A trio of Lehman track and field athletes made sure to set the bar high for future athletes Saturday.
By competing at the UIL state track and field meet in Austin, Lehman junior Bria Arrant, senior CeCe Watson and freshman Nikayla Fitzgerald became the largest contingent the Lobo track program has sent to state in its history.
Leading the way was Arrant, who finished as the ninth fastest sprinter in Texas. Arrant, who competed in the 6A girls 100-meter dash, competed the run in 12.85 seconds.
“I could’ve been better,” said Arrant. “I guess I just didn’t feel it today. I let the nervousness get to me.”
Although Arrant was disappointed in her finish, she was proud to reach the state, especially after claiming the title of the fastest woman in Region IV, 6A.
“It makes me feel really great and proud,” Arrant said about competing with the state’s best athletes. “I’ve been wanting to get to this point for so long. And I finally made it here.”
Arrant said she is looking forward to competing next season to make it back to the state finals and compete for a medal.
“I’m definitely still going to work on my form,” Arrant said about her offseason plans. “And try and gain more muscle mass. Trying to get a better sprinter’s body.”
Arrant also explained that she will work on keeping her legs up when sprinting and focusing on getting out of the blocks, two keys in what got her to this year’s state meet.
Watson, who competed in the 6A girls shotput, finished with a throw of 38 feet 10 inches, which gave her eighth place in the competition. Her participation marked the second time Watson has reached the state level.
Watson competed in the 2017 UIL state track and field meet. Watson also has put the shot at the 2017 and 2018 Texas Relays.
Lehman Freshman Nikayla Fitzgerald made her inaugural appearance at the state meet by competing in the long jump. Fitzgerald leaped 18 feet and 1 inch, which was good for 9th place in the competition.
The gold medal in long jump went to Claire Bryant from Houston Memorial with a jump of 20 feet 4.75 inches, barely beating Midland’s Sametria Smith who placed silver with an official score of 20 feet 4.25 inches.
