Gold Strike: Bynaum breezes to 100-meter State title
Davion Bynaum usually doesn’t get off to a fast start when he runs the 100-meter dash. He relies on his superior speed to propel him past runners throughout the race.
So, he knew a gold medal was attainable when he exploded out of the blocks at the Class 3A UIL State Track & Field Championships at Mike Myers Stadium in Austin on Friday night.
Instead of seeing runners around him, the Cameron Yoe senior saw nothing but open track. And he ate up the distance with each stride.
Bynaum bolted to a state championship in 10.51 seconds. That was just seven one-hundredths of a second off the 25-year old meet record set in 1994 by Toya Jones of Refugio.
Bynaum outdistanced race runner-up Damarcus Richardson of Crockett, who was timed in 10.69 seconds.
Running in the middle of the track in Lane 5, Bynaum had a clear view of the finish line.
“After leading the pack and not seeing anybody near me, when I was out in front from the start, I actually knew it was going to be a gold medal since I’m not used to getting caught from behind by anybody,” Bynaum said after the race, with his gold medal draped around his neck..
The fast start was unexpected.
“I’m actually surprised that I was running from ahead because, usually, I have an awful start and, being so fast, I’m able to just come up. So, I’m actually surprised with the start I had,” Bynaum said
He came into the race with the fastest qualifying time at 10.43 seconds. He said being the No. 1 seed put a little extra pressure on his shoulders..
“I was a little worried, because I knew everybody saw that top qualifying time, and they’d be focused on trying to beat that,” Bynaum said. “So, there was a little pressure on me and I was a little worried. But I just stayed focused on my race and it turned good.”
As he stood at the starting line and prepared to step into the blocks, Bynaum said he had a good mindset.
“I got into the blocks with a clear mind,” he said. “I was really focused just on getting to the finish line as fast as I could. And it turned out the time that I ran was first-place worthy.”
Bynaum was one of five Cameron Yoe athletes who competed at the state meet.
Za’Korien Spikes finished sixth in the boys’ 200-meter dash in 22.76 seconds. Elijah Simpson of Dallas Oak Cliff won the event in 21.83.
Brandi Drake qualified in both sprints and finished eighth in the girls’ 100- and 200-meter dashes, respectively, in times of 12.63 and 25.89. D’Anna Smith of Littlefield won both races with times of 11.75 in the 100 and 24.46 in the 200.
In the field events, Kadrian Hammond and Callyn Harris each garnered seventh-place finishes.
Hammond was seventh in the boys’ triple jump with a leap of 43 feet, 11.25 inches. That came on his fourth of six attempts. Ty Love of Yoakum won the state title with an effort of 48-7.
Harris finished seventh in the discus with a throw of 136 feet, 4 inches. That came on his second of six attempts. Rhett Pennington of Canadian was the event with a toss of 168-10.