It was a roaring start to the 2026 season for the Durant High School track teams last week as the girls placed first and the boys took third as a team in the Marietta Invitational.
The Lady Lions edged out Ardmore for the title while the Lions finished only behind perennial power Plainview and Byng.
Sparking the Durant girls performance was Skyla Conditt as she won the 100 hurdles in a personal best time of 16.71 seconds and also notched a personal best mark of 49.92 seconds in claiming third in the 300 hurdles.
Avery Sager took home a pair of med- als as well by finishing runner- up in the 800 meters in a time of 2:35.03 as well as wrapping up third in the 1,600 meters at 5:45.74.
Xakayla Cox chipped in a second in the 200 meters by clocking in at 26.92 seconds, Dasia Lewis also added a runner-up performance in the discus with a toss of 110 feet, 4 inches and Samiah Clegg posted a fifth place time of 65.62 in the 400 meters.
The Lady Lion 800-meter relay unit of Samiah Holmes, Cox, Kaitlen Rush and Clegg also placed second by crossing the stripe at 1:48.49.
Durant’s boys produced a bevy of high finishes led by the 1600 relay foursome of Rylan Avery, Carter Kemp, Jaythyn Edmundson and Daniel DeLaCruz who checked in second in 3:36.37.
Damien Almos recorded a third in the 110 hurdles in 16.05 seconds and was also fifth in the 300 hurdles at 44 seconds even. Avery meanwhile claimed third in the 300 hurdles as well at 41.56 seconds.
K.J. Lowery ran a personal best mark of 4:45.24 to finish third in the 1,600 meters while Edmunson provided a fifth-place time of 53.74 seconds in the 400.
The Lions had a trio of field event placers as Karson Finley took fourth in the high jump clearing 5 feet, 10 inches and Caleb Simpkins was also fourth in the discus at 120 feet, 6 inches. David Kobosky ended fifth in the shot put with a top heave of 37 feet, 2 ½ inches.
Durant will have Spring Break off before participating in the always rugged Madill Invitational next Friday.