Devine track on a roll; claim 7 of 8 District Championships

One would be hard-pressed to find a more successful track program than what the Devine Warhorse, Arabian, Colt, and Filly teams were able to do against District 29-4A competition. The Warhorses won their sixth consecutive title while the Arabians notched their fourth consecutive championship at last week’s district meet.
Add in a JV Arabian title, two 7th and 8th Colt titles, and two 7th and 8th Filly titles this season and that gave the Devine track program 7 of 8 possible district championships.
The lone non-championship team was the JV Warhorses and they finished as runner up, without two of their best runners due to COVID protocol.
“It was a busy week Wednesday to Wednesday,” Head Coach Lon Cozby recalled. “Devine hosted a high school meet, had practice, then middle school had district in Pearsall, came back to work on Monday, worked out for two days, then hosted the two-day district meet.”
One could understand why Cozby would refer to that week in time as a “whirlwind.”
As for the Colts and Fillys, they blasted their competitions in each of their championships winning by a combined 889 to 496 point total. Amassing nearly 900 points in four middle school divisions is just plain crazy to even think about happening…but it did.
“The coaches and I thought we were good at the middle school, but we never expect to go in and win all 4 divisions like we did,” Cozby said about the middle school domination. “The kids competed so great, it really was a fun middle school meet for our kids and coaches to be a part of.”
The coaches enjoyed their middle school madness for a night or two, but then had to prep the high schoolers for their most important competition of the season.
“I was cool on the outside but a bit nervous on the inside for Wednesday’s prelims but every athlete we had made the finals of their event. Thursday was even better as the kids came out and competed to their fullest,” continued Cozby.
With Area right around the corner, Cozby and his crew look to add even more championships Wednesday, April 14 at Warhorse Stadium.
Success breeds success, and these Warhorse and Arabian varsity track teams are on a roll with 10 championships between them over the last nine completed seasons.
Cozby concluded by saying, “I am extremely proud of what we have created in Devine track and can’t say enough about the kids’ competitiveness.”
By Jerel Beaty
Staff Writer