MEMPHIS, Tenn. — One Mid-South high school boys track team went the distance during last week’s TSSAA Spring Fling state championships.
Memphis Central are the new kings of AAA, capturing their 13th boys track and field state championship. They knew this year was going to be their year after a runner-up finish in 2021.
The sting of second place was a huge motivator for the team this season.
“Last year when we got runner-up, we were all crying. It was real sad," said senior Tyler Bell. "This year when we won it we were like, 'we deserve it.' The amount of hard work our team put in this year, and the great coaching skills from our coaches. They worked with us. They were patient with us and it all worked out in the end."
The Warriors knew they’d be back in 2022. Coach Rashad Haynes gave the team a good taste of how could they would be at the Clyde Little Texas Relays in Austin.
The team ran a 1:24.95 4x200 relay, which would have been a state record then if they ran in Tennessee.
"This generation is a little different. You can tell them a lot, but they actually have to see and they have to go through for them to get them to buy in what it is we're trying to do," Haynes said. "'If we’re this good, this early, man how good would we be if we work? Or we’re really this good and we don’t have to work.'"
"We had the pieces and once we saw what we could do. I knew then that when state comes, if we do the same thing we did in Texas and look what happened," said Jordan Ware, a junior.
What happened was the team running a 1:24.93 at the state championship meet was a new state record. One that breaks even Memphis Central's personal best set earlier in the spring. They did it with a late substitution. Opting to rest Tyler Bell, who already ran two events consecutively prior to the 4x200.
Bell admitted to being "devastated" to miss out on a potential record-setting performance, but he said he was all smiles during the race.
Ware had no doubt the team would be fine.
"We’re still going to run hard no matter who’s on the squad. We’re all going to do our thing. If you can do yours, help the others out, we can get that state record like it’s nothing," Ware said.
Memphis Central ended the day with 112 points, 48 points more than the second-place team. They won four sprint events. Ware took home first in the 100 and 200-meter dash, two events he was a runner-up finisher in 2021.
In field events, Zavion Wolfe dominated with first-place finishes in long jump (22 feet, 5 inches) and triple jump ((46-4.75). He was second in the TSSAA decathlon event. All this after not even qualifying the year before.
"Coming into this year, I knew I had to take better care of my body. I knew I had to get stronger," Wolfe said.
"There’s more to do. There’s always more to do. I’m trying to go back to back. It should have been a (2-peat), but I’ll make it back to back next year," Wolfe continued.
The Warrior Girls also had a sensational year. They finished 2nd at the state title meet. The team captured first-place finishes in the 4x100 and 4x200 meter relays. Juniors Denver Winters and Laci Johnson finished first and third respectively in the 300-meter hurdles. Winters also came in second in the 110-meter hurdles.