Family affair at State Track Meet

By Sandy Anderberg

Cousins Sarah Luttrell and Abby Johnson are headed to the state track meet with recent accomplishments in the Regional Track Meet held in Levelland.

Luttrell competed and qualified in the 100-meter dash and Johnson qualified in the 400-meter dash. Bronco Charles Mason earned a wildcard spot in the long jump and qualified for the state meet.

Luttrell and Johnson have been active all season and were successful in posting great times in their races. Mason sat out the first part of the season healing a hamstring injury and participated in only about four meets.

Luttrell competed in the 100, 200, long jump, and sprint relay. She finished second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.72 for a state trip and Johnson had a time of 1:01.77 in the 400-meter dash for second place and a trip to Austin. Mason recorded a jump of 22’7½” for third place and a wildcard. That card came through for him and he will jump at the state meet the second weekend of May.

The Lady Bronco sprint relay competed at the Regional meet and finished in seventh place with a time of 53.17 and was run by Amelia Weatherton Taylor Gaines, Taylor DeGrate, and Sarah Luttrell. Weatherton also competed in the 100-meter dash finishing with a time of 13.19. DeGrate gave it a good shot in the 100-meter hurdles and finished just two out of qualifying in fourth place with a time of 16.70.

Luttrell also long jumped at a distance of 16’7¾” for sixth place and Gaines finished fifteenth in that event with a distance of 15’0″. Luttrell and Johnson competed in the 200-meter dash and finished fifth and sixth with times of 27.71 and 27.89 respectively. Caleb Cobb made a great attempt in the 800-meter run finishing fifteenth with a time of 2:17.61.

Coach Alton Gaines was pleased with his athletes’ performance at the regional meet.

“It was an awesome effort by the girls,” Gaines said. “Each girl put themselves in a position to get one of the two top spots; we just came up a little short in some events. But we did get two girls that qualified for the State Meet. Sarah Luttrell and Abby Johnson did a great job. We are very proud and thankful to be their coaches.”