Memphis Central boys 4x200 relay team sets state record in TSSAA track title win

MURFREESBORO - Jeremiah Patton, Dohnavon Hunt, Quincy Briggs and Jordan Ware.  

Thursday was the first time those ran the 4x200-meter relay together after Memphis Central coach Rashad Haynes made a strategic move to swap Patton with usual starter, Tyler Bell. Bell would have competed in his third sprint event of the day if he ran the relay.  

Yet, even with a new face passing the baton, the team didn’t skip a beat. As a matter of fact, it was so efficient it broke a state record with a winning time of 1 minute, 24.93 seconds on Thursday at Middle Tennessee State.

It was one of the many events Memphis Central won on the day, leading to their 11th team state championship.  

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"Last year, us getting the baton knocked out of our hand and finishing second fueled and motivated everything to this season,” Haynes said.  

Memphis Central scored 112 points in the Class AAA championships, nearly doubling second place Daniel Boone.  

The 4x200 relay team was just a piece of Central’s overall dominance, but it was also the most interesting win.  

Ware, a junior, said since the Texas Relays in March, the 4x200 team took preparation took a new level and had an improved approach each time out.  

"It just opens your eyes,” Ware said. “It’s not just Tennessee it’s national. For us to go down there, No. 3 in the nation, it was just like, ‘Wow man!’” 

Along with the 4x200, Ware got wins in the 100 (10.62 seconds) and was part of the first-place 4x100 relay team. Zavien Wolfe grabbed state championships in the long jump (22-5) and triple jump (46-4.75).  

“The standard and the expectation is already set,” Haynes said. “And now the kids bring their abilities, their talent and their discipline and we put it together.” 

The future is brighter than ever for Memphis Central, specifically with the state-record relay team. Only Briggs is a senior.  

This 4x200 relay team might be one of the best, historically. That may not be for long. 

"I got some young guys coming in,” Haynes said. “This could be the beginning for that particular event.” 

Reach Wynston Wilcox at wwilcox@gannett.com and on Twitter @wynstonw__.