Brayden Hamill crosses the finish line with the UIL 3A boys 400m title in hand
2026 UIL Track and Field State Championships
The 2026 UIL Boys 3A 400-meter final featured a fast opening pace, a tightly packed field coming off the curve, and a decisive homestretch battle that ultimately belonged to Brayden Hamill of Holliday High School. While the long-standing conference record of 46.41 set in 1996 remained untouched, the field still produced a highly competitive championship race with multiple runners in contention entering the final straightaway.
Hamill entered the meet with one of the top qualifying marks in the classification at 48.97 and looked composed from the start. The field got away cleanly, with every athlete attacking the stagger aggressively and the leaders reaching the 200-meter mark around 22 seconds. As the runners came off the turn, lane three's Robert Kellenberger of Lexington High School and Hamill emerged as the primary contenders, both looking smooth and powerful entering the homestretch.
Over the final 100 meters, Hamill gradually separated himself and maintained his form all the way to the finish line, securing the state championship in 49.19. Though slightly slower than his regional-winning performance, it mattered little on the scoreboard as he delivered 10 crucial points for Holliday. Kellenberger stayed close throughout and earned silver in 49.73 after one of the strongest opening halves of the race.
UIL 3A Boys 400m
The battle for bronze became one of the closest finishes of the event. Nasir Tapia of San Antonio Cole High School edged Jewell Hicks of Lytle High School by just three hundredths of a second, 49.87 to 49.90. That razor-thin margin proved to be the difference between standing on the medal podium and narrowly missing out on a top-three finish.
Sophomore Esteban Luna of Cameron Yoe High School placed fifth in 50.42, followed closely by Rex Gatlin of Whitney High School in sixth at 50.60. Caleb Stout represented Odessa Compass Academy with a seventh-place finish in 50.71, while Jaxson Ludlow of White Oak High School and Easton Smotherman of Winona High School rounded out the field.
The race showcased the balance required in championship 400-meter running controlled aggression through the first half followed by the ability to maintain mechanics under fatigue. Hamill mastered both phases, timing his move perfectly off the final turn to deliver Holliday another state title on one of the biggest stages in Texas track and field.
