This past weekend, Westlake took a handful of varsity athletes to one of the most elite meets in the nation, Texas Relays. Held at the Mike A. Myers Track & Soccer stadium, the four-day event was packed with talent and competitive athletes.

As Texas Relays has both high school and college divisions, runners are expected to perform at a high level.

“Going into Texas Relays, I was a little nervous because I knew that I would be running in front of college athletes and coaches,” junior Alexis Torns said. “It was a big stadium and so many people were watching, but I knew I would do my best and not let my team down.”

One of the most impressive events of the night was sophomore Cassidy Beard’s 2000m Steeplechase. She came in third place overall with a time of 7:22.84, just over 10 seconds from the first place time.  

Another exciting event was the girls’ Sprint Medley Relay, run by juniors Camille Griffin, Abby George and Torns, and sophomore Elina Mettaelae. The girls took 10th place overall and ran a time 4:09.45.

“I felt confident going into Texas Relays,” Griffin said. “It’s a big state to show your potential, so it was important for me to take advantage of that.”

The Distance Medley Relay, run by juniors Maddie Dawson, Torns and Elise Smoot, as well as Mattaelae. They took home 10th place with a time of 12:37.17.  

As for the boys, junior Mason Mangum showed up with two impressive performances in the hurdles. He placed 11th in 110m hurdles with a time of 14.58 and eighth place in 300m hurdles with a time of 38.25. The boys’ 4x400m Relay team ran a 3:30.68 with a team of junior Jackson Coker, Mangum, sophomore Peyton Van Winkle and senior Chris Vescovo.

Overall, the team was happy with their results, but are fired up for the end of the season.

“I think there is always room for improvement,” Griffin said. “Especially as athletes, we constantly strive to be better than before. It’s amazing to see our hard work pay off.”