By Edgar Estrada
The Fairfield girls track and field team hauled in shiny new hardware at the UIL 3A track and field meet May 12 at the Mike Myers stadium on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin. To go along with the individual and relay team accomplishments, the team placed second in the overall standings with 59 points. Universal City Randolph stood atop the team standings with 86 points.
Shadasia Brackens wins gold in high jump
Shadasia Brackens tasted silver at the UIL track and field meet in 2021, now she can take a big ol’ bite out of her gold medal. Brackens placed first in the high jump with a winning jump of 5 feet 10 inches.
“It feels great, I've been waiting for this since the beginning of track,” Brackens said.
Brackens, a member of the championship basketball team, admits she loves track as much as playing on the hardwood.
She struggled at first needing a second jump to clear the five foot mark and the five foot two inch mark. Eight of the nine jumpers still remained for the five foot four inch jump. Brackens shrugged off the early struggles and cleared it on the first attempt. Three of the remaining seven jumpers cleared the mark as well.
Brackens set the tone again in the five foot six jump, clearing it on the first attempt. Jaiden Robinson of Karnes City cleared the mark on her first attempt also. The pair would be joined by Merkel’s Alyssa O’Malley and Abigail Elmore.
O’Malley also competed in the pole vault, which was going on at the same time. O’Malley left the high jump area to compete in the pole vault and would return later to attempt her five foot seven jumps.
All three jumpers missed on their first attempt and on her second try Brackens contorted her body, clearing the five foot seven mark. Robinson and Elmore failed to clear the new mark and Brackens played the waiting game for O’Malley to return and attempt her jumps.
O’Malley returned and all Brackens could do was sit and wait as O’Malley started her first of three attempts to match Brackens.
“[I was] nervous, didn’t know if she was going to clear it or not,” Brackens said. “She had just come from pole vault, don’t know if she was tired.”
O’Malley’s first attempt… fail.
Second attempt… fail.
Third attempt… fail.
Brackens had jumped her way to the top of the medal podium. Gold never tasted so good.
4x100 relay team tops rival Cameron Yoe, with silver medal
Every great team needs a rival. A rival that pushes them to be the best version of themselves.
The 4x100 relay team of Addisyn Cox, Shadasia Brackens, McKinna Brackens and Na’Kayla Conner counts the relay team of Cameron Yoe as their chief rival.
Cameron Yoe’s relay team bested Fairfield at the Area and Regional track meets. Third time would not be the charm as the Fairfield relay team shined when the lights were brightest.
“We were all pumped coming in. Nervous but excited,” Cox said. “Anxiously nervous. Been excited all week coming in, such a fun environment.”
Fairfield started in the eight lane and Cox understood it was going to be hard to get out of the starting lane.
Cox got the team off to a solid start and the baton pass to Shadasia was flawless, quick and easy. The duo were among the first three handoffs in the group.
Shadasia kept up the pace for Fairfield and her handoff to cousin McKinna was as good as the first handoff.
As McKinna got the baton, she knew they were in a good position.
“I noticed the Cameron Yoe girl was far back,” McKinna said. “When I got the stick I couldn't see anybody so I don't know if i'm running fast but I could hear everybody coming.”
McKinna approached Conner, the final leg of the relay and the duo were ninja quick. McKinna approached Conner, reached out with baton in hand and Conner’s left arm swung back and swung forward with the baton clenched in her fist.
Conner's mind was not just the finish line. She had received a paragraph long text from her mother earlier in the day, telling her that she wasn’t racing for herself, she was racing for her team and family seated in the stands.
As the fourth leg of the relay commenced, Fairfield stood neck and neck in the top spot. University City Randolph’s anchor took control of the race zooming past Fairfield, leaving them in a battle for second place with Goliad.
Goliad inched ahead of Fairfield with 50 meters left and at the finish line Conner squeaked past Goliad giving her team a silver medal beating Goliad by .06 seconds.
Cameron Yoe finished in fifth place.
“Our goal was to beat Cameron,” McKinna said. “They've been beating us all year.”
And in the biggest race of the year, Fairfield beat them.
McKinna’s Bronze in Discus
The first event of the meet was the discus and McKinna set the tone of the day with a bronze medal finish in the discus competition. McKinna entered the event seeded fourth and jumped up a spot grabbing bronze medal.
Her first throw was a scratch. Her second throw landed at 124 feet. Good but not great. Heading into the fifth round of throws, McKinna sat in fourth place, behind Brianna Wilson of Cotulla (125 feet 3 inches). Wilson after making her first throw had missed three in a row. McKinna reached back and slung a 134 foot 3 inch throw, jumping Wilson into third place. Wilson missed her final two throws, securing bronze for McKinna.
“I was not thinking it was that far, just hoping for longer than 125 to get on the medal stand to get points for my team,” McKinna said. “When I was going forward, I threw it so hard, when I switched I almost spun myself out. The ring had to spin all the way around and walk backwards.”
Around the Track
Bree Dowell pulled double duty competing in the shot put and triple jump. In the shot put after four throws she could not quite break the 40 foot barrier. Holliday’s Campbell Jurecek’s throw of 40 feet and 1.75 inches was the mark for a bronze medal.
On Dowell’s fifth throw she finally broke 40 feet with a 40 foot 7 inch throw. In the final round of throws only JIllian Howell, the gold medal winner, hit 40 feet.
Dowell’s teammate Shamari Strawther placed sixth in the event with a throw of 39 feet 4 inches.
The second Dowell stepped out of the shot put ring she was ushered away to the triple jump area where she placed eighth with a jump of 35 feet and 3.25 inches.
In the 400 meter race Shadasia missed out on a medal finishing fourth with a time of 57.22, .14 seconds behind third place.
The night was capped off by the 4x400 relay team of Madox Mitchael, Avery Thaler, Ava Grecu and Shadasia.
A silver medal finish for the relay team with a time of 3:56.18. The Shallowater relay team earned gold with a time of 3:55.59.
Girls Results
Team Standings
1 Universal City Randolph, 86
2 Fairfield, 59
3 Goliad, 52
4 Cameron Yoe, 50
5 Shallowater, 38
5 Holiday, 38
Discus
1 Mia Goicoechea, Shallowater, 141-5
2 Olivia Hildebrand, Whitesboro, 138-8
3 McKinna Brackens, Fairfield, 134-3
HIgh Jump
1 Shadasia Brackens, Fairfield, 5-10
2 Jaiden Robinson, Karnes City, 5-6
Shot Put
1 Jillian Howell, Bushland, 41-9 ½
2 Mattie Boyd, Canadian, 40-10
3 Bree Dowell, Fairfield, 40-7
6 Shamari Strawther, Fairfield, 39-4
Triple Jump
1 Kyla Hill, Goliad, 39-1.75
8 Bree Dowell, Fairfield, 35-3.25
4x100 relay
1 Universal City Randolph, 47.01
2 Fairfield, 48.04, Addisyn Cox, Shadasia Brackens, McKinna Brackens, Na’Kayla Conner,
3 Goliad, 48.10
400m dash
1 Yierra Flemings, Cameron Yoe, 55.29
2 Makki Hart, Shallowater, 56.00
3 Tardranique Londong, Hempstead 57.08
4 Shadasia Brackens, Fairfield, 57.22
4x400 relay
1 Shallowater, 3:55.59
2 Fairifield, Madox Mitchael, Avery Thaler, Ava Grecu, Shadasia Brackens, 3:56.18
3 Bushland, 3:58.11
4 Tatum, 3:59.37