Plano East sophomore Liana Wright raises her left hand in the air after she won the District 6-6A title in the girls 100-meter dash. Sophomore Lauryn Bowen, right, took second place. Photo by Andy Redmond / C&S Media
By David Wolman
Plano East qualified for the area meet in 13 events — 10 in the girls division — earning the Lady Panthers second place in the team standings. Plano East racked up 116 points on its home track, Tom Kimbrough Stadium, and finished just behind team champion Prosper Rock Hill (142).
Following a breakout freshman season in which she broke Plano East’s freshman record in the shot put and advanced to the Region I-6A meet, sophomore Kourtney Houston won the District 6-6A title with a toss of 38-7.5 and added a second-place finish in the discus with a distance of 117-7.
Another sophomore, Liana Wright, showed Friday that she is ready to build off a breakout ninth-grade year in which she was a regional qualifier in the 100 hurdles. Wright won the event with a time of 11.89. Earlier in the meet, Wright teamed with Lauryn Bowen, Ce’Nyiah Brown and Simone Heard to win the 4×100 in 46.82.
Bowen is an area qualifier in three events. In addition to serving as the lead leg for Plano East’s 4×100, she finished second in the 100 with a time of 12.09 and helped the Lady Panthers to a runner-up finish in the 4×200. In the 4×200, she teamed with Kosiso Ngadi, Brown and Sophia Sawyer.
Brown, like Bowen, qualified for the area meet in three events. Her third qualification came in the long jump, where her leap of 18-3.75 earned fourth place.
One of the most competitive races of the day came in the girls 300 hurdles, featuring the top three performers in Region I-6A, and it lived up to the hype.
Plano East senior Caitlyn Tran, who owns the second-fastest time, finished second in 13.872. Princeton junior Sydney Smith, ranked No. 1 in Region I-6A, won the district title with a 13.70. Plano sophomore Morgan Olschewsky placed third in 13.875.
A leap of 37-4 by junior Naomi Williams on her final attempt in the triple jump earned her third place and a spot in Friday’s area meet at Denton Braswell’s Carrico Stadium.
Maya Shariff, a senior, used a late surge to overtake an opposing runner on the final straightaway to take fourth place in the 800 with a time of 2:20.12.
Plano East had two area qualifiers in the boys division.
Senior Malachi Terry earned third place in the 200 with a 21.69 and fourth in the 100 with a time of 10.73.
Dalton McMillon, a junior, ran to bronze in the 300 hurdles in 39.73.