The Guyer boys’ track team finished sixth overall at the Class 4A state meet last weekend.

     The Wildcats finished with 32 points, five behind second place Waxahachie. Guyer finished second in every event they competed in, including pole vault, the mile relay and the 400.

     “Overall we had a lot of success and we are proud of that, I guess it’s bittersweet though because we really wanted the gold,” head coach Oschlor Flemming said.

     Guyer ran an unbelievable time of 3:15.02 in the mile relay, setting a school record in the process. But it only netted a silver medal as Lancaster finished in 3:13.55.

     Last year, Guyer ran a 3:16.68 at state, but the difference this year was Kenton Jackson’s third leg of the race. Between him and anchor Joe Barb, the Wildcats rallied from fifth to second by the end of the race. In fact, it was Jackson who got them into second place, Barb held up his end of the bargain to keep them there by race end.

     “We ran our best time and I was really happy with Kenton because he came back from a hamstring injury at regionals,” Flemming said. “Lancaster ran an unbelievable time, we just weren’t fast enough.”

     It was still a strong showing overall. Barb became the school’s most decorated runner when he won a silver in the 400 with a record time of 47.05. Barb, a senior, has three silver medals and a bronze in his state career.

     “Joe … I call him the Mayor because I don’t know anyone who doesn’t know Joe,” Flemming said. “Everyone loves him and he’s a great leader. He’s been involved in the big meets and he’s always a calm guy out there. Not to mention, whenever we need someone to help the boys’ keep focused, that’s when Joe chimes in. He’s been great for this program.”

     Flemming said the program is on an up swing and should be in the running at state for years to come because of the dedication of runners like Barb and Jackson. Flemming took over as the Guyer boys’ track coach last season. He takes over for Sean Lonergan, who started the Wildcat program three years ago and has steadily improved the program every year. Lonergan stepped down to pursue a coaching job at Stephen F. Austin University.

     Flemming was Lonergan’s sprints coach since the school opened back in 2005, so moving him up to head coach does little to disrupt the progress the team has made so far.

     “It’s a testament to all those guys,” Flemming said. “They helped establish this program.”