A month into the high school track and field season, Fort Bend Christian Academy ranks No. 1 in the state in all of TAPPS in multiple events, per Athletic.net.
The FBCA girls are No. 1 in Texas in the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relays. The 4x1 of Brooke Coleman, Angel Nwodu, Gabby Washington and Bayleigh Minor has a time of 49.65 seconds. The 4x2 of Coleman, Nwodu, Daniella Herrera and Minor has a time of 1-minute, 45.93-seconds. The 4x4 of Washington, Herrera, Nwodu and Thea Longbottom has a time of 4-minutes, 06.61 seconds.
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Individually, Washington and Herrera rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the state in the 400 meter dash.
Fort Bend Christian Academy senior Angel Nwodu ran on three of the Eagles' first-place relays and won the shot put at the St. John's Maverick Relays last weekend.Courtesy of FBCA Track & Field Twitter
FBCA’s boys rank No. 1 in the state in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays. The 4x1 of Samuel Leblue, Noah Brooks, Bryan Domino and Cobey Sellers has a mark of 43.60 seconds. The 4x2 of Sellers, Leblue, Domino and Brooks has a time of 1-minute, 30.84-seconds.
The 4x400 of Sellers, Tekena Williams, Samuel Cole and Brooks has a time of 3:34.74 and ranks No. 2 in the state.
“It’s been all gas, no brakes,” fourth-year head coach Deon Minor said. “Everything is in place. We’re ready to go. I’m excited. I would’ve never thought we’d be at this point this early.”
The FBCA boys 4x100 relay competes at the St. John's Maverick Relays last weekend.Courtesy of FBCA Track & Field Twitter
This season’s success is a culmination of a strenuous, exhausting effort for Minor in breathing life into what had been a dormant program.
Minor was the Eagles’ third head coach in three years when he was hired in 2018.
“I literally couldn’t get kids to come out for track,” Minor said. “The kids weren’t liking it … there was so much going on. I was like, ‘What did I get myself into?’ But at the same time, I was up for the challenge. My passion has always been coaching.”
Prior to coming to FBCA, Minor, an All-American track star at Baylor and two-time World Championships gold medalist, worked 14 years alongside former Olympian Michael Johnson for a sports management company. Before that, Minor coached at Harvest Christian Academy in Pasadena. The private school is no longer around.
But while with Harvest Christian, Minor’s teams competed against then-Fort Bend Baptist (now FBCA). He always knew of the talent in the area. He saw it then.
“They always had a good program,” Minor said. “I always said if there was one private school I wanted to coach, it was Fort Bend Christian Academy.”
Slowly, little by little, Minor started growing the program.
“No. 1 was getting the kids to come out,” he said. “I was telling every kid and every kid’s friend to come out. My first year, I took two kids to state. A thrower and a jumper. No sprinters. And I’m thinking, ‘That’s it? With all this talent in Fort Bend?’ So, I had to get kids to come out, any kid, because if they just gave it a shot, I knew I could coach them up.”
The 2020 season was ruined by COVID-19. Last season, however, was the breakthrough.
Despite still having low numbers—six girls and 11 boys—Minor’s girls won sixth overall as a team at the TAPPS 5A state meet. The boys did even better, finishing as a state runner-up.
“I remember, last year, he said he wanted a state title,” Domino said. “Us, as a team, are showing him that all the stuff we’re doing in the weight room or on the track is going to pay off, no matter what. It’s just a nice learning environment he’s giving us.”
Minor has 25 boys and 21 girls this season, 29 more student-athletes than he had last season. He’s had to order more team uniforms because of all the kids coming out for track and field.
“Last year was the turning point,” Minor said. “I knew then we were headed in the right direction. This year, we’re full steam ahead.”
Minor has kids coming from all sports, not just football. He has basketball players. Volleyball players.
And with the fast start to the season, he is still getting kids coming up to him every day asking if it’s too late to join track and field.
“It’s never too late,” Minor said. “This is what I wanted. This is what I asked for. Thank you, Jesus.”
The Eagles next have eyes on competing at the prestigious Texas Relays later this month at the University of Texas. The ultimate goal, however, remains bringing home gold medals at state in Waco in May.
“It’s been a great start, mentally and physically,” Domino said. “It’s a process that only goes up from here.”