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LUBBOCK — After day one of the Region I-4A/5A track meet, multiple athletes from the Amarillo area have punched their tickets to the state championships in Austin.
Friday's slate included multiple field events and the finals of the 3,200-meter run, in addition to prelims for the remainder of the meet's running events. The meet will finish on Saturday, with a number of field events and the finals for running events set to begin at 9 a.m. and finish in the evening.
After a strong showing on day one, more standouts from the Texas Panhandle will look to qualify for the state track meet on Saturday, competing against athletes ranging from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex to El Paso.
Canyon ISD headlined Friday's 3,200-meter run, as Eagles' runners earned gold, silver and bronze medals in the 4A boys race, and Randall's Brooke French won the 4A girls race. Lady Eagles' senior Avery Brown also earned a silver medal in the event.
In 5A boys shot put, Tascosa junior Aaron Phares placed first, earning a gold medal and a spot in Austin in early May.
Check out takeaways and results from day one of the regional track meet below.
The Eagles have a pedigree for distance running, and Friday's showing at the Region I-4A track meet was evidence of that.
Veterans Lathan Lewter and Ryan Fernandez placed first and second in the two-mile race, returning to state after multiple previous trips to Austin. This year, however, the duo will be joined by teammate Noah Cooper, who earned his first trip to the state championships in track and field.
"It feels great (to see Cooper qualify for state)," Fernandez said. "We all know how hard Noah works, and how passionate he is, how much he wants it. So, I'm proud of him. It's definitely cool to have all of us go to state."
Cooper was part of the Eagles' state championship cross country team, but will make his first appearance at Mike A. Myers Stadium this year despite not finishing in the top two of his event. Cooper qualifies for the state track meet as a "wild card," a position which is awarded to the fastest third-place finisher out of all four regions in the state.
In the stands, Cooper's parents and grandparents watched anxiously as the Eagles' trio built an impressive lead throughout the race, beating out the fourth-place finisher by 30 seconds. Cooper wasn't only racing against his teammates, though, the CHS standout was racing against the clock.
With Lewter and Fernandez finishing ahead of Cooper, his only chance to reach the state title was by being the fastest third-place finisher in the state. The junior noticed during the race that he was on pace to run a fast enough time to earn a wild card berth in Austin, fueling a personal-best performance.
"We actually had a plan that I was going to lead two (laps), and Ryan (Fernandez) was going to lead two (laps)," Cooper said. "I thought they were going to drop me through the mile, but I ended up hanging on. Just training with them throughout the season, really kind of created that chemistry, and (it) really helped. Through like, the fifth lap, I saw that I was on pace to get the wild card to go to state, and I was like, 'I really just got to hang on'."
Aaron Phares, a junior at Tascosa, managed to beat out Lubbock-Cooper's Sione Vaea by three inches to claim the Region I-5A boys crown in shot put.
Even after earning a berth in the state championship and winning a gold medal, though, Phares wasn't completely satisfied with his performance. The Rebels' thrower acknowledged that his final throw, which would end up being a scratch, had the potential to be his best of the day.
"It feels good, but that last throw," Phares said. "Would've easily been the best throw ever, and I really wanted to go to state with that throw, because then it would have set the bar higher for me to work harder to beat my (personal record), but I'm still happy that I'm going."
Fortunately for Phares, though, the THS standout will have a few more weeks to make adjustments, and potentially achieve his goal of notching an even better throw. Still, Phares 54-foot, 4¼-inch heave was impressive enough to beat out a number of solid competitors at the regional track meet.
This year, everything seems to have fallen into place for Phares, who turned in solid campaigns as a freshman and sophomore. The state-bound thrower said that he has seen noticeable improvement after changing his technique from what is know to shot put throwers as a "glide" to a "spin" motion, something that he has worked on relentlessly with his coaches at Tascosa.
"Freshman and sophomore year, I did the glide," Phares said. "It just wasn't working, my (personal record) was 39 (feet). With the help of all my coaches and friends, I was able to get the basics down of the spin, and I've just been repping it constantly at practice. I'll stay after practice, every time, just to get the feel down for the next event. Sometimes it works out during practice, and sometimes it doesn't, but every single time during the meet, I don't know. I think it's just the atmosphere, it makes me lock in better."
