Texas High will be traveling to Arlington, Texas, this coming weekend for the Class 5A, Region II track and field championships at Texas-Arlington's Maverick Stadium.
Last year the Tigers drove and rode in a late-model SUVs supplied by the Texarkana Independent School District. The 200-plus mile trip usually takes a little more than three hours, which includes some delays for construction, tollways and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex's heavy traffic.
This year the Tigers will have to take a yellow school bus.
But Texas High head track coach Astin Greer isn't complaining. Hey, gas prices are starting to shoot upward as the spring-summer driving season heats up.
"In the past three years we've only had enough kids going to fit into a couple of SUVs. Now we have enough qualifiers to where we can load up and take a bus. It doesn't go as fast as a car, but I'd rather carry a busload to regionals any day," Greer said.
Texas High only qualified two kids in last year's regional meet, one girl and one boy. Anasia Wilcox was a shot put competitor and Wynell Winkfield went in the triple jump.
Texas High, which has fallen upon hard times in the last three to four years of being a dominant figure in Class 5A track, is showing signs that the rebuilding project by Greer and his assistant coaches is paying off.
"Our team performed well at area. We have three relays advancing as well as five field events and a female sprinter in the 100-meter dash," Greer said. "We'll have 20 kids go to compete in the regional meet."
The regional meet is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 19-20. The top four finishers in area advanced to the regional.
"Our girls went from have zero relays at all last season to being best in district (15-5A) and area (Districts 15-16) in 4x200 relay, with the fourth-fastest sprinter (Sereniti Collins) in the region in the 100-meter dash," Greer said.
The Lady Tigers 4x100 relay and 4x200 relay teams are regional bound. Team members are Zanasia Nelson, Jayla Henderson, Jascey Jones and Collins. Kayleigh Cooper and Sa'Niyah Shepard are alternatives.
In addition to running on two relays, super sophomore Collins will compete in the 100 meters, long jump and triple jump. Wilcox is making her second appearance in the shot.
The Tigers' 4x200 relay team also qualified. Team members are Justin Arnold, Tradarian Ball, Jaidun Coleman and Ahmad Moore. Roman Wyatt, Malandon Rachal and Jakeis Bell are alternates.
"This is the first time a boys team has qualified for regional since 2021, I believe," Greer said.
Texas High's Darnell Williams and Winkfield qualified for the triple jump and Erick Miles for the 110 hurdles.
The top two regional finishers will advance to the state meet on Friday, May 3, at the University of Texas' Mike A. Myers Track Stadium in Austin. The ninth-best finisher in the state will make it as a wild-card competitor.