NOTE: With the Texas state track & field meet taking place Friday and Saturday in Austin, there is a significant Baylor presence at this meet involving signees, committed prospects and those being pursued. As many of you know, the Baylor coaching staff is big on recruiting players with a strong track background.
Going for history
Chris Platt had to think for a moment. The last time he lost a race in a 400 event occurred in the regional meet in his sophomore year (2012). Since then, he's just been leaving the competition in the dust.
Now, he's chasing history.
On Friday at the Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Platt is looking to become one of the very few in the history of Texas high school track to win four state championships in the same sport. The Baylor 2014 signee out of Willis is the prohibitive favorite to do it.
"I'm not worried about history,'' Platt said. "I'm just focusing in on what I'm going for. It would be nice to finish with that accomplishment.''
While the time he takes to Austin isn't typically what he runs (47.60), there's a reason for that. Platt said he really wasn't pushed by the competition throughout the regular season and postseason. His personal record is the 46.64 he recorded when he won his third title in 2013.
Platt's love for the event started like a lot of track athlete's stories start. A coach threw him into the event in seventh grade. He loved it.
"It seemed to be made for my body type and strength,'' Platt said. "I managed to maintain speed for a long time.''
But he has the 400 to thank. The performances summoned attention and Division I football offers and why he was one of the first three to commit to Baylor back in February, 2013.
"It put my name out there and turned coaches heads,'' Platt said. "Then it got them to look at my film. I'm pretty blessed.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
100 will be a Bear
At about 7:00 p.m. Friday, the fastest Class 4A man in Texas should be know. And Baylor is right in the middle of having a vested interest in the outcome.
Mount Pleasant's and Baylor signee KD Cannon (10.37) is in the second lane because he was hundredths behind Willis' John Lewis. Aledo's Ryan Newsome (10.38), a Baylor offer, is in the third lane. Both bring personal record times into the event.
This is a rematch from 2013 when the two met and Newsome edge Cannon. They finished at the bottom of that race, but there's a chance those two could be leading at the tape. This could be one of the best events of the meet.
"You just have to relax and be calm,'' Newsome said. "If someone gets out fast, runners tend to panic. You can't do that. You have to stay with the game plan.''
Obviously, Baylor knows the game-changer it has in Cannon, the highest rated Baylor recruit in history at No. 34. Newsome has the same potential. The Baylor coaching staff is evaluating all of its options, just like Newsome is.
Cannon could not be reached for comment, but Newsome said he spent a lot of time trying to work his start in the first 10-15 meters to keep himself staying low. That brings less wind resistance.
What these two athletes show is how much of a valued commodity speed is and that Baylor will do what it can to possess as much as it can. Newsome is trying for two state championships. He already has one as Aledo claimed the Class 4A Division II state football title in December.
"I take the track mindset out to the football,'' he said. "You have to think no one can touch you.''
If the track and weather conditions are right, there's a chance the winner could break 10.30.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Zamora part of 'freak team' class
In two weeks, WR signee Ishmael Zamora will take his last final exam at Elsik High in Alief. He'll enroll at Baylor on May 30, come back to walk with his senior class on June 8, then head back to Waco for good.
But he has one final swan song before leaving his prep days behind.
"Of course everyone wants to win, so I'm going to the meet win in both events," said Zamora, who will compete in the 5A state finals in the 110-meter hurdles and the long jump. "I also want to set PRs in both."
A personal record in the hurdle event would like mean repeating as the gold medalist in the event. He also took second in the 300-meter hurdles, but he's replacing that event with the long jump this year. Between his events, he plans to catch up with his fellow 2014 Baylor signees that are competing this weekend.
"I've talked to KD, Chris and Jourdan [Blake]," he said. "We're just planning to have fun and do good and meet up somehow."
Zamora said it shouldn't be surprise Baylor has a large continent competing in Austin.
"I don't think it's a coincidence, but it's just the type of athlete we want in our program," he said. "Not just football players, but athletes. We want to be the freak team. We want that talent to stand out."
-Jake Shaw
Blackmar wants to rebound
Houston Clear Lake offensive lineman Black Blackmar admits that when he went into the Myers Stadium for the state track & field meet last year, he was a bit overwhelmed and let the crowd and other elements get to him.
