UIL STATE TRACK & FIELD

The Woodlands Makes History in Austin

The Woodlands Makes History in Austin
The Woodlands finished the night racking up 68 points across nine events Vype

AUSTIN – KeSean Carter wasn’t about to let a rough handoff ruin history.

The Woodlands senior got the baton, made the final turn at Mike A. Myers Stadium with the 34,306 in attendance roaring and turned on the jets.

Once the Class 6A 100-meter dash state champion hit the final stretch Carter was gone. The future Texas Tech football and track athlete hit the finish line, flexed his left arm, beat on his chest, did a slight LeBron James celebration and then did the eating motion the Dallas Cowboy’s running back Ezekiel Elliott is well known for.

Carter’s final push made The Woodland’s 4X200-meter relay the fastest-ever in the country at 1:23.25, breaking Port Arthur Memorial’s 2017 record of 1:23.52, and subsequently securing the program’s second-straight boys team state championship.

“It’s a blessing,” Carter said about being the fastest team in the country. “God got us through these injuries. Got our teammates healthy. It’s just a blessing. What can you say it’s a national record?”

The talk of being the fastest 4X200-meter relay team started in March.

The first time the group ran together at Rice University, The Woodlands coach Juris Green said he told people privately that he thought the guys could accomplish that feat.

“That anchor leg was about sub-20 second, about 19.4,” Green said. “Just fantastic.”

The Woodlands finished the night racking up 68 points across nine events and that was enough to top Converse Judson (49 points) for the 6A Boys Team Track & Field State Championship.

The Woodlands has now won two-straight team state cross country titles and two-straight team track and field titles, which has never been done by a boys team in history.

“I’m not sure how we top this,” Green said with a smile. “We win another one next year? I don’t know. We’re certainly going to enjoy this one and recognize how special it is.”

Outside of the relays, The Woodlands got points from the 100-meter dash, high jump, 3200 and 1600-meter runs, discus and shot put.

The Woodlands junior Patrick Piperi, after not scoring any points in last year's title run for the Highlanders, scored 14 with a bronze medal in the discus and a silver in the shot put.

"It means a lot, going back-to-back is crazy," Piperi said. "I came into the locker room first day of school and I told my coach we're going to win again. I'm very happy I could score points this time. It feels insane."

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The Astros beat the Rangers, 5-4. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

Zack Short hit a walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning after Christian Walker tied it with a sacrifice fly and the Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 on Saturday night.

Short hit a 1-1 pitch to right field off Hoby Milner after Robert Garcia (1-5) walked two to load the bases.

Texas took a 4-3 lead when Adolis García hit the first pitch from Bennett Sousa (3-0) for a single — scoring automatic runner Marcus Semien.

Kyle Higashioka hit a solo home run off Josh Hader with two outs in the ninth to tie it 3-3. It was the first blown save for Hader after 25 straight to begin the season.

Jose Altuve hit his 17th homer — a two-out solo shot in the first off Jacob deGrom to tie it 1-1 after the Rangers scored an unearned run on Framber Valdez’s wild pitch.

Yainer Diaz homered for the 14th time for a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Mauricio Dubón hit his sixth homer off Jacob Webb for a 3-1 lead in the seventh.

Semien hit his 11th homer to cut it to 3-2 in the eighth.

Valdez allowed an unearned run on four hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks in six innings. The Astros have won his last 12 starts with him getting the win in nine of them.

DeGrom allowed two runs on four hits and a walk in six innings with eight strikeouts.

The Rangers struck out 19 times — two short of the club record for an extra-inning game.

Key moment

Short entered as a pinch runner in the ninth and was just 4 for 17 before his game winner.

Key stat

Houston hasn’t lost a season series with division rival Texas since 2016.

Up next

Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (6-3, 1.62 ERA) starts Sunday’s rubber game opposite Astros RHP Hunter Brown (9-3, 2.21).

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