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Several area track and field athletes advanced to the region meet after their performances this week in the area meet in Angleton.

The top four finishers in each event advance to regionals April 19-20 in Humble.

Memorial will have participants in nine events at the regional meet, along with Port Neches-Groves participating in five events and Nederland in three.

Titans sophomore Brock King finished third in the 100m with a time of 10.91. Memorial’s 4×100 team, consisting of King, Daevon Iles, Brandon Richards and Semaj Pierre finished second (42.42), right behind Barbers Hill (42.37).

The Titans’ 4×200 squad, which featured Iles, Richards, Pierre and Amante Martin, finished first (1:28.25).

The 4×400 team, made up of Martin, Richards, Jakelbe Joseph and Matthew Christian  (3:23.66), also placed in the top 4.

Memorial sophomore Jacorey Davis advanced to the regional meet with a second-place finish in the long jump (22-01.00). Teammate Keavon Roberts finished second in the triple jump (47-02.00).

“The bottom line is to be in the top-four and advance,” Memorial Head Track Coach Darrell Granger said. “Out of the eight events we competed in, we qualified for seven of them. That is a good day’s work.”

Granger said the he believes all of the Titans relay teams have a good shot to make it to the state meet if they continue to show discipline.

“Last year, this team was very young and didn’t really understand the progression it takes,” Granger said. “This year, they have taken off and understood everything I wanted them to do.”

The coach gave particular praise to senior Iles for his commitment to the program.

“With him being involved in football, he could have easily said he wouldn’t run this year and worked on preparing to play college football,” Granger said. “His character has showed up to show the younger guys that you should treat right the people that treat you right. He is helping the younger guys get to where they want to go. He has been a leader and is competing at a high level on the track. I appreciate his dedication to the program.”

The decorated coach also heaped praise on freshman Richards.

“He is on all three relays,” Granger said. “He has done everything I have asked him to do this season. He has really impressed me. He is just a go-getter. He reminds me of one of the Memorial greats, Ireon Brown. I’m putting a lot of pressure on him. I think he can be that type of kid.”

Brown was part of the historic Memorial relay team that broke the national 4×100 record.

On the girls side, senior Xiaorong Jones finished second in the 400m dash (1:00.45). The girls 4×400 relay team came in third (4:08.06). Freshman Tatiyana Crain came in second in the shotput (36-03.00).

Strong showing

Port Neches-Groves’ Morgan Campbell also cleaned up at the meet.

The sophomore finished first in the 800m run (2:22.18), the 1,600m run (5:20.50) and the 3,200m run (11:43.46).

The PNG girls 4×200 also finished in second place, (1:46.10) and senior Faith Stein placed fourth in the poll vault (9-00.00).

For Nederland, Kenneth Tezeno came in third in the boys 200m dash (22.64).

Freshman Ella Mecom finished fourth in the 3,200m run (12:15.56) and freshman Kiley Harvard finished fourth in the 100m hurdles (16.38).