Community Champions: Franklin boys track team makes history by claiming 6A Regional title

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The Franklin Cougars boys track and field team made history by becoming the first El Paso team to win a District 1-6A Regional title.

The 4x100 meter relay team finished in first place and the 4X400 meter relay also claimed gold. However, something took place in the prelims that could've cost them the title.

"I dropped the baton first leg," Franklin student athlete Ikenna Chikwendu said. "I was nervous because I didn’t know what was gonna happen.I didn’t know if we were gonna get disqualified."

"We had to just like mentally focus for the finals because we knew that’s our ticket to the plane to UT (University of Texas),” Franklin student athlete Jerald Williams said.

“I had to think about the importance of the season," Franklin student athlete Tyson Cotchery said. "I had to get us back in second.”

“We knew we were all the fastest in El Paso," Franklin student athlete Elias Munoz said. "It was just a matter of how bad we really wanted it. We trusted our coach and everybody on the team just worked as hard as they could and we got it done.”

Both relay teams aren't looking to return to El Paso empty handed.

“This group has set the record in El Paso for the 4x100 meter relay and then a few weeks later they broke the 4x200 meter relay," Franklin boys head track coach Lennie Brooks said. "For a team to come in here and do that in one season is unheard of.”

The driving force behind their success this season is deeper than winning a gold medal.

“We lost on of our own," Brooks said. "Emmanuel died in a car accident and he was very close with a lot of the guys on this relay team. At that moment the boys could’ve just walked away and quit and found every reason to and I wouldn’t have blamed them. But, I can’t walk away because I owe it to them and they make my life better.”