The defending Class 4A track and field state champion Brownwood Lady Lions are sending five entrants to the University of Texas’ Myers Stadium in Austin Thursday, the culmination of a season that has already featured three-peats at the district and area levels, along with a second straight regional championship.

Reigning Class 4A girls 200 meters state champion Kaya Phillips turned in the second-fastest time at a regional meet with a 23.99 in Lubbock on May 2 en route to the Region I-4A title. The only time faster than Phillips was the 23.95 by Tiana Peck of Katy Freeman.

At state last year, Phillips finished in a school record time of 23.75 to win the title by almost 2 tenths of a second.

The Region I-4A champion Lady Lions 4×100 relay of Icess Hall, Kaya Phillips, Jade Morin and Aniah Hines are the reigning Class 4A state champions, but have battled through injuries throughout the season – most recently with Hall suffering a hamstring injury in the prelims of the District 6-4A meet that kept her out until the finals of the Region I-4A competition.

The Lady Lions time of 47.34 at regionals was the fifth-best 4A time in the state, trailing Sunnyvale (46.59), Dallas Lincoln (47.1), Madisonville (47.16) and Tyler Chapel Hill (47.31).

En route to the state championship last year, Hall, Phillips, Morin and Hines were clocked at a school-record 47.0 in Austin.

The Region I-4A champion Lady Lions 4×200 relay – which has consisted of Jade Morin, Eboni Baker, Aniah Hines and Kaya Phillips since the start of district – turned in the fourth-best regional time of 1:40.69. Brownwood was behind Waxahachie Life (1:38.37), Tyler Chapel Hill (1:38.51), and Dallas Lincoln (1:38.54) in terms of regional efforts.

Also entering state with the fourth-best regional performance is Grace Sparks in the pole vault. Sparks cleared 12-0 in Lubbock, which left her behind Ava Tucker of Brock (12-6), Kira Newman of Nevada Community (12-3) and Kelsey Jackson of Paris North Lamar (12-3).

Sparks will be competing at the state meet for the first time.

Making her third appearance in four years in the high jump is Hannah Deen, who recorded the seventh-best regional effort in the high at 5-5. Earlier this season, however, Deen set a new school record by clearing 5-8 at the district meet, which ranks second-best among state qualifiers.

Other competitors in the state high jump field, along with the regional heights, include Chiora Enyinna-Okeigbo of Sunnyvale (5-9), De’Ari Porter-Moore of Dallas Carter (5-9), Rocsan Hadnot of Jasper (5-8), Ryanne Meyer of Sealy (5-7), Ava Green of Decatur (5-6), Kaylee Bragg of Salado (5-6), Harper Phillips of Lago Vista (5-5), and Ellen Watson of Wimberley (5-4).

Deen competes at 9 a.m. Thursday, followed by Sparks at 3 p.m., the 4×100 at 5 p.m., the 4×200 at 6:40 p.m., and the Phillips at 7:55p.m.