Local athletes head to Corpus for TAAF state games

With the 2012 Olympics getting started in London, local athletes are getting their own chance to shine as the 2012 Texas Amateur Athletics Federation Games of Texas get started on Thursday in Corpus Christi.

The TAAF Games of Texas, which lasts through Sunday and includes several sports, including track and field, swimming, baseball, boxing, fencing, golf, Judo, skateboarding, softball, swimming, table tennis and tennis, will include several local athletes making up a field that is expected to host more than 8,000 participants from all over the state.

TAAF was created in 1925 with the goal to create and maintain a permanent organization representative of amateur athletics and promote the development of physical education and the encouragement of the standardization of rules of all amateur athletics, games and competitions, and over the years, many standout athletes got their stars in TAAF events.

While there are several different sports that will be showcased during the next four days, track and field will host the largest contingency.

Here is a look at the locals from the Garland Track Club and the Rowlett Xtreme Speed, made up of athletes from those cities and surrounding areas, that will be hoping to bring home medals at the event.

Girls 8-and-under: Mashara Williams is a dual-qualifier with the third-best mark and the seventh-best in the triple jump.

Another athlete who qualified in two events is Keniah Ealy, who has the fifth-best time in the 200 meters and the sixth in the 100.

Another possible to bring home a medal is the Garland 400 relay team of Kiana Barnes, Ka'Dence Traylor, Kira Phillips and Kiyia Newton, which has the third-best qualifying time.

Girls 10-and-under: Rowlett's Breanna Clark is the favorite to win a medal in this age group after qualifying second in the 400 meters.

Aayinde Smith of Garland qualified sixth in the 200 meters and is also part of the seventh-ranked 400 relay team that includes Carisma Hunter, Jade Rose and Jasmin Smith.

Garland also has a 1,600 relay team made up of Sedalia Huland, Alexis Dunn, Rhyan Chisley and Amari Moy that will be in the hunt.

Girls 12-and-under: Rowlett's 1,600 relay team will be the favorite in this event after posting a qualifying time of 4:32.63, which is nearly five seconds better than any other mark. That includes Briana Bell, Peyton Lewis, Sydni Lewis, Brittany Clark, Tiamia Turner and Sampa Chisanga.

Bell, Clark, Turner and Sydni Lewis are also part of the 400 relay team that has the eighth-best time.

Garland's Valencia Young is ranked third in the 80 hurdles, and is also part of the 1,600 relay team along with Bre'Asiasah Matthews, Tracy Ohaegbu and Majesty Frazier that qualified 14th.

Garland's April Benson is ranked fifth in the 80 hurdles, while Rowlett's Sarah Riney is 10th in the high jump.

Girls 14-and-under: Garland's Natalie Valentine will hope to bring back a pair of medals after qualifying first in the 100 hurdles in a time of 15.78 seconds and second in the long jump with a leap of 16-05.

Marian McRae is ranked second in the long jump and is also part of a pair of relay teams that made the event.

McRae, Johna Diggs, Alysa Morgan and Natalie Ramirez are part of the 400 relay team that qualified fourth, while the team of McRade, Ramirez, Alante Montgomery and Courtlyn Harris is third in the 1,600 relay.

Diggs is also ranked second in the 100 hurdles while Morgan is 21st in the 100 meters.

Girls 16-and-under: Both Rowlett and Garland have qualifying teams in the 400 relay. The Xtreme Sped team of Daria White, Alexis Barnes, Eboni Smith, Tia Albritton, Tra Burks and Briana Duplechain has the fourth-best time, while Garland's group of Neka Nebolisa, Ashley Gilstrap, Ciara Irons and London Brown is ranked 12th.

The Rowlett team of Banks, Barnes, Duplechain, Smith and Sydney Seward are also seeded second in the 1,600 relay.

In addition to the relays, Burks qualified sixth in the 800 meters and 12th in the long jump. Albritton is seeded seventh in the high jump, Barnes is seventh in the 400 meters and Smith is 17th .

Girls 18-and-under: Garland's Bianca Jackson will be the favorite to win the 100 hurdles, as her qualifying time of 14.50 seconds is nearly half a second better than the next posted time.

She is also part of the 400 relay team with Laticia Mapps, Charity Mapps, Theondra Woods, Marquetta Mapps and Joya Thomas that has the fifth-best time.

Boyd 8-and-under: Rowlett's Jaytric Geter will be a dual-threat at the state games after qualifying second in the 50 meters and third in the 100.

Garland's Dwight Jones is ranked sixth in the 100 and is part of the state-best 400 relay team that includes Cory Radic, Chase Bradfield and Zavion Wright.

Bradfield also qualified sixth in the high jump, while Jaylen McGee is 12th in the same event.

Boys 10-and-under: Garland has a pair of relays competing, as Marquel Ellis, Amari McGowan, Theos Stoops and Montrell Rose are part of the 400 relay team, while Ellis, McGowan, Stroops and Tabren Yates make up the 1,600 relay.

McGowan also qualified in the high jump, as did Michael McGee.

Boys 12-and-under: Drue Jackson of Garland will be a favorite in a pair of events after qualifying first in both the high jump and the long jump. Rowlett's Zachary Gibson will also be in the high jump event.

Rowlett's Harrison Manuel is ranked seventh in the 80 hurdles.

Boys 14-and-under: The Garland Track Club has several athletes dreaming of medals in this age group.

Kaleb Mcnac is seeded second in the 100 meters with teammate Kobe Morrow 10th in that event and sixth in the 400. Juan Moreno is ranked third in the 200 meters and second in the 400.

Mcnac, Moreno and Morrow join Zhaire Smith as part of the 400 relay team that qualified second.

Boys 16-and-under: Garland's Justin Walker qualified first in the long jump with a mark of 22-00. Teammate Devonte Hayden is ranked fifth in the long jump and is also the favorite in the triple jump as his mark of 41-00.75 is the best in the state.

Devin Dumenay is seeded second in the 200 meters and sixth in the 100 while Donovan Dumanay is fourth in the 300 hurdles.

The Garland 1,600 relay team of Caleb Valentine, Kendrick Williams, Joshua Jackson, Hayden and Derrick Harris is seeded fourth, while Malcolm Jackson and Stanley White each qualified in the shot put and the discus.

Boys 18-and-under: Tequille Jackson enters with the best time in the 100 hurdles, while Brandon Moore ranks first in the 400 meters.

Moore is also sixth in the 200 meters, while Kameron Sheffield is 16th in the 100.

The 400 relay team of Kevonte Collier, Jackson, Sheffield, Rashad Dorsey, Timiree Morris and Desmond Mapps has the top qualifying team, as does the 400 relay team.

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