Following a strong area meet, 23 track team members will compete at regionals in Lubbock this weekend at Texas Tech University.

At Coppell’s area meet, the varsity boys were named area champions, and the varsity girls coming in fourth. The boys won first place in both the 4×100 meter relay [41.87] and the 4×200 meter relay [1:26.95], both run by seniors DeAndre Simmons, Ahkeel Guy, Malik Summers, and sophomore Jeriah Johnson. Seniors Calvin Minor, Darrell Johnson, sophomore Justin Bubak, and freshman Austin Warren  finished third in the 4×400 meter relay [3:21.29].

Seniors Bianka Glover, Chausse Freeman, junior Kamryn McKee, and freshman Jermila Tigner finished second in the 4×100 [49.02]. Glover, McKee, junior Kayli Bolds, and sophomore Kariyah Lanehart a placed fourth in the 4×200 [1:43.87], and Glover, McKee, senior Jasmine Johnson and freshman Marissa Laidlaw took fourth in the 4×400 [4:00.39].

“Almost everyone we took to area qualified for regionals, which is awesome,” assistant coach Landon Wren said. “They had to finish in the top four in area to qualify for regionals, and other than maybe a couple of kids, everyone qualified.”

Compared to last year, there are more students going to regionals, and senior team captain Bianka Glover said she believes it is a result of the team’s improvement.

“Last year it was only six people that went to regionals, and this year it’s 23,” Glover said. “There was a lot of people who improved and moved up to varsity, and everybody came in strong.”

Freeman, who was also area champion for the 300 meter hurdles [44.50], said the area meet also gave a wider opening to make it to regionals.

“Area meet gave us a better opportunity to make it to regionals because instead of taking the top 3 in district to regionals, they took top 4 from area,” Freeman said.

Summers, who also won the 200 meters [21.39], said the track team can make it all the way to state.

“We haven’t even taken this many people [to regionals] since my sophomore year,” Summers said. “I went [to state] my sophomore year. If we run how I know we can run, and get the stick around, we can make it.”

Guy had a big meet finishing second in the 200 meters [21.65], and winning the long jump [23-02.75] said that the team will go far if it is willing to put forth the effort.

“If we work a little bit harder we should [make it to state],” Guy said. “We fell apart as a team [last year]. We’re better as a team this year.”

Wren said the teams can expect strong competition this weekend.

“We’re happy to have qualified [for regionals], and be given the opportunity to run out there, and if we run fast enough, I think a good goal for us is to make it to the finals,” Wren said. “It’s going to be tough to make it to state based on the other times that I’ve seen, but we’ll see.”