Hanks' Ky-Ri Bonner dives for bronze medal at UIL state championships

Hanks' Ky-Ri Bonner has never experienced anything comparable to his 400-meter race at the UIL State Track and Field Championships, which makes sense because it was the biggest stage he has ever been on.

He came in aiming to win and went to lengths he's never gone through before, culminating with his first-ever dive at the tape that ended up being good for a third-place finish (47.32), which might have disappointed him before the race started.

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Hanks' Ky-Ri Bonner races to a third-place finish in the UIL Track and Field Championships at Austin's Mike Myers Stadium on Friday, May 15.

Bonner quickly figured out the most important way to consider running at state. Any season that ends at Mike Myers Stadium in Austin is special, any race there that ends in a medal is precious.

Given all that, Bonner did the most important thing he could do on his only trip to state. He soaked it all in and savored the moment.

"It was hard, it was frustrating a little bit because I didn't get first, but very, very enjoyable," Bonner said shortly afterwards while wearing his bronze medal. "I love to be out here, the crowd, the sound, it was a very good race.

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"It's a little frustrating because I'm a competitive person, but I went to state and got bronze. I can't be mad at myself, I went through all the rounds, I ran a 0:46 (earlier in the year), I'm still getting recruited. It's a great feeling to get out here, get exposure and be able to say 'I went to state and medaled.'"

The race was a heart-stopper with a wild, blanket finish that saw the top four placers finish between 47.25 and 45.47. The eventual winner, Christian Porter of Belton, was in lane 9, while Bonner was in lane 2 and obviously those two ran 400 meters without being aware of each other.