Are Summer Creek And Duncanville The Best Track Teams In US?

Summer Creek (L) and Duncanville (R) compete in 4x100 relay at UIL State Track Meet

Photo Credit: Chance Kirby - MileSplit TX

The question is; are the Duncanville and Humble Summer Creek boys track and field teams the best overall teams in the country?

On Saturday, we witnessed the two teams go head to head at the UIL 6A state meet. The team standings saw the  two teams with a two point separation heading into the final event with both teams competing in the 4x400 meter relay.

You can't write a story much better than that. Summer Creek won the event with Duncanville finishing fourth as they closed out the meet with a 10 point difference for the team title.

This weekend could have been more than just two Texas teams going for the UIL championship. They could have been showing us that they were in fact the best of the best in the nation.

We could have been seeing the best two boys track and field teams in the nation not only having their athletes compete against the best athletes in Texas, but the best two teams in the country competing against one another.

To be honest, as the Texas editor I don't pay much to other teams in other states in the country. Frankly, I don't care about other teams in other states because the best are here in Texas.

However, I can't help but think back to this past fall when the Newbury Park cross country team was crushing cross country courses week after week after week.

They are popularly viewed as the best boys cross country team ever. They crushed the season and they deserve their props.

Track and field is a little different with it being about more than one race or distance versus 17 events.

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Duncanville and Summer Creek have been doing some things this track and field season we feel are pretty common here in the "Great State of Texas." I wondered if it as common in other states to see what we see on what has become a yearly thing. Are other states seeing such strong team performances in track and field? Is their good the same level as our good?

For example, dating back to 2017, we have seen relay teams running 40 point in the 4x100 meter relay and even some 39s. Many of the same teams have run 1:23 and 1:24 in the 4x200 meter relay. It has become the norm here in Texas.

The Duncanville anchor crosses the finish line first at UIL 6A state championship

Photo Credit: Chance Kirby - MileSplit TX

Only six schools have ever run under 40.0 in the 4x100 relay; they are all from Texas and four of them have been since 2017. Of the top 40 4x100 relays to run 40.24 and under, only five of them were not Texas teams. In the 4x200 relay, only one team not from Texas is in the top 40 and has run 1:24.24.

It's important not to get forget the past with what the  Fort Worth OD Wyatt, Houston Forest Brook, The Woodlands, Fort Bend Marshall, Port Arthur Memorial, and Katy Seven Lakes teams have done. 

The Woodlands, Fort Bend Marshall, and even a couple of Manvel teams have not only had super fast relays, but they've also had solid all around teams.

It's time to welcome two new teams to their club who may be on an even higher overall team level.

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Relays

This year, both Duncanville and Summer Creek have strong relays.

Duncanville has been one of the fastest teams all season long. They ran 40.28 in the 4x100 way back in March and have run 40 points pretty much all season long; they sit US. No. 1 with their 39.98 after winning this weekend's UIL 6A championship. In the 4x200 relay, they rank US No. 3 with a 1:23.90 time this season.

They also have a solid 4x400 relay that has a best time of 3:13.49. Other than Fort Bend Marshall, no other team in the country has a US Top 5 ranking in all three relays like the Duncanville Panthers.

Duncanville is known for their speed and the aforementioned numbers help drive that point home. However, this Duncanville squad also excels in the middle distances. Their 4x800 relay has ran sub 8:00 and has a 7:52.80 season best. They are the only team in the country to run under 41, under 1:25, under 3:15, and under 8:00 this season.

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Summer Creek exchanges the baton in the 4x400 relay at the UIL state meet

Photo Credit: Chance Kirby - MileSplit TX

While Summer Creek isn't ranked in the top 10 in the nation in all three sprint relays and don't have a sub 8:00 4x800 relay, they do have three fast and impressive relay teams.

The Bulldogs 4x100 relay checks in US. No.12 with a 40.63. This relay wasn't even running together at the beginning of the season. However, it was mid year when they began to form and click, eventually dropping sub 41.0 times and doing it consistently over the last four track meets.

