By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal
Luke Bone walked off the track at Mike A. Myers Stadium on Saturday the way anyone who knows him might expect – happy.
Sure, the Austin High senior just won his first UIL track and field state medal. However, in his own words, the results don’t matter.
“I gave a speech (Friday) at an assembly,” he said. “Like I said then, I could care less about the results in high school. I could care less about everything I did, but going to school every day and seeing everyone there is the biggest support team ever. Everyone was rooting for me.
“Ever since I knew I was coming back to state, every single teacher, every single person in the school wished me luck. I knew everyone was behind me,” he added.
Bone delivered Saturday, running to a silver medal in the Class 6A boys 800-meter final with a exceptional time of 1 minute, 49.23 seconds.
It just so happened that Justin Northwest’s Cooper Lutkenhaus broke his own state record in the event with a time of 1:47.04 en route to his second state title, but first in Class 6A. Lutkenhaus was close to the national record set in 1996 by Michael Granville from California.
It appears Bone couldn’t have asked for a better performance.
“Last year didn’t go how I wanted, I got fifth here when I was the favorite, that one hurt really bad,” he said. “The day after that I knew I was going to be back here this year. Every day coming into this race, I knew I had the opportunity to do something special.
Bone, who was also the drum major for the Maroon marching band, will join the track team at Texas Tech in the fall where he will run indoor and outdoor track and field.
Buda Johnson’s Hoskins leaps to bronze in high jump
Even with her right leg heavily taped, Zaniah Hoskins still couldn’t be counted out Saturday in the Class 6A girls high jump.
Nursing a bruised hip, the Buda Johnson senior put her athleticism on display and leaped to a bronze medal with a height of 5-feet, 8 inches.
Hoskins, who will play volleyball at Memphis in the fall, overcame elimination twice before moving into third place.
With the bar set at 5-4 and two scratches, Hoskins cleared the bar and was one of five jumpers to advance to 5-6.
She missed her first two attempts and faced another elimination, but she cleared the bar on her final attempt and ran into the arms of her coach in celebration. Hoskins was one of three jumpers remaining and guaranteed a medal. It was the first state track medal awarded to a Buda Johnson athlete.
“It’s been a blessing all season, being my first season back after tearing my ACL,” Hoskins said. “I couldn’t ask for a better ending to my high school years. We went four rounds in the playoffs in volleyball, and now this, it’s such a blessing and I love it so much.”
Hoskins and Houston Memorial’s Cali Bryant both missed all three attempts at 5-9, while Humble Kingwood’s Brianna Rivers cleared the bar on her first attempt and secured the gold.
Bryant had fewer misses and was awarded the silver medal.
Saturday’s Austin-area medalists
- Abram Reagan, Lake Travis: The junior won bronze in the 6A boys 400 with a time of 46.54 seconds. Katy Mayde Creek’s Elijah Ferguson won the event in 46.05.
- Owen Langdon, Bowie: The senior won bronze in the 6A boys 300 hurdles with a time of 36.85. Klien Collins’ Andrew Jones won the event in 36.09. He finished sixth in the 110 hurdles.
- Emma Wade, Vista Ridge: The senior won bronze with a time of 4:52.26. Flower Mound’s Alexandra Fox won the event in 4:45.99.
- Stony Point 4×400 relay: The team of Zamir Chebou-Webb, Carson Weise, Dahvon Banks and Javon Waddle won bronze with a time of 3:13.43. Houston Lamar won the event in 3:11.94.
See more photos from Saturday’s action
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Notable finishes
- Malaysia Brady, Westlake: Finished sixth in the 6A girls shot put.
- Cassidy Henderson, New Braunfels Canyon: Finished sixth in the 6A girls pole vault.
- Josh Gayden, McNeil: Finished fifth in the 6A boys 200.
- Meredith Wolfe, Round Rock: Finished sixth in the 6A girls 1,600.
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