The Klein Relays will showcase one of the few Houston/Dallas area showdowns remaining this season.
Top Houston teams like Fort Bend Marshall, Humble Summer Creek, Klein Forest and more will await on the Lancaster Tigers.
The field at Klein will be steep and the running, jumping, throwing, and vaulting will have high stakes. The stake are high because Lancaster is now in 6A, as they have always expect to contend for state titles no matter what classification they are in, they will get their first look at the Houston 6A schools.
Some of those schools they won't have to worry about until everyone gets to Austin. Summer Creek, Fort Bend Bush, George Ranch etc won't tagle with Lancaster until then, however, Klein Forest, and the Klein schools will get to see them in Waco at the Region 2-6A.
Lancaster is bringing both history to Klein this weekend.
The girls 4x100 relay broke the national record last week with their 43.84 run at Midlothian. They also have coaches on both the girls and boys sides who have excelled at the Texas high school ranks, the NCAA ranks, and even the professional level.
The girls coach Lakiedra Hayes, formerly Lakiedra Stewart, won several state titles as a Mansfield Timberview student-athlete before going on to compete at both Texas A&M and the University of Texas. For the boys, it is Jeremy Wariner who competed at Arlington Lamar during his prep days. He also went on to NCAA success at Baylor as well as on the world and olympic stages.
Here are some events and athletes n them we think you'll want to know about.
Girls and Boys 100m
There are some eye popping times in the entries, but what's new in Texas. The windy conditions can make the real times look like a mirage. There are three boys who enter with 10.42 times or better including two 10.2s. Those are from meets without an anemometer, so no wind readings
Isaiah McMillian (Katy) - 10.21 (NWI), next best time this year is 10.72
Joaquin Barlow (Richmond George Ranch) - 10.24 (NWI), next best time is 11.43
Kani Hicks (Lancaster) - 10.38 (NWI), next best time this year is 10.80
Osayi Ogbeiwi (Fort Bend Bush) - 10.42 (NWI), next best time is 10.97
There are six girls with sub 11.7 performances entered. Wind legal and FAT performances, it is Janiyah Mc Donald (Klein Forest) holding the top entry time of 11.89
London Jackson Bray (Katy) - 11.19 (NWI), next next tie is 11.52 (w)
Amariya Hardeman (Fort Bend Bush) - 11.51 (NWI), next best time is 11.78 (w)
Londyn Colon (Klein Oak) - 11.62 (NWI)
Janiyah McDonald (Klein Forest) - 11.63 (NWI), 11.89 FAT and wind legal
Treasure Simmons (The Woodlands) - 11.65 (NWI), 11.96 (w) is next best time
Alexa Smothers (Klein Oak) - 11.65; 11.99 wind legal
Boys and Girls 200m
The only time of the season in the Isaiah McMillian (Katy) 20.77 (NWI) and is the best entry for the meet. Silas Scutt (Katy Tompkins) has the best wind legal performance 21.43 from the Texas A&M Bluebonnet. Justin Williams (Klein Forest). has a 21.68 (w) entry, but has a wind legal 21.81on his resume.
Kyaliah Davis (Klein Forest) at 23.78 and Amariya Hardeman at 23.80 have the best wind legal performances of the year. They both have extensive UIL 6A state meet experience.
Bray enters with a 24.00, but I advise everyone to keep an eye on youngsters Chizaram Stephens (Richmond George Ranch) and Madison Brooks (Katy). Carrie Cresser (Houston Jersey Village) isn't as young as Stephens and Brooks, but the sophomore is one of the top future sprinters in Texas.
Girls 110-meter Hurdles
Phoenix Phillips (Humble Summer Creek) has the top wind legal/FAT verified time in the state with her 14.08 into a 0.8 head wind.
When it comes to all conditions, there are several girls who enter the picture with some fast times this year.
There are several other top ranked hurdlers to watch.
Kelly Frederick (Humble Summer Creek) ranks No. 10 in the state all-conditions with her 14.09. Dior Williams (Fort Bend Marshall) ranks 12th at 14.13, Graycen Rabel (The Woodlands) is at No. 13 with a 14.14 mark.
Then bunched with times of 14.34 is Hannah Ogunmola (Klein Oak), 14.37 lies Kennedi Cox (Lancaster), Marlee (Journey) Jones (Klein Cain) comes in a 14.46, 14.56 for Justice Armstrong (Lancaster), and 14.58 for Grace Culver (Klein Oak).
Boys 300-meter Hurdles
The boys 300H should be good and fast races.
Returning UIL 6A state meet finalist from 2024, Timothy Thomas II (The Woodlands College Park) has a 37.53 on the season and ranks No. 6 in the state.
Fellow Conroe ISD mate Jesse Natale (The Woodlands) also has a sub 38-second race under his belt this season; he has run 37.95.
There are a host of 38-second boys in the field with Phoenix Aguilar (The Woodlands) at 38.52, Jamison Lewis (Fort Bend Marshall) 38.73, Cadyn Key (Katy) at 38.90, and Rahyan Turner-Grant (Fort Bend Hightower) at 38.95.
Girls 300-meter Hurdles
Four girls in this field have already run under 44-seconds, so expect this to be a mad dash that produce some 42-low runs or better.
Phoenix Phillips has already run under 43.0 with her TX No. 7 ranked 42.71 from the Generation Park T&F Invitational. Olivia Ruiz (Klein) has a 43.32 on the books this year, Corie Wilmington (Fort Bend Marshall) has a 43.85, and Kennedi Cox (Lancaster) has gone 43.94 this season.
