on Tuesday, April 12, Simmons managed a fifth-place finish in the long jump, bumping her from a trip to the regional meet in the horizontal event.

Undeterred by the minor setback, Simmons focused and returned in the 100 meters to post a personal best and school record time of 11.50 seconds.

JAMAICA COLLINS

AUSTIN — North Crowley High School scholar athlete Jamaica Collins finished out of medal contention in the girls’ division of the triple jump at the Texas Relays on Saturday, April 8. Her tour de force, however, came four days later.

During the District 4-5A track and field meet in Burleson on Wednesday, April 12, Collins leapt 20-feet-3¼ for a victory and no. 1 position on the state leaders list. Collins ranks ahead of the no. 2 Texas girls’ long jumper, Tina Madry (El Paso Parkland HS, 19-feet-3 ½), by nearly one foot.

DISTRICT 13-5A

TEMPLE — As the sun begins to set on the District 13-5A track and field meet, Friday, April 12, spectators lean over the guard rail at Wildcat Stadium to watch junior varsity quarter-milers rounding the second curve.

BETTERS & PRICE

TEMPLE — LeJerald Betters, (left), listens as Waco High School track and field coach Sam Price offers advice before the start of the District 13-5A varsity boys’ division triple jump on Wednesday, April 12.

LeJERALD BETTERS

TEMPLE — Waco High School senior and soon-to-be Baylor University Bear LeJerald Betters won the varsity division of the boys triple jump competition at the District 13-5A track and field meet on Wednesday, April 12.

Betters covered a distance of 47-feet-8 ½ in the hop-step-jump, tripling on the track as well, speeding to victory in the 200 meters (21.09) and 400 meters (47.03). He placed second in the long jump (22-feet-7).

ANDRA MANSON

AUSTIN — Longhorn verticalist Andra Manson, a Brenham High School graduate (‘02), cleared a height of 2.25 meters (7-feet-4 ½) to win the “A” section of the university and college men’s division of the high jump at the Texas Relays on Saturday, April 8.

ANTHONY FLEMONS

AUSTIN — Childress High School field events specialist Anthony Flemons covered a distance of 15.32 meters (50-feet-3 ½) to win the boys division of the triple jump at the Texas Relays on Saturday, April 8.

Flemons uncorked the state-leading jump for a Texas Relays high school boys meet record, which eclipsed the previous record of 50-feet-2 ¼ set by Jack Brewer of Grapevine in 1997.

TABIA CHARLES

AUSTIN — University of Miami junior Tabia Charles won the university women’s division of the triple jump at the Texas Relays on Saturday, March 8.

The Canadian junior indoors and outdoors triple jump record holder covered 14.17 meters (46-feet-6) to win the event and establish a new personal best.

JUMP TEXAS MAGAZINE BLOG/MAGABLOG

[APRIL '06]

LACHE SEASTRUNK

HEWITT — His first name is pronounced “lake,” as in Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior, the Great Lakes. He is Lache Seastrunk, long jumper extraordinaire, eighth grader and force of nature.

Seastrunk, 13, jumped an impressive 20-feet-9 ¾ to win the Cen-Tex Junior High District Meet on Monday, April 3.

TIFFANY TOWNSEND

KILLEEN — Killeen High School junior sprinter Tiffany Townsend, 16, posted one of the fastest 200-meter times in the state of Texas (23.77) at the Lady Roo Relays on Friday, March 31.

LaDAWN SPILLER

KILLEEN — No. 2 all-time class 5A Texas state meet and no. 14 all-time high school U.S. long jumper Billy Spiller (25-feet-4 ½ and 25-feet-10), upper right, visits with younger sister, LaDawn, who won the Lady Roo Relays on Friday, March 31, with a jump of 17-feet-4.

ALPHONSO POWELL

KILLEEN — Field events specialist Alphonso Powell, a top-ranked state triple jumper in boys class 5A, won the varsity division of the grueling event at the Roo Relays on Saturday, April 1, with a distance of 46-feet-½.

SAMAURA JACQUOT

KILLEEN — Twice in a single afternoon, Copperas Cove High School senior triple jumper Samaura Jacquot set a new school record at the Lady Roo Relays, Friday, March 31.

Jacquot, 18, earned a gold medal in her specialty, hopping, stepping and jumping 38-feet-4 ½. “I’ve been working hard, and hard work paid off,” Jacquot told Jump Texas.

AMANDA McHANEY

KILLEEN — Pole vaulter Amanda McHaney, a Killeen High School senior, focuses with tremendous intensity before setting a new school record of 10-feet-6 during the Lady Roo Relays at Leo Buckley Stadium on Friday, March 31. McHaney, 18, is aiming for a top state ranking in class 4A.