Rhonda Watkins - UCLA
Women's University Long Jump Champion
I did not know that. [about setting the meet record] I cannot even describe how I feel. I am so happy. This is my first time at this meet. I really wanted to come out here and jump well because I knew this was a big meet.
Tone Belt - Louisville
Men's University Long Jump Champion
Last year, I won section B and they let me do section A and I scratched all three of my jumps, so it was kind of a bad meet last year. I wanted to come back and bounce back from that. Texas is a nice place. They've got nice facilities here and I just wanted to come in and compete.
Destinee Hooker - Texas
Women's University High Jump Champion
It feels awesome to win. I've been suffering from a lot of injuries, and I just feel at home being on this track. Overall, it's a good track, and I'm glad to be here.
A winner, to me, has to be someone who learns from their mistakes, doesn't win it all, knows how to compliment their competitors, and knows how to basically have good sportsmanship. Know that when you can't make it, not to get frustrated and just know how to have self-control.
Maston Wallace - Clearbrook
Boys Pole Vault Champion
I knew I already had the event won and I just wanted to clear 17 feet so I could get to 17'3'' and go for the meet record, but that didn't happen. I love competing in front of this type of crowd, it gets the adrenaline going and you get really pumped up. I love it here and love competing in Texas Relays.
Sarah Cocco - Fairview
Anchor of the Girls 4x800-Meter Relay
This is something we have been thinking about since the beginning of the season. And it feels really good because we worked so hard for it. We had intense workouts; we pushed each other a lot, and really concentrated on training and the event. It really paid off. We were just ready to get out there and push ourselves to do the best we could do.
Colby Lowe - South Lake Carroll
Anchor of the Boys 4x800-Meter Relay
It feels good to win. We put a lot of hard work into it. Get ready to come out here and do what you planned to do. It feels good. My teammates are just awesome and there are little things we can work on to get here again.
Grant Lindsey - Mansfield
Boys High Jump Champion
It feels great. This is my third year out here and I'm just glad to finally take home the gold.
The atmosphere is always incredible here. Everyone here eats, sleeps, and drinks track and field, and that's what I'm looking for; the best competition that I can find and that’s always here.
Abby Emsick - Kansas
Women's Discus Champion
I don't know if you ever know [who will win] because the wind can take it and do what it wants with it. I was surprised when they said the measurements.
I've been working hard and I guess it just came out right. It's amazing. I've never won a big competition. I never even thought I would win. I usually don't even get in the top five.
Rachel Laurent - Vanderbilt Catholic
Girls Pole Vault Champion
It feels great, 13' 4" is my personal best so I'm very excited. It’s the highest I've ever jumped outdoors so far so it feels really good.
Adam Kuehl - Arizona University
Men's Discus Champion
It feels really good. Last year, I came here and I got second to Vikas Gowda who is a great thrower. It was a loaded field today and it was a tricky wind but a lot of people figured it out and we had a really good competition. I am really honored to win this event at the Texas Relays, especially with this being my last year. I am excited to receive the gold.
Brittani Carter - Marshall High School
Girl's High Jump Champion
It feels real good to win because I didn't win last year--I got third. I need to do better though, because this isn't my best, and I want to do better. I need to prepare more mentally.
Samantha Means - McKinney North
Girl's 3200-Meter Champion
I'm so excited I don't know what to do right now. It was part of my strategy to stick with the pack for a while so I didn't use all my energy, but towards the end of the race I was just like, I've got to go.
Drew Bean - LC-Mauriceville
Boys 3200-Meter Champion
It's pretty cool. It's something I never thought I would do about two years ago, but I've made a lot of progress since then. It's an amazing feeling to know that I've won such a big meet. It feels good.
Vincent Rono - South Alabama
University Men 1500-Meter Champion
I had it easy tonight; my strategy was just to win the race. Last year was a little bit warmer, better for running. This year was windy and I didn't even warm up. I just came out here trying to defend my title and that's what I did.
Halsey Fowler - Lamar
Anchor of the Girls Sprint Medley Relay
I feel like we all worked really well together and everyone I think just ran their best and just competed against all the other great teams out here.
We really wanted the medal so I just really tried to catch that girl.
Blake Shaw - Cy-Falls
Anchor of the Boys Sprint Medley Relay
We came out too fast at the beginning of the 800. The 800 runner from Dallas Skyline and I have a history on the track. He's been beating me lately and I wanted to prove that I could win.
Yawusa Kinda - Kansas City Community College
Anchor of the College Men's Sprint Medley Relay
I feel really good about it. I have been injured for a while. I feel this has been my best race ever, since I have been back. So I am really excited because three of the teams we were competing against are from Kansas City, as are we. They really had us at the National Indoor meet and so we are just trying to catch up.
Paige Farrell - Arkansas University
Anchor of the University Women's Sprint Medley Relay
It feels great. We have a great team this year, so to hold on to it after the girls did so well felt good.
Chris Carter - Hearne
Boys Long Jump Champion
Coming in I didn't think I was going to do that well since I'm from a 2A school and a lot of these guys are from 5A, but they got me ready and it feels great to win. The competition helped me jump further because usually I'm not use to stiff competition like this. There is something in this track that makes you run faster and coming to Austin is great.
Dominic Tanui - UTEP
Anchor of the University Men's Sprint Medley Relay
It was good but the problem is that it was too windy and now it's getting cold, but I tried my best.
Olha Kryv'yak - Abilene Christian University
Women's 3000-Meter Steeplechase
This is my first time running at the Texas Relays so I was a little afraid to go and run this because I didn't know how fast I could go, especially with the weather being crazy like this. If there was someone to run with me I feel I could go faster.
Brandon Chiuminetta - Dripping Springs
Boys 2000-Meter Steeplechase Champion
It felt awesome. It's really hard to train for this because it's not a high school race. So what we did was train over hurdles, just regular hurdles. I am happy.
Nicodemus Naimadu - Abilene Christian
Men's 3000-Meter Steeplechase Champion
It felt really nice to win today. I tightened up after the race because I didn't have enough timed rest after the 10K. Since I won this event last year I really wanted to defend my title. I know this is a good place for training and I know the competition is good.
Adam Perkins - Arkansas
Anchor of the Men's 4x1500-Meter Relay
It's just a great meet to come out to. It's our first meet of the year; we hadn't stepped on the track yet, so this is just a good spot to see where we are in our training. April is a big month for us and we like to start off well. Obviously Texas is a big rival with Arkansas so we always love to come down and have a great time in Austin. It's a fun city, it's a great city, everyone is welcoming here, and the fans are great.
