As the powerful gusts of wind swept through Buddy Echols Field and a slight drizzle fell from the sky, Coppell High School senior Zach Dicken took a deep breath and looked down at the sandpit he would soon jump into.

After a quick burst of speed, Dicken sprinted down the strip of track and right before he hit the wooden plank, he jumped.

His jump, against fierce winds and all, measured out at 21-2, enough to earn him first place overall at the Coppell Relays. Dicken won by nearly a foot, as his jump helped lead the boys team to a second place finish, while the girls placed third.

“I wasn’t too impressed with my job, but for going against the wind, it wasn’t bad” Dicken said. “I’ve hit 22-9 before but considering how cold it was and how early we had to get to the meet I wasn’t too disappointed with it.”

Dicken’s first place finish, the only one of its kind for the boys side, gave the Coppell boys team 10 points, leading the way in the second place effort.

“It was a pretty good day for [Dicken], especially considering the conditions,” Coppell coach Karl Pointer said. “He ran well in the 400 and the 4×400 relay. This meet had a lot of speed, and it was good to see him compete against it.”

Although Coppell performed well in both the field and track events, it was not without a struggle against mother nature. The 15-plus mph winds and light drizzle kept the temperatures cold, which proved difficult for the athletes.

“I think The wind and the cold temperatures, it can definitely slow you down,” Pointer said. “In the 100-meter dash, it can help you a little, but overall it’s tough to get going when your muscles are cold. But we still pushed through and performed well.”

In addition to Dicken, the Coppell boys received points from a number of field events. CHS junior Phillip Frank placed fourth in the high jump with a leap of 6-00, junior Gabe Lemons finished fourth in the triple jump at 43-02 1/2 and sophomore Corbin Hicks placed third in shot put and sixth in discus with throws of 43-03 1/2 and 136-04 1/2, respectively.

In track events, Coppell senior Timmie Heard placed second in the 100 with a time of 11.02 senior Josh Freeman placed fifth with a time of 11.12, Heard placed fourth in the 200 with a time of 22.73, Dicken placed second in the 400 with a time of 49.79, Lemons placed fifth in the 400 with a time of 51.99 and senior Andres Abrego Guerra placed sixth in the 400 with a time of 52.13.

Coppell senior Alan Huo placed third in the 800 with a time of 1:59.63, senior Nathan Sims placed fourth in the 3,200 with a time of 9:44.37, senior Carson Reynolds placed second in the 110 Hurdles with a time of 15.33, Frank placed fifth in the 110 Hurdles with a time of 15.47, Frank placed fourth in the 300 Hurdles with a time of 41.23, the boys 4×100 Relay, which included Freeman, Lemons, senior Matt Dorrity and Heard placed fifth with a time of 43.15 and the boys 4×400 Relay, which included sophomore Zachary Tucker, Dorrity, Lemons and Dicken placed fourth with a time of 3:29.38.

The girls varsity team also performed at a high level, racking up a total of 92 points, good enough for a third place finish. Coppell junior Rachel Okereke was a played a large part in this effort, placing second in the 4×200 meter relay and third in the high jump, triple jump and 4×100 meter relay.

Coppell senior Claire Barden finished first in shot put, throwing 36-04, while freshman Nicole Obialo placed second in the event at 33-06 1/2. Junior Rebecca Fuselier and senior Emily Pridgen placed third and fifth in the pole vault at 10-06 and 10-00 and freshman Lauren Kellett finished in fifth place in the triple jump at 36-03.

On the track, Coppell junior Kaitlyn Hernandez placed third in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:01.72, freshman Sikyra Castle placed sixth in the 400 with a time of 1:04.23, Hernandez placed sixth in the 200 with a time of 27.17, sophomore Madeline Hulcy placed 4th in the 1600 with a time of 5:28.35, freshman Sydney Rowe placed 6th in the 1600 with a time of 5:30.94 and Hulcy placed 5th in the 3200 with a time of 11:32.1.

Senior Sara Smith placed 5th in the 100 Hurdles with a time of 16.21, junior Rebecca Copple placed 6th in the 100 Hurdles with a time of 16.3, junior Payton Kirk placed 4th in the 300 Hurdles with a time of 46.99, the girls 4×100 Relay, which included sophomore Amarachi Osuji, Okereke, Kirk and Lauren Kellet, placed 3rd with a time of 50.03, the girls 4×200 Relay, which included Osuji, Copple, Lauren Kellet and Okereke, placed 2nd with a time of 1:46.43 and the girls 4×400 Relay which included Hernandez, Castle, senior Victoria Kellet and Kirk Relay, placed 6th with a time of 4:20.12.