Boys 4x100 Relay
There are three teams who have run 41.0 or better.
Fort Bend Marshall is currently ranked No. 3 in the state with their 40.50 that they ran nearly three weeks ago. Since they haven't pulled out the garage in a little while, be on the look out for Coach Banks and his squad to really load things up to get the RPMs going for a mid-season test.
Last weekend, No. 7 ranked Katy Mayde Creek lowered their season best to 40.65 and could be ready to drop some more time.
Richmond Randle and Fort Bend Bush haven't quite dipped under 41-seconds with their 41.00 SB marks. They'll both want want to join the growing list of 40-point squads and this could be just the race for them to do it.
Not to be overlooked are a few 41-low teams like Lancaster, The Woodlands, and Fort Bend Hightower. Lancaster is under the guidance of their first year coach, Olympic Gold Medalist Jeremy Wariner. Wariner guided Argyle Liberty Christian to several 40-point runs last year and it is only a matter of time for him to take the talent-rich Lancaster squad there as well. They are just meters from it with their 41.20 SB; they will also get a look at several of their Region 2-6A competitors this weekend.
Fort Bend Hightower is only a couple of meters short of dipping under 41.0 with their 41.25 SB. Speaking of Region 2-6A, The Woodlands will be in the mix for another 40-point season as are close with a 41.37 SB.
Girls 4x100 Relay
I remember when 46-seconds for girls 4x100 relays would be considered fast. Across much of the country that is still true, but this is Texas and the standard is a tad bit different.
How different might you ask? Well, we are talking about 43-seconds level different.
The Lancaster girls ran a 43.84 National Record last weekend in Midlothian and they have raised the bar for not only Texas, but everyone. They are the only team in the country to ever run under 44-seconds and they might not be done yet.
Before the ink can dry on the NR, they'll have several chances to improve it beginning with this weekend. Lily Pierrot, Saniyah Miller, Datavia Hunter, and Milan Lathan have all been omitted from the individual events, so that might mean they are either somewhere on spring break - - or they are going full tilt on the relays. We'll find out.
Other than the hurdles, Humble Summer Creek also has some of their big dawgs missing from individual events, so they could be preparing for a backyard brawl with the Lady Tigers. They have run 45.80 this season, which was almost a month ago since they last loaded their relay.
Not quite in the 45s are multiple teams who will line up. Klein Oak has a 46.30, Klein Forest has run a 46.33, Fort Bend Marshall has a 46.44, George Ranch has a 46.54, Fort Bend Bush has run 46.73 this season, and finally, Fort Bend Hightower is another sub 47-second team racing as they have a 46.96 best performance on the season.
Boys 4x400 Relay
There will be three top ten ranked Texas boys 4x400 relays at the Klein Relays. Katy Mayde Creek is the TX No. 2 team and Fort Bend Marshall is No. 3 and their season bests are only separated by .13.
Both teams have a runner is a legitimate national level quarter miler who runs in the 46s. With their 3:15.16 and 3:15.29 performances, they will provide an outstanding race.
Humble Summer Creek has a 3:17.19 SB to rank No. 10 in the state and the Katy boys check in at 3:19.
Girls 4x400 Relay
This could be one of the girls 4x400 relay best races of the year until the state meet rolls around.
Fort Bend Marshall dropped a gem of a race at the CCISD Ruben C Jordan Relays last week. They sit No. 2 in the state rankings and are just .35 faster than Humble Summer Creek's SB.
Expect to see Lancaster in the mix in all of the relays including this one. Their SB is a 3:45.41 and The Woodlands have a 3:48.83, so unless the weather affects things, we could see 3:40 low or possibly times dip into the high 3:30s.
Two of Texas' best quarter milers could be competing. Brooke Lloyd (Humble Summer Creek) is TX No. 1 with her 52.95 and Datavia Hunter (Lancaster) is No. 2 with her 53.78 SB.
Girls High Jump
Some of the best high jumpers not only in Texas will compete, but three of the girls are national level talents.
Brianna Rivers (Humble Summer Creek) just finished second at the NIN meet and is the defending UIL 6A state champion. Her 5-10.50 PR is the best in the field.
Humble Kingwood has a duo of girls who can jump high. Savannah Byers is a state meet finalist and has a 5-10 clearance on her resume and Evan Giles has cleared the 5-8 bar.
Boys Discus
Adam Carter (Katy) just keeps getting better and better; with no spring football practice, he is getting to really specialize on his throws possibly like never before. He has thrown the discus a 193-0.75 best so far this season. It's been windy a lot this spring, so if he can get some windy air to break, he could get upto the 200s, which is elite!
There are two other boys who can also fling the discus. Chris Georgopoulos (The Woodlands College Park) has thrown 179-4 and Jonathon Haywood (Katy Mayde Creek) has thrown 172-5.75.
If this is a good competition where they guys start to compete throw for throw this will be fun to watch.
The Klein Relays will showcase one of the few Houston/Dallas area showdowns remaining this season.
Top Houston teams like Fort Bend Marshall, Humble Summer Creek, Klein Forest and more will await on the Lancaster Tigers.
The field at Klein will be steep and the running, jumping, throwing, and vaulting will have high stakes. The stake are high because Lancaster is now in 6A, as they have always expect to contend for state titles no matter what classification they are in, they will get their first look at the Houston 6A schools.