AUSTIN — Trumaine Jones wanted to be part of a state-championship team this year and he had three chances. He narrowly missed in football and basketball, but in track and field he would not be denied.

Jones helped Arp capture the Class 2A boys team title at the UIL State Track and Field Championships on Saturday at the University of Texas' Mike A. Myers Stadium. Arp finished with 52 points to beat out Hempstead (42), Crane (38) and Floydada (38).

Jones captured a team title after losing the Division II Region III final in football and dropping a state semifinal in basketball. Jones did play for Arp's state-championship team in basketball in 2006-07.

''I felt like I had to win state in something,'' Jones said. ''I went out with a bang.''

Arp started to take command of its title chase in the 400-meter relay. A smooth exchange between the first and second legs — Josh Smith and Marcus Teal — put Arp ahead and a strong burst in the last 50 meters by the anchor Jones gave the relay team a state title in 41.81 seconds, holding off Hempstead (42.07). Tywan Scott was Arp's third leg.

Arp also had a strong showing the 800-meter relay, as Darrell Shackelford, Lavocheya Cooper, Scott and Teal finished second in 1 minute, 28.67 seconds. Hempstead won the 800 relay in 1:28.46.

Arp coach Shannon Arrington said he felt good about his team's chances for a state title going into the final event, the 1,600-meter relay. Idalou had a chance to catch Arp, but only if Idalou won the race and Arp finished fifth or worse.

Arrington credited freshman Jerroid Amie running a third leg, which briefly gave Arp the lead, for Arp eventually finishing fourth overall in 3 minutes, 23.23 seconds. Corrigan-Camden won in 3:20.78, while Idalou was fifth in 3:23.35.

''All of the relays had to run well, and Amie really came through,'' Arrington said. ''In the last race, I told the guys to make sure we were four places ahead of Idalou.''

Jones was the only Arp individual to score points, but he provided insurance by finishing second in the 200 meters. Thanks to a strong finishing kick, Jones finished in 21.36 seconds, narrowly finishing behind Corrigan-Camden's Kameron Horace (21.34).

Jones said he wanted to make up for not scoring in the long jump on Friday, when he finished seventh.

''It was pretty hard on Friday,'' Jones said. ''I took my anger out.''

Smith and Teal also ended their high-school careers as state champions. Shackelford, Cooper, Scott and Amie return next season. Arrington said the key to a possible repeat is qualifying two or three relays.

Arrington said it will be different next year without rival Tatum, the 2007 Class 2A state champions that battled with Arp for district and region titles the past two seasons. Tatum moves to Class 3A this fall for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years.

''Tatum made us better with the friendly competition we had with them,'' Arrington said. ''We will miss them every day.''