Gladewater, Randolph, Holliday Take 3A Girls Relay Titles

The 2026 UIL Girls 3A 4x100-meter relay final delivered one of the tightest sprint finishes of the meet, with the top three teams separated by just four hundredths of a second. UIL State Track & Field Championships Defending champion Gladewater High School successfully defended its title, as the quartet of Paytin Thompson, Jordynn Harris, Tyalice Williams, and Peyton Hunter stormed to victory in 47.58 after entering the meet with a season-best of 47.90. Running from lane seven, Gladewater got a tremendous start and immediately established itself among the leaders before delivering clean exchanges all the way around the track. Their anchor leg sealed the repeat championship in a race that remained undecided until the final meters.

The opening phase of the race was electric, with lanes six, seven, and eight all exploding out of the blocks. Gladewater's first leg set the tone early, but Gunter High School answered every challenge throughout the race. Liberty Rose, Landri McDaniel, Angie Mendoza, and Taylor Fryar combined for a strong silver-medal performance in 48.01, pushing the defending champions to the line and nearly stealing the title in the closing strides.

UIL 3A Girls 4x100 Relay

Just behind them, Atlanta High School was right in the middle of the championship battle from start to finish. Sasha Ramirez, Shamijala Gillam, Gracie McWilliams, and Markavia Garner crossed in 48.02 to claim bronze, missing second place by just one hundredth of a second. The finish created a dramatic blanket ending as all three medal teams charged down the homestretch nearly even.

Newton High School finished fourth in 48.30 behind the squad of Kialand Alfred, Jaci Murchinson, Estazha Green, and Madelyn Foster, while Crockett High School earned fifth in 48.75 with Amaya Dancer, Mariyah Mitchell, A'Rihanna Good, and Emory Sims. Jim Ned High School placed sixth in 48.98, narrowly ahead of Orange Grove High School in seventh at 49.13 and Wall High School in eighth at 49.20. Stockdale High School rounded out the field in ninth at 50.32.

With defending champions, flawless exchanges, and a three-team sprint to the finish, the 3A girls 4x100 final showcased the depth and speed across Texas sprint relays. Gladewater's ability to execute under pressure once again proved the difference, as the Bears cemented themselves as one of the premier sprint relay programs in the classification.

The UIL 3A girls 4x200-meter relay final entered Austin with Texarkana Liberty-Eylau carrying both the target and the momentum. The Leopards returned the same quartet that won the 2025 state championship in 1:39.38, a performance that came within just .32 seconds of the 3A state meet record. With all four legs back for 2026 and a blazing 1:38.15 regional qualifying mark, Liberty-Eylau looked poised to defend its title and potentially challenge the classification record outright. But the state meet once again reminded everyone how unpredictable relay racing can be.

From the opening exchange, the race unfolded at a blistering pace. Atlanta got out aggressively and held the early lead through the first leg, while Liberty-Eylau immediately began pressing from the middle lanes with the defending championship quartet of Kaydence Stephens, Lanijah Welch, Jada Stovall, and Z'Ryen Banks. Randolph stayed within striking distance through the early exchanges, positioning themselves well as the race tightened coming off the second curve. Then the complexion of the race changed dramatically. During the third leg, Liberty-Eylau's runner pulled up and went down exiting the turn, abruptly ending the Leopards' bid for back-to-back titles and opening the door for the rest of the field.

3A Girls 4x200 Relay

Randolph reacted quickest to the sudden opportunity. The quartet of Rylee Logan, Oreoluwa Adeoye, Skye Thompson, and Imani Spencer surged to the front over the final two legs and held off the field down the homestretch to capture the state championship in 1:40.95. Tuscola Jim Ned finished second in 1:42.90, while West earned another podium finish after placing third last season, running 1:43.14. Atlanta, despite its strong early pace, settled for fourth in 1:43.47 after battling throughout the race. Wall rounded out the top five in 1:44.03.

Although Liberty-Eylau's title defense ended in heartbreak, the race still showcased the depth and competitiveness of 3A sprint relays. Randolph capitalized when the moment arrived, demonstrating the importance of both positioning and composure in championship relay racing. In a final filled with momentum swings and unexpected drama, the Ro-Hawks emerged with the gold medal and one of the biggest relay victories of the meet.

The UIL 3A girls 4x400-meter relay final delivered one of the most dramatic finishes of the meet as Holliday chased down defending power Texarkana Liberty-Eylau in the final meters to claim the state championship. One year after Universal City Randolph shattered the state meet record with a 3:47.72 performance, Liberty-Eylau entered the 2026 final as the clear favorite after posting a blazing 3:54.46 regional qualifying mark. Holliday, however, returned after finishing runner-up last season and brought a lineup loaded with distance talent led by state champions Kenli Atwood and Kai Stockton.

From the opening leg, Liberty-Eylau established control. Lanijah Welch got the Leopards out aggressively and handed off first, while Gunter ran strongly from lane two and Holliday settled into third position after the break. Through the middle stages, Liberty-Eylau continued to press the pace, but the field behind them tightened considerably as the battle for the medals intensified. Holliday steadily worked its way back into contention, and when Kenli Atwood took over on the third leg, the race changed dramatically. The newly crowned 800-meter and 1600-meter state champion delivered a huge carry, bringing Holliday even with Liberty-Eylau by the final exchange and setting up a thrilling anchor-leg duel.

For much of the final lap, it appeared Liberty-Eylau still had enough to defend its title. But once the teams hit the final turn, Holliday anchor Kai Stockton unleashed a powerful finishing surge. Stockton accelerated down the homestretch and separated over the final meters to secure the state championship in 3:52.27, one of the fastest times in the state this season. Holliday closed the race with consecutive sub-58-second splits, including Stockton's decisive 56.17 anchor, to overtake Liberty-Eylau, which still ran an impressive 3:53.87 for second place. Randolph finished third in 3:55.58 behind a strong 56.13 anchor split from Skye Thompson, while Shallowater and Gunter also broke four minutes.

The race showcased the contrasting strengths of two elite relay programs, Liberty-Eylau's sprint-heavy front-end speed against Holliday's relentless middle-distance strength and finishing power. In the end, Holliday's closing firepower proved too much, giving the Eagles a memorable state title in one of the best relay races of the championship meet.