Things weren’t quite clicking for Zayden Sharp in the boys long jump Friday at the Texas Relays.

Sitting in third place with only two attempts left, Sharp walked behind a bench and huddled with his father, Mike, who was holding an iPad. The duo studied Zayden’s technique.

“It was my knees,” Sharp said later. “When I was jumping, I was dragging my knees. My legs were lagging in the air, so my dad said, ‘Get those knees up.’”

The quick study did the trick. On his fifth attempt, the Anderson senior landed a mark of 23 feet, 5.2 inches, earning him his first Texas Relays title as the third day of action drew to a close at Myers Stadium. 

“I know a lot of people say practice doesn’t make perfect,” Sharp said, “but you get a lot of practice in, and it will make you pretty darn close to being perfect. I came into this meet thinking it was a practice meet. Nothing to gain, nothing to lose. Just go out there and jump.” 

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According to MileSplit, Sharp also entered the day with the nation’s No. 1 all conditions high school mark in the long jump. His 25-foot, 4-inch leap on March 1 in Round Rock is among five best other efforts in the country over 25 feet, a result which puts him in elite company.

But wins mean more, and on Friday the performance was significant for another reason: It cemented his status as one of the nation’s top leapers. Sharp has his eyes on reaching 25 feet again. 

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“It’s everything,” said Sharp, who’s committed but not yet signed to Air Force to play football and track and field. “My first indoor meet, I jumped 23-10, and that was kind of when it switched for me and everybody around me, that I am capable.” 

With that said, Sharp is still looking for his first state title. But with the district meet arriving on the calendar, the UIL postseason will be in full swing.

“I just want to see what I can put out there,” he said.

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Around the Texas Relays: high schools 

A good day for Langdon: Friday was a busy day for Bowie’s Owen Langdon, who spent the afternoon qualifying for Saturday’s final of the boys 110-meter hurdles and the evening placing among the top eight finishers in the 300-meter hurdles. It wasn’t a perfect day by any stretch, but Langdon is quickly realizing what he’s capable of.

The senior finished fourth at the Texas State Outdoor Championships in the 300-meter hurdles in 2024. On Friday, his time of 37.77 netted him a sixth-place finish in the second heat. It was just five-tenths shy of his personal best.

“I’ve been doing this since the eighth grade,” Langdon said. “I just ended up being good at it, so I just kind of stuck with it and that’s it.” 

Langdon’s best race came earlier in the day. He clocked a wind-legal time of 13.89 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles, earning him the second-fastest seed going into Saturday’s final. His three-step pattern was nearly flawless. Things won’t get any easier there, though, as Langdon will also feature in Bowie’s 400 relay.

He said it will take a “perfect technique, perfect pattern” to win the 110 hurdles final, but that “competition will help” and he’s targeting a time in the 13.6-second range.

Locals attack the 1,600 distance: Anderson’s Colby Huntress finished fourth in the boys 1,600 in 4:14.67, showcasing a strong kick in the final 100 meters, while LASA’s Eva Cragnolino mirrored him, clocking a PR of 4:53.21 to finish sixth in the girls event.

“Just building up the confidence to go with those top guys and put it all out there,” Huntress said. “Because as hard of an effort that was, I know I can push harder.” 

Anderson’s Faith Murphy, the reigning Class 6A state runner-up at 800 meters, was ninth with a time of 4:55.46. That personal best time also represented her first foray at the distance since her freshman season.

“My college coaches said, ‘Hey, you need to get your mile time down,’” said Murphy, who signed with Arkansas. “And I said, ‘OK, great.’ I just took it as a challenge.”

Cragnolino’s reward was her patience. She pulled away from Murphy in the final straightaway. The previous night, she had watched the college distance races from the stands as a way to prepare for her own moment.  

“The women’s race was so inspiring,” she said.

Other notable performances: Bowie’s Jazzlyn Hepburn finished sixth in the high jump with a mark of 5-5. … Del Valle’s Jeremiah Robinson was fourth in the discus with a mark of 8 feet, 4 inches.