PUBLISHED MAY 10
By Martin Edwards Staff Writer
Aubrey, Pilot Point and Tioga varsity track teams were well represented at the state meet in Austin on May 2-4.
The stars shone brightly in Mike A. Myers Stadium with the Chaps having multiple podium finishers and the Bearcats securing two medals of their own.
“The thing we base our track program around is our mile relay,” head boys track coach Don Spaulding said. “Leading up to that [event], we had some very good performances. The mile relay was the crescendo.”
The Chaps 4x400-meter relay— Nathaniel Nkwodinma, Ryan McMeen, Landon Martino and Tyler Brown—made history on their gold medal run, with a Texas Class 4A state meet record time of 3:13.1.
“It was a glorious run,” Spaulding said. “They were phenomenal.”
The Chaps’ 4x100-meter relay— McMeen, Jalaal Thompson, Emerson Cagle and Brown—also gave everything they had, winning bronze with a time of 41.1 seconds.
They finished third behind Iowa Colony by three-hundredths of a second in a tight race that saw the first-place team from Gilmer set a record time in the event.
The margins between finishers were also extremely close in the individual events.
Brown finished first in the he said. “So proper mental preparation coming into this and just focus[ing] on one lift at a time [are key].”
This season was especially notable for Doc as he guided his youngest daughter, Brooke, to her second state championship.
“Brooke is our youngest, so to see her progress and her drive, … that’s pretty satisfying,” Doc said.
Brooke’s fire was on full display as she set new state records in the 114-pound weight class not once but twice with squats of 405 and 415 pounds.
“The energy for squat was just [through] the roof,” Brooke said.
That spark was clear for the crowd to see as she came up smiling on her second record-breaking lift.
As a two-time state champion, Brooke will now be the first Lady Chap enshrined in the Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association Hall of Fame.
“It's always been a goal of mine to get into the Hall of Fame [as] a two-time state champion,” Brooke said. 'It's definitely been a big season for me.”
Brooke was also awarded first place for Best Bench Press in the lightweight division.
Gillum secured the Lady Chaps’ second state championship medal of the meet taking first place in the 123-pound weight class.
“I feel like I did really well,” she said. “I got a new total personal record, and I’m really proud of how I did.”
Gillum’s standout performance saw her set new personal records in both squat and deadlift and marked her as the second women’s powerlifting state champion in Aubrey's history.
“It came down to the wire,” Gillum said. “The adrenaline rush was crazy.”
Nkwodinma and Walter brought home the Lady Chaps’ final two medals.
Nkwodinma finished fifth in the 198-pound weight class, earning her first medal in her second appearance at the state-level meet.
“Overall I’ve worked so hard this year, and I’m so proud of what I’ve done,” she said.
Walter finished fifth in the 97-pound weight class, earning her first medal in her second appearance at the state-level meet.
“I’ve come a long way since last year,” she said. “I’ve been putting in effort the whole year, and I’m proud of myself.”
Walter, a second-generation powerlifter, dedicated her performance to her grandmother, who passed away recently.
Gathright gushed with pride as his team prepared to head home after their outstanding performance.
“We are proud of our girls’ hard work,” Gathright said.
Gathright expressed thanks for several people who he said provided their invaluable support during the meet: Teresa McAlister, Dana McAlister, Riley Herron, Xavier McCoy, Nate Nk-
Aubrey girls powerlifting head coach Ron Gathright, left, stands with state championship medalists Emma Gillum, Brooke McAlister, Matiana Walter, Naomi Nkwodinma and assistant coach Doc McAlister. Martin Edwards/The Post-Signal
