Flower Mound Marcus' Craig Lutz makes Texas Relays history

Brendan Sullivan/Staff Photographer
Arlington Bowie's Roland Sales leaps over the cross bar during the high jump event at the 84th annual Texas Relays at the University of Texas, Clyde Littlefield Track in Austin on April 8, 2011.
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Lutz wins 3,200 at meet for fourth straight year

AUSTIN — No wonder Texas signed Flower Mound Marcus senior distance runner Craig Lutz. He’s a dominant force at the Texas Relays.

Lutz made it a clean sweep in his high school career Friday night, winning the 3,200 meters at the Texas Relays for a fourth consecutive year at Texas’ Mike A. Myers Stadium. Despite facing windy conditions, Lutz led from start to finish and won in 9:09.50.

“We noticed my freshman year that nobody had ever won four in a row at the Texas Relays before,” Lutz said, “and that was one of my biggest goals this year.”

The Texas Relays high school boys competition stretches back to 1925 (the first 3,200 was in 1975 and the first 1,500/1,600 was in 1987), and Lutz became the first boy to win four consecutive individual events at the prestigious meet. However, it’s been done before on the girls side. Red Oak-ex Michelle Carter, a former Texas standout and the daughter of Olympian thrower and former NFL player Michael Carter, won four consecutive Texas Relays girls shot put titles from 2000 to 2003.

Lutz’s winning time was his slowest since his freshman year and well off his 8:55.10 that he posted a month ago that still leads the nation. But there’s a good reason why.

Lutz missed a few days of school this week while sick and coughed throughout his interview following the race. Lutz said he had trouble breathing during the race. That was evident as his legs began to wobble after he crossed the finish line and he had to be helped from the track to a trainer’s table for observation.

“I felt like I left everything out on the track,” Lutz said. “I’ve been coughing all week and today I had the worst fit of coughing. I came through my first four laps at the pace I needed (4:28) but after that it started falling apart.”

Three weeks ago, Lutz was in Punta Umbria, Spain, where he was the top American finisher in the IAAF World Junior Cross Country Championships. Lutz, who won the Class 5A state cross country title last fall, finished 29th out of 110 of the world’s top junior distance runners.

Now Lutz has to recover in time to run in the District 8-5A meet’s 3,200 race Tuesday and the 1,600 on Wednesday so he can again start his trek toward another state meet.

North Mesquite’s Akens second in discus: North Mesquite senior Andrew Akens said he walked up to the discus circle with something to prove on his last attempt of the day. And he did.

Akens’ last of six attempts sailed 173 feet, 10 inches to vault him into second place in a deep field that included defending Class 4A state discus champion Brett Sharp of Longview Pine Tree and defending Class 3A shot put state champion Jordan Roos of Celina.

“That last throw felt good,” Akens said. “I had to see what I had inside of me. I had to pull something out.”

Little Cypress-Mauriceville junior Hayden Reed won with a throw of 178-6. Spring senior Taji Henley was third at 170-10 and Roos fourth at 170-3.

Roos’ best throw came on his first attempt, and he pumped his fist in the air after seeing it land. But he couldn’t do better than 160-3 the rest of the way.

Texas’ Goodwin takes third: Texas sophomore Marquise Goodwin, the former Rowlett standout and state champion, finished third against a stacked field in the men’s long jump. Goodwin, the defending NCAA outdoor national champion, took a brief lead when he jumped 26-53/4 on his second attempt but he couldn’t improve. Florida State’s Ngonidzashe Makusha won with a jump of 27-63/4.


