Duncanville boys track team on breaking national record: 'It's a dream come true'
DUNCANVILLE, Texas - The Duncanville boys track team brought a national record home over the weekend.
Their 1:22:25 4x200-meter relay time shattered the previous record by more than a second.
Duncanville smashed the U.S. high school national record in the boys' 4x200 relay at the UIL state meet in Austin on Saturday.
Duncanville's Brayden Williams, Caden Durham, Ayson Theus and Dakorien Moore were the ones who delivered the split-second victory.
Brayden ran the first leg after just a 20-minute break from his previous race.
"It's a great year. But next year, there's bigger things coming," he said.
Brayden did a handoff to Caden. Saturday’s win was especially personal for Caden, who suffered a massive loss in February.
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"For me to lose my grandma and come back and still be able to run, that means a lot for me," he said.
It all started when Caden did the handoff to Ayson. That’s when the adrenaline seemed to amp up.
"We can feel the heat when we're running," Ayson said. "But we're focused on giving our brothers the stick."
Then, the all-important final handoff to Dakorien, who brought the win home. He, too, honored the memory of his late grandmother.
"I had some doubt about running," he admitted. "But ultimately, I found that spirit in my head to go out there and do it, and I did it.
Head coach Clayton Brookins couldn’t be prouder.
"Low and behold, they delivered. But wow, they did it by a second! I wasn't expecting that," he said. "I'm proud of those guys. Every single day, they did what I asked."
The team is already thinking about what it will take to set a new record next year.
Girls track & field team wins state title
The Duncanville girls track & field team also has a lot to celebrate.
The ladies are once again state champions. They also dominated the relay races at Saturday's UIL state meet.
This year's win is especially significant since the team lost four graduating seniors last year.
Coach Yvette Green says freshmen and returning teammates pulled together to deliver another state title.
"It was a fight, an absolute dog fight, just to be honest with you. And everybody rose to the occasion," she said. "And it just so happens Duncanville came out on the top, and the girls put up and amazing fight from beginning to end."
The team proudly showed off their medals and state championship award.
Coach Green says the future for the team continues to look bright.