LAKEWAY, TX — The Temple Wildcat varsity track and field team officially kicked off their 2026 outdoor season on Saturday at the Lake Travis Relays. In a meet heavily focused on relay coordination and early-season grit, the Wildcats battled a deep field of Central Texas talent to finish in 9th place overall with a team score of 19 points.

The competition was fierce at the top of the leaderboard, with Liberty Hill securing 1st place (122 points) and host Lake Travis taking 2nd (85 points). Despite the gap in team scoring, Temple’s relay performances and individual hustle showed that the Wildcats are ready to compete as the spring heats up.

Relay Highlights

The Wildcats' relay units provided the bulk of the team’s momentum, headlined by a podium finish in the shortest sprint of the day.

4x100 Relay: The squad blazed to a 3rd Place finish, clocking in at a sharp 42.94.

4x200 Relay: Temple showed consistency in the high-speed exchanges, taking 4th Place with a time of 1:30.93.

4000M Distance Medley Relay: The endurance crew ground out a strong 4th Place finish, crossing the line in 3:38.61.

4x800 Relay: Taking 6th Place, the Wildcats posted a solid early-season time of 9:07.95.

Boys Sprint Medley & 4x250 Relay: Both units finished in 7th Place, contributing to the team's overall tally.

Individual Standouts: Harris Leads the Charge

Freshman standout Ja’Varion Harris proved to be the workhorse of the meet, competing at a high level across both hurdles and jumps. Harris secured a top individual finish on the track, taking 4th Place in the 110 Hurdles with a time of 17.43.

He also showcased his versatility in the field, jumping 37’7 ½ to take 8th Place in the Triple Jump, finishing just behind teammate Xavier Wilson, who earned 7th Place with a leap of 39’0.

Field and Hurdle Results

The Wildcats saw steady contributions across the board as athletes shook off the off-season rust:

Jaron Dailey: 8th Place – Long Jump (19’4 ½)
Nicolas Navarro: 9th Place – 300 Hurdles (45.20)
Jeremiah Blunson: 11th Place – Long Jump (18’11 ¾)
Isaiah Guerra: 11th Place – Shot Put (39’5 ½)
Zephaniah Sio: 11th Place – Discus (117’7) and 16th in Shot Put (36’4 ½)
Javier Agard: 12th Place – Discus (116’9)

Looking Ahead

While the team score reflects an early-season starting point, the Wildcats have plenty of momentum heading into next week. With a focus on refining handoffs and sharpening hurdle technique, the squad is poised for a breakout performance at their next stop.

The Wildcats will travel to Willis, Texas, on February 21 to compete in the Wildkat Invitational.