MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — When Johnny Myricks took the baton and hit his stride around turn two, all the other sprinters suddenly looked as if they were in quicksand.

The Ooltewah junior, classmates Sammy Seamster and Tim Williams and senior Brian Marshall capped an undefeated season in the 4x200 and 4x100 relays by claiming Class AAA state championships in those events Friday at Middle Tennessee State University.

Myricks also won the 100-meter dash and was second in the 200. Marshall finished fourth in the 100 and Seamster was fourth in the 200, all helping the Owls finish a school-best second in the team standings.

“You always hear a lot about Memphis sprinters and how good they are,” Marshall said. “But Chattanooga has had some fast folks lately, and we wanted to go out and represent back home.”

The Owls missed breaking the 4x200 state record by less than a second.

“The track was slippery because of the rain earlier in the day,” Myricks said. “I was surprised I came out of the blocks so fast in the 100 and didn’t slip. That’s probably what helped me win.”

But as impressive as Ooltewah’s collection of sprinters were, Brainerd’s Orlandus Harris was a team all by himself. Harris was the Panthers’ only competitor in the Class A/AA boys’ meet, but his 46 points vaulted Brainerd to a second-place finish behind David Lipscomb.

Harris, who had won the decathlon championship Tuesday, won the 110 hurdles and triple jump and finished second in the 300 hurdles and long jump Friday. The 300 is his best event, but he stumbled over the second hurdle, nearly falling, before recovering for a strong finish.

Harris was inconsolable after failing to win that event.

“I wanted to go all out because this was my last track meet,” he said. “I was thinking, ‘Don’t fall. Don’t go down.’ I ain’t got no quit in me. I wasn’t going to come in last place.

“I can’t believe that’s how it ended. That’s my event. I love running it. It was the first race I tried, and all I was thinking before was trying to get the state record. That’s the first time I’ve ever cried after.”

“He could not have done more,” Brainerd coach Mary Sparn said. “We won the state championship last year, but this ranks right up there to me in terms of memories.

“That kid gave everything he had, and I couldn’t be more proud.”

Also in Class A/AA, Chattanooga Christian’s Matt Coniglio finished second in the 1600, Hixson’s Kris Taylor was second in the 400 and Tyner’s 4x100 relay team also finished second.

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