Flemings ends with 4 medals

AUSTIN - With this being her final high school track and field meet before beginning her collegiate career at Texas A&M, Yierra Flemings wanted to save her best for last.

The Yoe senior did just that. Flemings earned medals in all four events that she competed in last Thursday at the Class 3A state meet at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.

Flemings finished second in both the long and triple jumps, and won the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter run. She was the only Lady Yoe competitor at the meet, yet she garnered 36 points in the team standings, which was good enough for fourth place.

“I did two gold, a silver and a bronze last year,” Flemings said. “I won the 100 hurdles and 400 last year, too.”

Last Thursday started with the long jump. Flemings finished with a leap of 18 feet, 2.5 inches - second to Taylor Nunez of Universal City Randolph (18-6.25). A few hours later, Flemings jumped 39-9.75 in the triple jump, finishing second to Jayana Phillips of Yoakum (40-4.25).

Light rain hit the stadium throughout the day, which may have played a factor in the performances of the competing athletes. Flemings believed it played a factor in her performance.

“I feel like the weather played a factor in the long jump more so than the triple jump,” she said.

Thursday evening’s running events were Flemings’ for the taking. She claimed the title in the 100 hurdles with a time of 13.98 seconds - five-hundredths of a second faster than runner-up Abby Elmore of Gunter (14.03).

Flemings won the 400 a little more convincingly. Her time of 54.48 was nearly a second faster than that of runner-up and district rival, Kamree Woolridge of Lexington (55.44).

Flemings’ 36 points in the team standings were two shy of third-place Holliday (38). Randolph (78) and Goliad (72) were the top two teams.

Flemings will compete in the 400-meter hurdles and heptathlon at A&M. The heptathlon is a seven-event competition that features three running events - 200- and 800-meter runs and 100-meter hurdles; two jumping events - long and high jump; and two throwing events - shot put and javelin.

The heptathlon will be for outdoor track and field season. During the indoor season, which begins in December, Flemings will compete in the pentathlon.

The pentathlon is a five-event competition. Its events are the 800 run, 60-meter hurdles, long jump, high jump and shot put.

Although Flemings was the only Lady Yoe competitor at the state meet, she wasn’t the only Yoe competitor. Yoemen D’auntray Bradley, Kardarius Bradley, Braylan Drake and Damon Flemings finished seventh in the 3A boys 4x400-meter relay.