That's why he struggled in both the shot put and the discus. Now, the Baylor 2014 signee gets another chance to better his performance in each this Saturday.
"I've had some ups and down, but I think I've finally got everything coming together at the right time,'' Blackmar said. "No matter what your seed is, anything can happen.''
His 56-9 in the shot is 7th best among all competitors and his 173-9 in the discus is also seventh. That means he has some work to do if he's going to have a change to get on the podium.
Blackmar said he's worked on his spin and finishing his footwork in the discus. He's also refining some little details in the shot.
He thinks state championship throws will be more than 60 in the shot and 180 in the discus. If he can get in that range, then Blackmar has a chance.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Other connections to state meet
A handful of other participants in the state track meet have Baylor connections. Two 2015 commitments, Devontre Stricklin and JaMycal Hasty, qualified for Waco Midway and Longview, respectively, both at the 5A level. Stricklin will compete in the high jump and is seeded fourth after jumping 47-06-00 at the regionals. Hasty's part of Longview's 4x200 relay team that's seeded ninth out of nine relay teams.
Two 2015 top targets will also be in Austin -- FB Marshall DB Kendall Sheffield, running the 4x100 in the 4A finals, and RB Corey Dauphine, who joins 2016 RB target Kameron Martin on Port Arthur Memorial's 4x100 relay team at the 5A level. Baylor also has interest in 2016 RB Bryson Denley, who will run in the 5A 100 meter finals, as well as on the Cibolo Steele 4x200 and 4x100 teams, both which are expected to medal.
-Jake Shaw
Wallace: A rising star
When Tristen Wallace visited Baylor's April 5 controlled scrimmage, all he did was study starting quarterback Bryce Petty. Wallace absorbed every move Petty made.
"He was amazing,'' the DeSoto 2016 quarterback said. "I loved the way he made decisions, his footwork and ball placement. He's so calm running the offense.''
Wallace (6-3, 225) finally gets the keys to the DeSoto offense this fall. He played backup quarterback to Desmon White (TCU) and threw for only 52 yards. A dual threat, he has the built that many Division I schools are attracted to. Nebraska and Indiana have already offered.
Baylor can take its time. Wallace met with offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery last week. You can expect him to attend a Baylor camp(s) in early June.
"It was a great time getting to know him and what all Baylor has,'' Wallace said. "Baylor is the Big 12 champions. They know what they're doing. It's a great school to consider.''
Wallace is pretty much a newbie so he's taking every throw, every session with the coaching staff seriously. What's impressive is that he burns to get better.
He also understands there's a tradition to uphold. DeSoto has appeared in the Class 5A Division I state semifinals the last two years.
"I'm working on my decision making and just focusing on everything I'm doing,'' he said. "When I get the ball, I want to be a playmaker.''-Kevin Lonnquist
Basketball recruiting notables
>The EYBL event comes to North Texas this weekend in Frisco. There are plenty of Baylor targets playing. From the Texas Titans and Baylor commit King McClure (Triple A Academy), forward D.J. Hogg (Plano West) and center Tyler Davis (Plano West) will be there. Eric Davis from Saginaw, MI with The Family will also be there.
>Houston Hoops will also be in Frisco and features 2016 5-star point guard De'Aaron Fox (6-3, 170). Fox recently said that Baylor was among five schools heavily recruiting him along with Kansas State, Texas and SMU.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Emptying the Notebook
>The Baylor baseball team (22-27, 7-13 in the Big 12) has the weekend off before playing its final four games at Baylor Ballpark starting Wednesday against UT-San Antonio followed by a weekend series against TCU. The Bears have not clinched a berth in the Big 12 tournament yet. The way they could miss it is if they were swept by the Horned Frogs and the ninth-place Kansas State wins four of its last six league games against Oklahoma State and Texas.
>Baylor coaches are looking at Irving Cistercian RB/LB Dare Odeyingbo (6-2, 240). Baylor hasn't offered yet. However, he does hold offers from Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Mexico and Air Force. Most schools have different opinions of him. Wisconsin and Baylor like him as a LB. Minnesota offered him a RB.
>Rounds 2-3 of the NFL draft begin at 6:00 p.m. Friday. It appears the only sure thing from the 2013 Baylor NFL prospects is guard Cyril Richardson. Most projections have him going in the third round. Rounds 4-7 begin at 11:00 a.m. Saturday.
