The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
05.15.2018 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Flannel sets state record, Simon rolls in Georgia
AUSTIN, Texas – While the Texas Track & Field teams were in Waco this weekend busy winning 10 individual event titles at the Big 12 Conference Championships, six future Longhorns were competing on their soon-to-be home track at the Texas UIL State Championship and put on some of the most impressive performances of the whole meet. Another won four events at the Georgia State Championship
The highlight of the Texas state meet was Kynnedy Flannel of Alvin High School making history by setting a new Texas Class 6A record in the girls 200 meters. Flannel, the No. 1 recruit in the nation for the 200m, clocked in at 22.95 seconds to win the 200. She also ran 11.35 to win the 100m for her team. To put her speed in the 200m final in perspective, Flannel's time in the 200m would have been fast enough to place second at the Big 12 meet this weekend. Flannel also ranks as the No. 2 recruit in the 100 and long jump.
Meanwhile in Georgia, Kennedy Simon, the top recruit in the nation for the 400 meters, ran the top high school time in the nation this year to win the Georgia Class 7A title in 52.52 seconds. Simon also won gold in the 200m at 23.78 and ran on her team's winning 4x100 and 4x400 relay squads. Simon added a fifth medal to her take by finishing third in the long jump with a leap of 18-9.50.
Other future Longhorns combined to win four medals in their respective events led by mid-distance specialist Valery Tobias of Edinburg IDEA Quest.
Tobias won her third straight Class 3A title in the 800m. She also scored points for her team with a fourth-place finish in the 400m and the high jump.
The other individual champion among future Texas Track & Field student-athletes was Alex Loving in the boys Class 5A long jump. Loving measured in at 7.27m (23-10.75) to win gold.
Pole vault at Texas will remain a strength for the Longhorns with two state medalists heading to campus this fall.
Warren Miller of Tolar High School took silver in the boys Class 3A division with his clearance of 4.72m (15-6.00), and Olivia Buntin earned bronze in the girls 6A pole vault with her height of 4.03m (13-3.00).
Also running at the state meet was future Longhorn Sean Prendeville as he finished fourth in the boys 6A 800m.
