Mansfield High’s Zakhia Austin reached the 4×100 meter finals of the U.S. Track and Field National Junior Olympics this past week at Texas A&M University.

Austin starred as the opening leg of the 4×100 relay in the 17-18 girls division, placing fifth in the preliminaries with a season-best 46.20.

Austin, who competed as a River Cities Track Club sprinter, helped the relay to a fifth-place finish in the finals with a 46.40.

The Mansfield senior also ran the second leg of the River Cities 4×400 relay, placing 14th with a 3:50.66.

Austin qualified for the Junior Olympics as an individual as well, placed 33rd in the 200 meters with a 25.31 in a 70-runner field.

She was one of five DeSoto Parish track athletes to compete at the Junior Olympics, all with River Cities.

Mansfield teammates Ian White and Jaden Youngblood just missed a finals spot in the 4×400 relay of the 17-18 boys division. The pair ran a 3:16.91, just .05 out of finals qualifying, to finish ninth.

White was the anchor leg of a 4×100 relay that placed 13th with a 41.85 time.

Both qualified as individuals in the 400 hurdles with Youngblood finishing 20th with a 56.00 and White with a 32nd-place spot at 57.28.

Two DeSoto Parish athletes competed in the 15-16 girls division, Mansfield’s LaJordan Boykin and North DeSoto’s Macaylah Tingle.

Boykin ran the anchor leg of a 4×100 relay that finished 17th in a 45-team field with a 48.45.

She added the opening leg of the 4×400 relay with a 4:03.54 to finish 17th of 37 teams.

Tingle competed in two events as an individual.

She ran a 2:28.59 in the 800 meters, finishing 29th.

She finished 20th with a 96-10 in the javelin throw.