-SicEmSports
Going for history
Chris Platt had to think for a moment. The last time he lost a race in a 400 event occurred in the regional meet in his sophomore year (2012). Since then, he's just been leaving the competition in the dust.
Now, he's chasing history.
On Friday at the Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Platt is looking to become one of the very few in the history of Texas high school track to win four state championships in the same sport. The Baylor 2014 signee out of Willis is the prohibitive favorite to do it.
"I'm not worried about history,'' Platt said. "I'm just focusing in on what I'm going for. It would be nice to finish with that accomplishment.''
While the time he takes to Austin isn't typically what he runs (47.60), there's a reason for that. Platt said he really wasn't pushed by the competition throughout the regular season and postseason. His personal record is the 46.64 he recorded when he won his third title in 2013.
Platt's love for the event started like a lot of track athlete's stories start. A coach threw him into the event in seventh grade. He loved it.
"It seemed to be made for my body type and strength,'' Platt said. "I managed to maintain speed for a long time.''
But he has the 400 to thank. The performances summoned attention and Division I football offers and why he was one of the first three to commit to Baylor back in February, 2013.
"It put my name out there and turned coaches heads,'' Platt said. "Then it got them to look at my film. I'm pretty blessed.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
100 will be a Bear
At about 7:00 p.m. Friday, the fastest Class 4A man in Texas should be know. And Baylor is right in the middle of having a vested interest in the outcome.
Mount Pleasant's and Baylor signee KD Cannon (10.37) is in the second lane because he was hundredths behind Willis' John Lewis. Aledo's Ryan Newsome (10.38), a Baylor offer, is in the third lane. Both bring personal record times into the event.
This is a rematch from 2013 when the two met and Newsome edge Cannon. They finished at the bottom of that race, but there's a chance those two could be leading at the tape. This could be one of the best events of the meet.
"You just have to relax and be calm,'' Newsome said. "If someone gets out fast, runners tend to panic. You can't do that. You have to stay with the game plan.''
Obviously, Baylor knows the game-changer it has in Cannon, the highest rated Baylor recruit in history at No. 34. Newsome has the same potential. The Baylor coaching staff is evaluating all of its options, just like Newsome is.
Cannon could not be reached for comment, but Newsome said he spent a lot of time trying to work his start in the first 10-15 meters to keep himself staying low. That brings less wind resistance.
What these two athletes show is how much of a valued commodity speed is and that Baylor will do what it can to possess as much as it can. Newsome is trying for two state championships. He already has one as Aledo claimed the Class 4A Division II state football title in December.
"I take the track mindset out to the football,'' he said. "You have to think no one can touch you.''
If the track and weather conditions are right, there's a chance the winner could break 10.30.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Zamora part of 'freak team' class
In two weeks, WR signee Ishmael Zamora will take his last final exam at Elsik High in Alief. He'll enroll at Baylor on May 30, come back to walk with his senior class on June 8, then head back to Waco for good.
But he has one final swan song before leaving his prep days behind.
"Of course everyone wants to win, so I'm going to the meet win in both events," said Zamora, who will compete in the 5A state finals in the 110-meter hurdles and the long jump. "I also want to set PRs in both."
A personal record in the hurdle event would like mean repeating as the gold medalist in the event. He also took second in the 300-meter hurdles, but he's replacing that event with the long jump this year. Between his events, he plans to catch up with his fellow 2014 Baylor signees that are competing this weekend.
"I've talked to KD, Chris and Jourdan [Blake]," he said. "We're just planning to have fun and do good and meet up somehow."
Zamora said it shouldn't be surprise Baylor has a large continent competing in Austin.
"I don't think it's a coincidence, but it's just the type of athlete we want in our program," he said. "Not just football players, but athletes. We want to be the freak team. We want that talent to stand out."
-Jake Shaw
Blackmar wants to rebound
Houston Clear Lake offensive lineman Black Blackmar admits that when he went into the Myers Stadium for the state track & field meet last year, he was a bit overwhelmed and let the crowd and other elements get to him.
That's why he struggled in both the shot put and the discus. Now, the Baylor 2014 signee gets another chance to better his performance in each this Saturday.