Summer Creek also has the top time in the nation with their 3:09.92 time in the 4x400 relay and they recently added another 3:10.36. They have not only beat the best Texas teams all year, but at the Texas Relays they handled some of the best teams from California and Florida.

Summer Creek also has a solid showing in the 4x200 relay with a SB of 1:25.94.

What has been the best relay of the year for Summer Creek isn't even a UIL state meet competed event.

At the Texas Relay, they were superb in the Sprint Medley Relay (SMR) when they ran a US No. 2 All-Time performance of 3:19.87 behind the 3:19.58 mark by New Bern, North Carolina back in 2009.

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Individual Sprinters

Duncanville is loaded with sprinters. They perhaps have the deepest team in the country with six runners who have run under 11.0. They have an average time of 10.56 through five runners, which is absolutely unheard of.

They have the fastest sprinter in the state and in the country with Pierre Goree who has run 10.10 or faster three times this season. Goree just won the UIL 6A state meet this weekend in the 100m in 10.22.

Summer Creek's development in the sprint events this season is as equally impressive as Duncanville.

Their leading sprinter Myles Thomas has a 10.49 SB this year. He qualified for the UIL 6A state meet where he was fifth in 10.60.

That is just the beginning of Summer Creek's sprint strength. As strong as Duncanville is in the 100m, Summer Creek is as impressive in another sprint event; their team depth is in the 400m.

They have two runners who have run under 48 this season helping to make a 47.86 team average through 5 runners. Darius Rainey ran 46.36 to win the UIL 6A state meet and teammate Malcolm Washington who also competed in the 400m at the state meet has a SB of 47.79 to their top end speed.

With three additional runners under 48.60 this shows the capability of the team and tells how they ran 3:09 over a month ago when they stacked their team.

Darius Rainey takes out of the blocks in the UIL 6A 400m

Photo Credit: Jamison Michaels - MileSplit TX

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Individual Middle Distance

Seniors Christian Simmons, Evan Simmons, and Garik Brooks have been enjoying a solid 2022 season. Christian has a 1:53.31 SB, Evan has a 1:54.49, and Brooks has a 1:55.28 posted this season.

While Summer Creek doesn't have the depth of Duncanville in this event, they do have Texas' top runner this season. Rainey, isn't just one of the state's top quarter-milers. He is also the top half-miler this year with his 1:50.63 to win the UIL 6A state meet.

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Hurdlers

Summer Creek has two of the best hurdlers nationwide. Donovan Bradley and Aaron Davis are both two-way hurdlers who have been impressive this year.

Bradley has season best runs of 13.55 in the 110 meter hurdles and 36.82 in the 300 meter hurdles. He won the Region 3-6A championship in both events and was runner-up at the state meet in the 110H third in the 300H.

Davis has season bests of 13.84 and 38.79, but only qualified for state in the 100H where he false started.

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Field Events

If you're not impressed with Duncanville to this point, then you just might never see the light. However, their season hasn't just played out on the the track.

They have a high jumper Calen Jones who had a SB of 6-9. He finished third at the state meet with a 6-8 jump.

As good as Summer Creek is on the track, they are equally as good in the field events.

The previously mentioned Aaron Davis entered the state meet with the top jump of the year with a 25-5.25. He went on to win the state meet with a 25-3.75 jump.

Justin Craft is Summer Creek's top thrower. He was fourth at the state meet this weekend with a 60-6.75 throw. Summer creek also has four other throwers over 55 feet.

There is no other team in the nation with all three sprint relays ranked in the top 5 like Duncanville. They also have and have a sub 8:00 4x800 relay and the fastest sprinter in the country - - they are really good.

No team in the country has as many top 50 ranked performances as Summer Creek. They are the best track and field team in the country this season and maybe one of the best complete teams we've ever seen.

Duncanville exchanges the baton in the 4x400 relay at the UIL state championships

Photo Credit: Chance Kirby - MileSplit TX