LITTLE ELM — The unsettling scene at Little Elm’s Lobo Stadium on Monday morning wasn’t normal for a high school track meet, but it was indicative of the tragedy that occurred at the District 11-5A meet in Frisco five days earlier.
Two police vehicles were parked a few feet away from the main entrance while another periodically drove through the parking lot as the 11-5A meet prepared to resume. Everyone entering the stadium had their bags searched and was asked to walk through a metal detector, with two police officers stationed just beyond.
TV crews stood outside the stadium shooting footage because they weren’t allowed to bring their cameras inside. The discus competition was held away from the track, and as athletes warmed up, a police car was parked close by, just outside the fence.
Frisco ISD increased its security protocols for the meet in response to the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Frisco Memorial junior Austin Metcalf last week at David Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco. The suspended meet began its final day Monday at a new location with additional law enforcement officers from Little Elm and Frisco police onsite, along with stadium security staff and school administration.
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“When we came out the last time, there wasn’t a whole lot of protection in that way,” said Curtis Stephan, whose son was competing for Frisco Memorial in the shot put. “To see some added security measures, that definitely makes everybody feel a lot better.”
Athletes from eight Frisco ISD schools were competing to advance to the area-round meet and keep their season going amid a somber atmosphere and a track community coping with grief. Several fans declined interview requests Monday.
“It’s a little bit scary,” said Arianna Gibson, who had two sons competing for Frisco Lebanon Trail. “It kind of dampened the excitement of the event.”
Gibson was preparing to head to the 11-5A meet last Wednesday when news broke of the stabbing.
“We knew that our coaches put our kids on the buses right away and were trying to protect them, so we weren’t necessarily scared,” Gibson said. “But you didn’t really know what was going on and what was going to happen and how your kids were.”
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Karmelo Anthony, 17, a Frisco Centennial student, was taken into custody and faces a murder charge in the killing, according to police. Witnesses told police Metcalf was stabbed after he either “grabbed” or “pushed” Anthony while the two boys were arguing about Anthony being in the wrong school’s tent during a weather delay, according to a Frisco police arrest report obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
Anthony told police he stabbed Metcalf after the other teen grabbed him during an altercation, according to an arrest report obtained by The News.
Schools had tents set up for their athletes in the stands on the visitors side Monday, but they were spaced out so each team had plenty of room. Frisco ISD did not allow interviews with athletes or coaches on the premises, and media members were not allowed access to the track and field area.
School tents during the final day of the District 11-5A track meet at Lobo Stadium in Little Elm, TX on Monday, April 7, 2025. The meet was suspended Wednesday when Frisco Memorial junior Austin Metcalf was fatally stabbed by a student from another school on the first day of the meet.(Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer)
“It has been a bit surreal, but this morning we had a really awesome rally as the kids were leaving on the bus,” Stephan said. “It was really moving. We’re just hoping for a really good day so the kids can just get back to some level of normalcy.”
Athletes weren’t brought up to a medal stand to receive their awards and have pictures taken as usual. Instead, coaches were going to give them their medals.
There was no moment of silence to honor Metcalf when the meet started with the field events around 9:30 a.m., but attendance was sparse at that point, as the running finals weren’t scheduled to begin for more than five more hours. Frisco ISD said Austin had already been recognized at Frisco Memorial, and Frisco Independence honored him at its baseball game against Memorial on Friday.
“Before the game they made a point to say we stand in solidarity with Memorial. They did a really nice moment afterward as well,” Stephan said. “It’s just surreal to even think about this happening to our town, but Frisco is a beautiful place where a lot of people rally around. It was amazing to see Independence rally around Memorial. The whole city has really come together.”
District meets are just the start of the UIL postseason for track. There are still three more meets to go, culminating with the state meet May 1-3 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.
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“I wonder how the rest of the meets like area, regionals will adapt to this incident,” Gibson said. “I’ve never really had to think about it before.”
There will be additional security for the area-round meet Thursday at Standridge Stadium in Carrollton, which was pushed back a day to give 11-5A athletes more time to rest.
Extra police officers will be on hand, and bag searches will be conducted for all athletes, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD athletic director Renee Putter said in an email.
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