Thomas, BU track team to compete in Big 12 meet this weekend
COLLEGE TRACK & FIELD
By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com

THOMAS

Spring means a busy schedule for all track and field teams, and Baylor University, where former Kilgore High School sprinter and football s t a n d o uCourtney Thomas plays, is no exception.

The Wacobased Bears are headed to Boulder, Colo., this weekend for the 2008 Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships, to be conducted at Potts Field.

Up for Thomas after that will be the NCAA Midwest Regional at Lincoln, Neb., on May 30-31, in which he has qualified for three events: the 100 meter dash, the 200 meter dash, and the 400 meter relay. Last week in the University of Texas at Arlington Open, Thomas ran the 200 in 21.08 seconds, good enough for second place (the winner had a 20.95 time).

Following the trip to Lincoln, Thomas team would obviously love to do well enough in Lincoln to make it to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa on June 11- 12.

If he gets there, it will be a return trip. Thomas and the Bears were in Des Moines for the Drake Relays just two weeks ago. Thomas and 400 meter (sprint) relay teammates Marcus Boyd, J.T. Scheuerman and Trey Harts picked up a win in the event, finishing it in 40.11 seconds. Thomas is the third leg of that relay team.

This year, Thomas' best time in the 100 meter dash is 10.46 seconds - he ran that at the Dr. Pepper Invitational on the Bears' home track in Waco on March 22. His fastest time in the 200 was also that day, a 20.82.

Thomas wowed Baylor's track program by finishing second in both the 100 meter and 200 meter dash at the UIL State Track & Field Championships as a senior at KHS in 2005. He didn't compete in his first season (2006) with the track program, and a motorcycle accident set him back a bit, but Thomas has bounced back.

Last year, he ran the third leg on the Bears' Big 12 Champion sprint relay team that clocked a 39.65-second time in the event. He qualified for the finals of the 100 meters at the Big 12 Championships with a time of 10.40 seconds, and earned All-Big 12 distinction there, although he suffered a hamstring injury in the finals.

Courtney is the son of Fred and Alberta Burnett.