At the 2025 UIL 6A Regionals, the Lamar boys 4×400-meter relay team, consisting of juniors Ryan Johnson, Devin Carpenter, and Jordan Godfrey, along with senior Bailey Hashmi, ran 3:08.51, breaking a 31-year-old record that had stood since 1994.
Weeks later, they proved it wasn’t a fluke by winning gold at the UIL 6A state track meet after running 3:11.94.
In 2026, when the lineup changed, the expectation didn’t.
Last season, with a new piece added and pressure increased, the question wasn’t what they had already done; it was whether Lamar could do it again.
“I knew early on this team was different from teams I had in the past,” said Lamar head track coach Gerrick Green. “There was no ego, just chemistry and guys who wanted to get better.”
That chemistry showed itself not just in the record-breaking time, but in the way each runner approached his role with the team’s success ahead of individual recognition.
“With Bailey graduating, our team changed, but not as drastically as many may believe. Losing Bailey did hurt us, but it drove us to work harder and strive for better, since we had three runners returning,”
Ryan Johnson
“I realized that the Regionals race was about more than just a win a couple of days later,” said Johnson. “It really set in that we had just done what hadn’t been done in years. In that moment, we knew who we were as a team.”
That chemistry, trust, and the fear of losing to Katy Mayde Creek, which at the time had one of the region’s fastest 400-meter sprinters, Elijah Ferguson, on the team, motivated Lamar to give their all.
But breaking the record only raised the next question: Could they handle the pressure when it mattered most at the state meet?
“The pressure was definitely high going into the state meet after breaking the record, especially as the 1st leg that year,” said Johnson. “I felt like we had a chance to do it all over again, if not better, and break the UIL state meet record. So the main goal was to try to run the same, if not better, than at Regionals.”
“In 2025, the message to the guys before the state final was to control what you can control,” said Green. “We didn’t run as fast in the 4×400 as we did at Regionals, but we still won the race.”
After the 2025 state meet, the medals were secured, but the team that won them was about to change, as Hashmi – the lone senior at the time – graduated, leaving a void.
“With Bailey graduating, our team changed, but not as drastically as many may believe,” said Johnson. “Losing Bailey did hurt us, but it drove us to work harder and strive for better, since we had three runners returning.”
Even with three returning runners, replacing the leadership, consistency, and chemistry Hashmi brought to the relay was never going to be easy.
“When a senior leader graduates, the first major issue is determining who will take their place,” said Green. “The issue is not just about finding somebody quickly; it’s about finding someone who will blend in with the pieces you already have. The chemistry and trust have to be in place; otherwise, you will not have the same level of success.”
With one cornerstone gone, the 2026 season shifted from defending titles to rebuilding what the 2025 group had established.
Sophomore Blake Love was chosen to fill the spot Hashmi left behind, inheriting both the opportunity and the pressure that came with it.
“Last year, I had the opportunity to witness the relay team’s remarkable progress,” said Love. “I had a chance to substitute for Bailey in the relay until the regional championships, when they shattered the record. I was thrilled about what we were going to achieve in 2026 because I knew I would be filling in for him.”
Although Love entered the relay with confidence, the responsibility of replacing a state-champion senior still carried the expectation that the returning runners knew he would have to grow into it quickly.
“Throughout the season, we were talking to him and explaining the role he would have to play, while also trying to take the pressure off him, since it’s definitely a lot to be a piece of our team at a young age,” said Godfrey.
The pressure felt manageable because Love had the opportunity to attend the state meet to watch the 2025 team run, which gave him a clearer understanding of what he needed to do to be successful at that level.
“Because we dealt with so many injuries this year, there were many times I questioned whether we could reach the same level as the 2025 team,” said Johnson. “But we stayed persistent and positive, worked hard, and had each other’s backs.”
As the season progressed, the answer didn’t come from expectations; it came from the clock.
When Godfrey crossed the line at 3:11.47, ending the 4×400-meter relay, it wasn’t relief; it was confirmation, not for the team, but for those who doubted the team.
“I think people doubted us and kept us off their radar throughout the year because we weren’t running as fast as other schools,” said Godfrey.
Winning back-to-back gold in the 4×400-meter relay cemented Lamar’s place in history again.
“Last year’s UIL 4×400 gold will always be special and hold a special place because it didn’t feel real, but this year’s 2026 4×400 gold medal win felt deserved, even though everyone believed we were going to struggle without our old teammate; we still ran and conquered the track,” said Carpenter.
2025 was a breakthrough for Lamar’s 4×400-meter relay; 2026 was confirmation. They didn’t just set the standard once; they proved it was theirs.
“To lose a key senior and still be able to win at a high level speaks to multiple facets of our program,” said Green.