"I've had some ups and down, but I think I've finally got everything coming together at the right time,'' Blackmar said. "No matter what your seed is, anything can happen.''
His 56-9 in the shot is 7th best among all competitors and his 173-9 in the discus is also seventh. That means he has some work to do if he's going to have a change to get on the podium.
Blackmar said he's worked on his spin and finishing his footwork in the discus. He's also refining some little details in the shot.
He thinks state championship throws will be more than 60 in the shot and 180 in the discus. If he can get in that range, then Blackmar has a chance.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Other connections to state meet
A handful of other participants in the state track meet have Baylor connections. Two 2015 commitments, Devontre Stricklin and JaMycal Hasty, qualified for Waco Midway and Longview, respectively, both at the 5A level. Stricklin will compete in the high jump and is seeded fourth after jumping 47-06-00 at the regionals. Hasty's part of Longview's 4x200 relay team that's seeded ninth out of nine relay teams.
Two 2015 top targets will also be in Austin -- FB Marshall DB Kendall Sheffield, running the 4x100 in the 4A finals, and RB Corey Dauphine, who joins 2016 RB target Kameron Martin on Port Arthur Memorial's 4x100 relay team at the 5A level. Baylor also has interest in 2016 RB Bryson Denley, who will run in the 5A 100 meter finals, as well as on the Cibolo Steele 4x200 and 4x100 teams, both which are expected to medal.
-Jake Shaw
Wallace: A rising star
When Tristen Wallace visited Baylor's April 5 controlled scrimmage, all he did was study starting quarterback Bryce Petty. Wallace absorbed every move Petty made.
"He was amazing,'' the DeSoto 2016 quarterback said. "I loved the way he made decisions, his footwork and ball placement. He's so calm running the offense.''
Wallace (6-3, 225) finally gets the keys to the DeSoto offense this fall. He played backup quarterback to Desmon White (TCU) and threw for only 52 yards. A dual threat, he has the built that many Division I schools are attracted to. Nebraska and Indiana have already offered.
Baylor can take its time. Wallace met with offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery last week. You can expect him to attend a Baylor camp(s) in early June.
"It was a great time getting to know him and what all Baylor has,'' Wallace said. "Baylor is the Big 12 champions. They know what they're doing. It's a great school to consider.''
Wallace is pretty much a newbie so he's taking every throw, every session with the coaching staff seriously. What's impressive is that he burns to get better.
He also understands there's a tradition to uphold. DeSoto has appeared in the Class 5A Division I state semifinals the last two years.
"I'm working on my decision making and just focusing on everything I'm doing,'' he said. "When I get the ball, I want to be a playmaker.''-Kevin Lonnquist
Basketball recruiting notables
>The EYBL event comes to North Texas this weekend in Frisco. There are plenty of Baylor targets playing. From the Texas Titans and Baylor commit King McClure (Triple A Academy), forward D.J. Hogg (Plano West) and center Tyler Davis (Plano West) will be there. Eric Davis from Saginaw, MI with The Family will also be there.
>Houston Hoops will also be in Frisco and features 2016 5-star point guard De'Aaron Fox (6-3, 170). Fox recently said that Baylor was among five schools heavily recruiting him along with Kansas State, Texas and SMU.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Emptying the Notebook
>The Baylor baseball team (22-27, 7-13 in the Big 12) has the weekend off before playing its final four games at Baylor Ballpark starting Wednesday against UT-San Antonio followed by a weekend series against TCU. The Bears have not clinched a berth in the Big 12 tournament yet. The way they could miss it is if they were swept by the Horned Frogs and the ninth-place Kansas State wins four of its last six league games against Oklahoma State and Texas.
>Baylor coaches are looking at Irving Cistercian RB/LB Dare Odeyingbo (6-2, 240). Baylor hasn't offered yet. However, he does hold offers from Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Mexico and Air Force. Most schools have different opinions of him. Wisconsin and Baylor like him as a LB. Minnesota offered him a RB.
>Rounds 2-3 of the NFL draft begin at 6:00 p.m. Friday. It appears the only sure thing from the 2013 Baylor NFL prospects is guard Cyril Richardson. Most projections have him going in the third round. Rounds 4-7 begin at 11:00 a.m. Saturday.
-SicEmSports
