Whether it's your first or fourth appearance at the meet, the Class 5A Track and Field State Championships is an experience unto itself.

For Allen junior Taylor Dunlap, her inaugural run through the pinnacle of high school track proved a learning experience and an added motivation for the year ahead after placing seventh in the 400-meter dash (56.23).

"[Dunlap] ran as good as anyone else down there," said Larry Halliburton, Allen head coach. "There were just three other runners who went out there and smoked everybody.

"It was a good meet and everybody was running real well."

Halliburton said the preparations for the days leading up to Saturday went according to plan between getting in solid workouts while retaining good health.

All that was left was the race itself, albeit with some mental hurdles to overcome.

"Regardless of if you're a freshman or a senior," Halliburton said, "you've got nerves if it's your first time down there."

The race itself started similar to Dunlap's run through the Region I-5A Meet, despite a less than favorable lane assignment. With Halliburton holding out hope for an inside lane after his runner was dealt Lane 6 at regionals, the randomization of lane assignments for state slotted Dunlap in Lane 8.

"Taylor and the girl from Mansfield in Lane 9 (Brianna Stone) got out in front at the start," Halliburton said. "They made everybody else have to catch them like they had to do."

It wasn't until the final 100 that the pack began to separate, with San Antonio Wagner's Tiaira Carter, Mansfield Timberview's Kristyn Williams and Rowlett's Travia Jones distancing themselves to see who would be slotted where on the medal stand. Halliburton said all three finished within a step of each other, with Carter taking first (53.81), followed by Williams (53.95) and Jones in third (54.53). Dunlap found herself involved in a nip-and-tuck fray with the rest of the runners, with just 17 tenths of a second separating places four through seven.

It didn't take long for Dunlap's competitive foresight to take over.

"[Dunlap is] already saying that we're ready to come back here next year," Halliburton said. "She already wants to get back out there next season."

She'll do so with a new bar of expectations with the Lady Eagles, who advanced four athletes to regionals this year in Dunlap, high-jumper Ericka May, 400 runner Kaylen Rettig and triple-jumper Kiyana Dixon -- all of whom will be back next year.

"We lost a bunch of good seniors this year and had to compete in one of the toughest districts in the state," Halliburton said. "You look at the 100 and 200 with (Plano East's) Jennifer Madu and (Flower Mound's) Dephanie Adeyemi, and you've got maybe the two fastest girls in the state in your district.

"It's a tough district and we're just looking forward to coming back next year in a new district and a new region, and seeing how things shake out."

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