PICTURED: The record-setting Wylie High 800 relay is, from left, Adrian Gurado-Velez, Max Thornton, Jett Wilson and Liam Chapman. None are seniors, meaning they have another season to lower the record and advance to the state track and field meet.


Coaches have a certain smile that Wylie’s Chad Copeland has been flashing the past few days.

Copeland is the boys track and field coach. His Bulldogs recently competed in the Region I-5A meet in Lubbock, where the WHS 800 relay finished a surprising third. Seeded 11th going in, Wylie cooked.

The Bulldogs, with a new lineup, ran a 1:28.3 in the preliminaries to qualify for the final. That time cleanly broke the school record of 1:29.47.

Inspired, the foursome of Adrian Gurado-Velez, Max Thornton, Jett Wilson and Liam Chapman lowered that time to 1:27.08 in the final to take third place behind Denton High (1:25.27) and Amarillo High (1:26.36).

Denton and Amarillo automatically qualified for the state meet. Eight relays would advance, along with the fastest third-place performance..

Disappointingly for Wylie, that went to Port Arthur Memorial. Its team turned in a sizzling 1:25.69. Despite being third in its region, the Memorial quartet has the sixth-fastest time among the nine state teams. Denton is No. 2 behind top-seeded Alvin Iowa Colony (1:25.11). Amarillo is seventh.

Wylie’s regional time, however, bests that of No. 8 Boerne Champion (1:27.17) and No. 9 San Antonio Wagner (1:27.74).

The 4x200 relay was added as a UIL event in 2004. Copeland said that was unfortunate because that addition was made after a number of blazing Bulldogs had graduated. Those included John Lampert, Tommy Felts, Adam Baugh and Eric Massey.

Twenty-odd years later, Wylie track is raising eyebrows.

The Bulldogs’ performance alone would make Copeland smile. However, none of his athletes is a senior. That makes a coach’s smile broader.

Lead-off Gurado-Velez and Thornton are juniors, anchor Chapman is a sophomore and Wilson is just a freshman.

Chapman turned in a best 200 time of 21.7 this year, close to Gary Edwards’ longtime record of 21.32.

Why was the lineup new? It actually was in Copeland’s head all season, but there were obstacles.

Wilson plays centerfield in baseball, so he did not compete in all the meets.

Gurado-Velez ran the 300 hurdles but did not advance out of the area meet. Thornton also runs the 400, and likewise did not qualify for the regional meet. The relay is run close to their events, making it difficult to excel in both at the same time.

With those guys out of their individual specialties, Copeland was free at last to insert them into his relay for the regional meet.

How would they do?

Even with Cash McNeely and Jacob Rankin in the lineup previously, Wylie had a fast 4x2 team. Their district time was 0.04 off the school record.

Still, Wylie was second to Abilene Cooper at district and third at the area meet. That lowered the Bulldogs’ standing for the Region I meet. But that was before the lineup was changed, and Velez to Thornton to Wilson to Chapman took charge.

Copeland said the key to Wylie’s record-setting run in Lubocker were the handoffs. They were spot-on, meaning precious fractions of seconds were not wasted.

The unit spent the two weeks between the area and regional meets working on those handoffs since the lineup was new.

Wilson said it also took “everyone believing in ourselves. We knew we could shave off a couple of seconds.”

They talked about doing that again the night after the prelims and again in a group prayer at the stadium before running in the final.

Still, “It was a surprise. It was the first time Max and I had run on the relay,” Gurado-Velez said. “We had no expectations.”

Thornton did.

“I knew we could run a lot faster,” he said.

Those expectations were stoked by the prelim run that broke the school record.

Gurado-Velez said his job is to get out fast and stay fast. He said he believes his finish over the final 50 meters is an advantage when legs get heavier.

Wilson said the final 20-40 meters is tough for a runner going all out. Pump those arms yet stay smooth for the exchange.

“I want to come in hot,” said Guardo-Velez, who starts the race running the curve. That’s harder than perhaps it looks.

Copeland said his lead-off runner takes the first curve exceptionally well.

Guardo-Velez and Thorton must make the first handoff. If that goes well, Thornton can jet to Jett. A smooth first exchange can set the tone for the other two baton exchanges.

Thornton’s job is to keep things going. Wilson, too. Give Chapman something to work with when he brings the baton to the finish line.

Chapman said being the anchor is “kinda scary. The whole team is relying on you. You don’t want to disappoint them, so it is nerve-wracking.”

Wylie doesn’t have to be leading, he said.

“I do like chasing,” he said, smiling.

The hope now is that other teams will be chasing Wylie next year.

To end the season on such a high note is inspiring, Gurado-Velez said.

“To be so close to making it with a young team, to me, it really will push me to work my tail off,” he said.

Thornton said the two seniors-to-be have a lot to work for.

“It is really encouraging,” he said