Princeton junior Sydney Smith, middle, broke her own school record in the girls 100-meter hurdles at last week’s area 5-6A/6-6A track and field meet at Denton Braswell’s Carrico Stadium. Photo by Jerry Winfrey / C&S Media
By David Wolman
Princeton head track and field coach Michael Wellington has always stressed execution to junior Sydney Smith, especially when Smith competes in a race with significant implications and great competition.
Smith heeded the words of her head coach at last Friday’s area 5-6A/6-6A track and field meet at Denton Braswell’s Carrico Stadium, winning first place in the girls 100-meter hurdles with a new school record time of 13.67 seconds.
The race featured the top three ranked runners in Region I-6A – all three being separated by 0.12 seconds. Plano East senior Caitlyn Tran captured second in 13.73, and Plano sophomore Morgan Olschewsky took third in 13.79.
“It was pretty fun,” Wellington said. “Sydney and Caitlyn were running hurdle by hurdle through the 10th hurdle, and Sydney beat her at the end. It showed how much execution is important. It was pretty electrifying, to say the least.”
Smith also qualified for the Region I-6A meet in the long jump, placing fourth with a leap of 18 feet, three inches.
Overall, Princeton advanced four entries to regionals, set for May 1-2 at the University of Texas at Arlington’s Maverick Stadium.
Senior Will Smith is headed back to the regional meet in the boys 4×400 and also qualified in the 800-meter run. He, Mason Williams, Aiden Rutledge and Collin Fannin-White placed third in the 4×400 with a season-best time of 3:19.03.
“It’s not necessarily surprising that they’re headed to regionals,” Wellington said. “When they were training in the fall, we were trying to get them to run 3:17. They’re starting to get closer to that number. They’re competing and embracing the competition in this district and area, which is tough.”
Smith captured third place in the 800 with a time of 1:56.54.
“It didn’t click with him last year that it has this year,” Wellington said. “He’s just buying into the training.”
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