Texas Tech football signees show versatility at UIL state track meet
AUSTIN — Growing up in Albany, Adam Hill is used to changing sports with the seasons.
It's the norm for most athletes in the Class 2A town 35 miles northeast of Abilene. It's also becoming the norm for Texas Tech football signees.
Red Raiders football coach Joey McGuire has long valued multi-sport recruits, especially those with track prowess. He got to see plenty at the UIL state championships last week at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Four signees from the 2024 class competed at Texas' top meet. All four won at least one medal, with three taking home gold.
"I'm a little biased toward us, but I think (multi-sport athletes) are the hardest workers," Hill said, "especially small-town ones because you've got to play both sides of the ball in football. You've got to play basketball, you've got to run track, a lot of us play baseball. I think we work the hardest and we can bring a lot to the table."
Adam Hill not done with high school athletics yet
Hill, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker, placed second in the 2A shot put (53 feet, ¼ inch) and repeated as 300-meter hurdles champion in 38.05 seconds.
He was the favorite to win the 110 hurdles, too, but lost his balance after a long hold and false-started. He took silver in the event the past two seasons.
Hill capped his busy day with a 48.87 split to anchor the Lions' 1,600 relay. He left Austin the following morning to make Albany's playoff baseball game. The outfielder has been part of deep runs, including to the Region I-2A final in 2022, and hopes to add another before heading to Lubbock.
"(Tech coaches) love seeing us in multiple sports," Hill said. "I'm set to graduate (May) 24, but we should still be playing baseball. Their coaches are all about that. He said don't worry about coming down here until baseball's over, take care of business."
Hill, who doubled as a running back for the Lions, led the team to consecutive state championships in football. He was named offensive MVP after Albany's win in the fall, tallying 132 rushing yards and three total touchdowns.
Malik Esquerra earns two medals
The 110 hurdles was a popular event for future Red Raiders. Beckville's Jkoby Williams won the 2A event (14.19) for a third consecutive year, and Killeen Shoemaker's Malik Esquerra took gold in the 5A race in 13.72. Both signed as part of Tech's incoming class.
In his state-meet debut, Esquerra also placed third in the 300 hurdles in 37.04. He said his football recruitment ramped up when he became more devoted to track as a sophomore.
"That's what my coaches had told me," said Esquerra, a 6-3, 187-pound safety. "They said they recruit football as if it was track. Once they see your times drop in track, your recruiting's gonna go up because they want fast athletes."
Oliver Miles adds second triple-jump medal
El Campo's Oliver Miles earned silver in the 4A triple jump at 48-2½. The year before, he won the event on his final jump, a leap of 50-10.
The 6-2, 175-pound Miles will compete in both sports at Tech. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he was recruited as an athlete in football. McGuire called him a "utility guy" who could play defensive back or receiver.
Miles said he's excited to start getting next-level coaching. He also said the "atmosphere" was a key attraction, a sentiment shared by Hill and Esquerra.
"Just going down there a couple times, it felt like Albany to me," Hill said. "It felt like home, West Texas. It really all just felt the same, just obviously a little bigger."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football recruits shine at UIL state track meet
