Chapel Hill Head Track and Field Coach Jasmin Ellis has high expectations for her teams this year.
The boys team is coming off a Class 5A state championship. Key contributors like T.J. Lockhart, Cairo Hayes, and Jackson Thompson return this year, ready to defend their title. On the girls side, standout athletes Grace Glowacki and Ashley Nino lead a team gaining momentum.
During the recent Spring Sports Media Day, Ellis highlighted Lockhart, Hayes, Thompson, Glowacki, and Nino as athletes to watch this season.
Lockhart and Thompson were members of relay teams that claimed first place at last year’s state meet. And Hayes finished second in the pole vault at state last year and is looking for another strong season.
On the girls side, Glowacki, who reached sectionals last year, is expected to excel in the shot put and discus. Nino, a rising star in pole vaulting, is looking to have a breakout season.
This year, Chapel Hill steps up to Class 6A, where the Panthers will face strong region rivals like Carrollton and Westlake. Despite the challenge, Ellis remains confident in her teams’ ability to dominate at both the region and state levels.
“We are an extremely versatile team so that we are able to do things on the field as well as on the track, from our sprints to our distance,” Ellis said. “And that is what has brought our success for the state title. So we’re looking to do that again.”