Kameron Martin and the Port Arthur Memorial Titans know exactly who to expect right beside them this week in each of the three relay events at the Class 6A Region III Area Track and Field Championships.
It is the same track team who took the state championship last season, the Manvel Mavericks. The Titans take to the track at 6 p.m. Thursday at Pearland High School.
There are usually not rivalries in track. Manvel and Memorial are different. The two expect to see each other this week, the next week during the regional meet at LeRoy Crump Stadium in Houston and then again on May 14 in Austin for the state championship.
“I have been thinking about racing them again since after last year at the state meet,” Martin said. “We felt like we deserved the state title. Every time we race against Manvel there is competition.”
There is certainly competition again this year for the Titans.
Manvel compares very well against the times Memorial put up in the district meets.
The Titans ran a 41.25 in the 4×100 relay at the District 21-6A meet and Manvel finished at 41.17 at the District 22-6A meet.
Memorial’s 1:25.6 in the 4×200 relay last week is better than Manvel’s 1:26.16. The Titans also have the edge in the 4×400 relay, 3:16.26 compared to Manvel’s 3:17.92.
“Those guys worry about us and we know about Manvel,” Martin said. “We are just going to go worry about us and put on a show. Every week, the first people I look at times of are Manvel. To get to state, you have to go up against those guys.”
Martin said he enjoys being on the track against the Mavericks for one specific reason.
“They push us a lot,” he added. “I know we push. We are both two of the top teams in the nation, so it is always going to be a show.”
Kary Vincent Jr. also has some serious competition of his own in the 200-meter dash. Vincent won the event at the district meet with a time of 21.38. Pearland’s Mykul Mitchell won the 22-6A meet at 21.44 and Daniel Ford of Manvel finished second at 21.66.
The top four qualifiers at the area meet move on to the regional meet.
De’Andre Angelle looks to be a key figure in the Titans’ success in the two speedy relay events.
Angelle had a defining moment during last week’s district meet after he was disqualified in the 100 for leaving the blocks early. He had to quickly shrug off the DQ because he was the final leg in the 4×200 relay.
“The 100 just didn’t happen to go my way,” Angelle said. “I put all my anger into the 4×2.”
Angelle put so much anger into the 4×200 relay, he came up hobbling a bit after he finished the race.
“My ankle is feeling better,” Angelle said. “I have been getting treatment and doing a lot of rehab.”
Angelle said he is ready to face Manvel and the rest of the teams at Thursday’s area meet.
“We have a lot of confidence right now,” he added. “We want to continue put our city on the map.”