TEMPLE, TX — It was a championship Saturday at Wildcat Stadium as the Temple Tem-Cat freshman girls’ track and field team put on a clinic at the annual Temple Relays. Competing under a clear sky on a warm, breezy day, the Tem-Cats utilized their home-track advantage to outpace a field of 11 teams and secure a decisive first-place team finish.
The Tem-Cats’ depth was the story of the day, with the girls racking up 172 points to claim the top spot on the podium. The Belton Tigers followed in second place with 151 points, while Copperas Cove rounded out the top three with 111.
Meet Highlights: Sahm and Relay Units Set the Pace
The distance events belonged to Bella Sahm, who showcased incredible stamina by securing gold in both the 3200-meter (15:08.06) and the 1600-meter (7:04.57) races. She also contributed a strong fourth-place finish in the 800-meter run.
On the relay side, the Tem-Cats swept all three major races. The 4x100 and 4x200 squads—powered by the speed of Saniya Blunson, Ashlea Hickey, and Destiny Smith—both claimed first place. The 4x400 team mirrored that success, crossing the finish line in 4:30.74 to put the exclamation point on the team victory.
In the field events, Snisia Williams and Saniya Blunson provided a formidable 1-2 punch in the jumps, taking home gold in the Triple Jump and Long Jump, respectively.
Tem-Cat Individual & Relay Results
Relay Events
4x100 Relay: 1st Place – 52.72 (Saniya Blunson, Destiny Smith, Ashlea Hickey, Sha'khyria Freeman)
4x200 Relay: 1st Place – 1:53.84 (Saniya Blunson, Ashlea Hickey, Snisia Williams, Destiny Smith)
4x400 Relay: 1st Place – 4:30.74 (J'Viana Jackson, Desiree Tools, Abreanna Jarrett, Sha'khyria Freeman)
Running Events
100 Meters: Saniya Blunson (3rd, 13.57); Snisia Williams (4th, 13.71); Ashlea Hickey (7th, 13.83)
200 Meters: Sha’Khyria Freeman (2nd, 27.77); Destiney Smith (3rd, 28.19); Abreanna Jarrett (5th, 29.16)
400 Meters: J’Viana Jackson (4th, 1:07.15); Desiree Tools (6th, 1:12.91); A’Keriya Reed (8th, 1:21.19)
800 Meters: Desiree Tools (3rd, 2:52.96); Bella Sahm (4th, 2:58.17)
1600 Meters: Bella Sahm (1st, 7:04.57)
3200 Meters: Bella Sahm (1st, 15:08.06)
Field Events
Long Jump: Saniya Blunson (1st, 14’3 ½); Sha’Khyria Freeman (3rd, 13’10 ½); Snisia Williams (6th, 13’3 ½)
Triple Jump: Snisia Williams (1st, 30’11)
Discus: Lyla Shamen (2nd, 76’8); Mattie Whiiemore (5th, 75’3); Lauren Johnson (6th, 73’2)
Shot Put: Lyla Shamen (3rd, 26’11 ½); Mattie Whettemore (4th, 26’6); Lauren Johnson (5th, 25’8)
Up Next
The Tem-Cats will look to carry this momentum to the Killeen Relays. The meet is scheduled for Thursday, March 26th, at Leo Buckley Stadium in Killeen.
