Banks on FB Marshall dual triumph at state: 'A lot of sacrifices were made, resiliency of the kids working their tails off'

For the Fort Bend Marshall track and field program, two is better than one.

According to a VYPE Houston report ran by Houston NBC affiliate KPRC, the school's boys and girls teams finished on top on Friday (May 13) at the 2022 UIL Track and Field State Championships for Class 5A in Austin. 

The high school sports website reported that the boys took home a fifth championship in seven seasons while the girls successfully defended their title.

Not bad for program head Lloyd Banks, who assumed the mantle just two years ago, according to VYPE Houston.

"Everybody in the program has the same mindset," Banks said, per the report. "They move the same as a coaching staff. A lot of sacrifices were made, resiliency of the kids working their tails off. I love them to death. Proud of them. Proud of what we're doing. I'm just a happy coach right now."

The website reported that the Buffalos were the first UIL program since 2018 to field a champion in both the boys and girls state championships.

For Shahira Ehiemua, a Fort Bend Marshall alumna, the girls' second straight title caps her first year at the helm, per the report.

"We wanted to make some noise," Ehiemua told VYPE Houston. "Marshall has always been a program that has been on top. The boys have continuously won championships in the past. For the girls to just come do it means a lot for everybody. We're one big family out here."

According to the report, the boys racked up 75 points and the girls accumulated 64.

Senior Tairah Johnson, who cemented her pledge to North Carolina A&T, believes she and her teammates have set an example for those who'll run for the Buffalos in the future.

"It feels great, it makes me feel like I'm a part of a legacy," Johnson, who'll graduate in a few weeks forever known as a back-to-back 100-meter hurdles state champion, said in the report. "[My teammates] mean a lot to me. It's a sister bond."