Before he turned his tassel at Vian High School in Oklahoma on May 28, Julius Aquino turned a few heads with his performance in track and field and football as a senior.

The speedy Seminole concluded his high school athletic career on a high note in May by qualifying for the Class 3A state championship in the 100 meter dash and 4×200 relay. Having been away from track for a couple years made the accomplishment even more satisfying.

“It was a big deal for me to run track and make it to state since I haven’t [run] track in two years,” he said.

Aquino earned his spot in states in the 100M thanks to finishing second in regionals with a time of 11.73 seconds.

He bettered that time with a 11.47 showing at states, which was good enough for 11th out of 16 runners. His fastest time ever came in his freshman year with a blazing 10.92.

As for football, Aquino played a key role in Vian’s 9-2 record as a tailback and safety. Proof of his outstanding season on both sides of the ball can be seen on Hudl’s website. His highlights as a tailback include touchdown runs and key blocks. Often he turned what would appear to be short yardage rushes into mid- to long-distance gains by fighting off defenders or darting through openings.

Vian reached the third round of the Class 2A playoffs before being ousted with a 36-24 loss to state champion Metro Christian, the same team which beat Vian in the 2019 state title game.

Aquino said his best memory from the season was “just being able to go out there every Friday with my friends and soak up it being my last season.”

Aquino, son of Alexandra Sanchez, would like to play college football – perhaps as a walk-on. For now, the next step in his academic career will be attending Oklahoma State University, where he plans to pursue degrees in marketing and political science.