Mourning lost teammate, Summer Creek boys track team clinches first Class 6A title 'in school history'

Winning a championship is an unforgettable moment all around, but for the Summer Creek High School boys track and field team, the program’s second state title is bittersweet.

More than a month after losing one of their own, the Bulldogs captured the Class 6A track and field championship thanks to dominant efforts from several members on May 8 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.

“The Summer Creek boys win the Class 6A state meet. It’s the first 6A title for the Bulldogs and the second overall in school history,” sports journalist Marcus Gutierrez tweeted.

Like every program in the state, Summer Creek came back from a season dashed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But the Bulldogs were dealt with something worse upon their return to the track.

On April 3, freshman Kylie Pope succumbed to injuries sustained during an ATV accident.

To say Pope weighed heavily on the Bulldogs’ minds during their championship quest is an understatement.

Summer Creek amassed 54 points to beat out Cedar Hill and College Park.

The Bulldogs were behind Cedar Hill by two points just before the day was over when the 4x400-meter relay team of Malcolm Washington, Donovan Bradley, Sean Fisher and Darius Rainey came through with a second-place finish.

It was Summer Creek’s “big three” – seniors Kevin Grubbs, Jalen Rivers and Barry Richards – who aided the title run. Grubbs and Richards collected a gold medal each while Rainey earned a silver medal.

The Bulldogs were Class 4A state champions a half-decade ago.