Relays Recap

It's impossible to capture four days of unbelievable track and field in a few hundred words, especially when one considers the sheer amount of PRs, facility records, meet records, world records, memories, etc. So we'll capture the highlights, add a few pictures and look forward to the remainder of the season.

The most anticipated event didn't disappoint - Men's Elite Pole Vault. Far too long and complex an issue to discuss here, Armand "Mondo" Duplantis overcame politics supported by a social media outcry (FREE MONDO) to compete with world record-leader Renaud Lavillenie of France. Lavillenie, Shawn Barber (Kingwood Park HS, Akron, Canada) and Mondo all cleared 19-05, but Mondo's clearance earned him another World Junior U20 Record, besting his 19-04.25 from last year's Texas Relays.

The 91st running of the Texas Relays began in traditional fashion: collegiate heptathlon and decathlon. Taliyah Brooks (Wichita Falls Rider, University of Arkansas), buoyed by her success at DI Indoor Nationals and the 2017 SEC Outdoors, captured the Heptathlon crown with 5,946 points, while Wichita State's Hunter Veith surpassed 8,000 points to capture the Decathlon.

And then the high schoolers arrived.

Let's start with the girls.

Sanaa Barnes of Northwest Nelson (Villanova signee) and Alyssa Miller (Baylor signee) displayed form and grace to go 1-2 in the girl's high jump, both clearing 5-10. Lauren Lowe of St. Agnes Academy swept the hurdles, 14.24 and 43.59, while the DeSoto Girls swept the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400, earning them Texas Relays High School Team Most Outstanding Performer accolades.

Dallas Carter's Sha'Carri Richardson (LSU signee) and Alvin's Kyneddy Flannel (UT signee) ran 100-meter dash times of 11.42 and 11.40 respectively, but both were slightly wind-aided.