(at Mike A. Myers Stadium, Austin)



HIGH JUMP — 1. Jacorian Duffield, Universal City Randolph, 6-10; 2. Alex Austin, San Marcos, 6-08; 3. Stephen Afadapa, Katy Cypress Ranch, 6-08

LONG JUMP SECTION A — 1. Mykkele Thompson, SA Stevens, 25-026 ¼; 2. Jonathan Turner, CC Carroll, 25-00; 3. Chance Griffin, Hou. Strake Jesuit, 22-05 61/4

LONG JUMP SECTION B — 1. Tim Otey, Hou. St. Johns, 22-086 ¾; 2. Shaq Ransom Hughes Springs, 22-04 63/4; 3. Andre Jefferson, Tyler John Tyler, 22-02 63/4

SHOT PUT SECTION B — 1. Connor Myers, Edmond Mem., 55-026 ½; 2. Cyril Lemon, Marble Falls, 55-01; 3. Roderick Payne, Brenham, 53-05 63/4

DISCUS — 1. Hayden Reed, LC Mauriceville, 178-06; 2. Andrew Akens, North Mesquite, 173-10; 3. Taji Henley, Spring, 170-10

POLE VAULT SECTION A — 1. Reese Watson, Spring, 17-02; 2. Andreas Duplantis, Lafayette, 17-02; 3. Josh Sonnen, Midlothian, 16-01

POLE VAULT SECTION B — 1. Daryll Burrell, Buda Hays, 16-10; 2. Dylan Bell, Alvarado, 15-07; 3. Daven Murphree, Big Sandy Harmony, 15-07

2000 STEEPLECHASE — 1. Derwin Graham, Copperas Cove, 6:14.14; 2. Nate Moore, Lockhart, 6:22.86; 3. Paden Williams, Dripping Springs, 6:24.03

3200 — 1. Craig Lutz, FM Marcus, 9:09.50; 2. Mark Pinales, RR Stony Point, 9:12.29; 3. Craig Nowak, Hou. Cy-Woods, 9:19.82

1600 SPRINT MEDLEY — 1. Edmond Mem. (David Smith, John Teeter, Isaiah Duke, Simon Greiner), 3:28.29; 2. Arl. Lamar, 3:32.39; 3. FM Marcus, 3:33.92

3200 RELAY — 1. Georgetown (Ian Plantz, Michael Pickel, Dorian McCradic, Cameron Foreman), 7:53.13; 2. FM Marcus, 7:54.81; 3. Liberty Hall, 7:56.46


HIGH JUMP — 1.Grace Beaudoin, Ingram Moore, 5-07; 2. Michaela Palu, SA Marshall, 5-07; 3. Britney Carter, NB Canyon, 5-07

LONG JUMP SECTION A — 1.  Taliyah Brooks, Pflugerville, 19-00; 2. Kierra White, Aus. Johnson, 18-116 ¼; 3. Re’Jana Ellison, Hearne, 18-086 ¾

LONJ JUMP SECTION B — 1. Traonna Shedrick, Copperas Cove, 18-04; 2. Madkson, Hansen, Plano East, 18-00 63/4; 3. Shakendra Mumphrye, Tyler John Tyler, 17-11

POLE VAULT SECTION A — 1. Morgann Leleux, Catholic, NI, 13-05; 2. Kaitlin Petrillose, RR McNeil, 12-07; 3. Marielle Brisbois, Plano Prestonwood, 12-01

SHOT PUT SECTION B — 1. Danyelle Dillard, Loraine, 41-03; 2. Tochi Nlemi, Katy Cinco Rancy, 40-04; 3. Kristine Hanks, Huntsville, 39-036 ¾

3200 — Kaitlin Flattmann, Benton, 10:36.17; 2. Cali Roper, Willis, 10:50.41; 3. Rachel Baptista, Austin, 10:50.44

1600 SPRINT MEDLEY — 1. Coppell (Kim Kirby, Chiamaka Ukoha, Haley Cook, Elizabeth Kerpon), 4:05.32; 2. Leander, 4:11.37; 3. Manvel, 4:12.99

3200 RELAY — 1. SA Brandeis (Alexis Vick, Kimberly Campbell, Jennifer Berringer, Grace Kohler), 9:43.57; 2. Katy Cinco Ranch, 9:48.56; 3. Boerne Champion, 9:49.44

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