Phares ability to "lock in" has helped him reach the state championships for the first time in his career, heading to Austin as a regional champion.
Friday at Lowrey Field
Note: Top two finishers in each event advance to the UIL state track meet May 1-3 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.
REGION I-4A
BOYS
Shot put: 1. Kolton Dearth, Stephenville, 55 feet, 3¾ inches; 2. Keltyn Raymond, Glen Rose, 52-2½; 3. Jayden Colvert, Midland Greenwood, 51-9; 4. Boden Portales, Decatur, 51-4; 5. Keaton Goode, Decatur, 50-0½; 6. Ty Cowell, Lubbock-Cooper Liberty, 50-0.
Pole vault: 1. Parker Williams, Decatur, 15-0; 2. Lane Miller, Lubbock-Cooper Liberty, 15-0; 3. Matthew Cannon, Decatur, 14-6; 4. Kylar Mills, Stephenville, 14-0; 5. Matthew Portillo, Clint, 13-6; 6. Devan Hair, Springtown, 13-6.
Triple jump: 1. Cayden Brooks, Fort Worth Dunbar, 45-7; 2. Tristian Gentry, Stephenville, 44-7; 3. Blake Robinson, Dumas, 44-4; 4. Aiden Green, West Plains, 44-0¾; 5. Nhoren Cloubou, Lake Worth, 43-8¼; 6. Ty Thompson, Graham, 43-8.
3,200 meters: 1. Lathan Lewter, Canyon, 9 minutes, 26.41 seconds; 2. Ryan Fernandez, Canyon, 9:28.04; 3. Noah Cooper, Canyon, 9:30.28; 4. Jacob Erickson, Perryton, 10:01.24; 5. David Retana, El Paso Harmony, 10:22.32; 6. Pedro Jimenez, El Paso Austin, 10:22.49.
GIRLS
High jump: 1. Hannah Deen, Brownwood, 5-5; 2. Anna Green, Bridgeport, 5-4; 3. Tenera Gray, Randall, 5-4; 4. Ava Green, Decatur, 5-2; 5. Aubrey Vanden Berge, Stephenville, 5-2; 6. Lyla Elkington, Krum, 5-2.
Triple jump: 1. Mackenzie Flaugher, Springtown, 39-6¼; 2. Tenera Gray, Randall, 39-3½; 3. Marlie Morris, Krum, 38-2½; 4. Ella Hurst, Lubbock-Cooper Liberty, 37-7½; 5. Piper Patterson, West Plains, 36-11; 6. Inylah Hall, Brownwood, 36-7½.
Discus: 1. Valerie Hunt, Monahans, 146-3; 2. Genesis Rubio, San Elizario, 125-11; 3. Karlee Swarb, Monahans, 119-3; 4. Jacelyn Gestes, Lubbock-Cooper Liberty, 114-11; 5. Kora Bridges, Canyon, 113-0; 6. Taylor Harlin, Glen Rose, 106-10.
3,200 meters: 1. Brooke French, Randall, 11:00.60; 2. Avery Brown, Canyon, 11:10.55; 3. Emily Gross, Dumas, 11:16.25; 4. Sidney Windham, Brownwood, 11:49.42; 5. Alexia Martinez, Fabens, 12:05.49; 6. Michaela Sharber, Canyon, 12:11.54.
REGION I-5A
BOYS
Triple jump: 1. Ake O'Neal, Argyle, 47-9¾; 2. Andre Washington, Abilene Wylie, 46-10½; 3. Omari Johnson, Fort Worth Chisholm Trail, 46-3½; 4. Caleb Woodard, Keller Fossil Ridge, 45-11½; 5. Terris Banks, Mansfield Timberview, 45-11¼; 6. Alhosan Sheriff, Caprock, 45-3¼.
Shot put: 1. Aaron Phares, Tascosa, 54-4¼; 2. Sione Vaea, Lubbock-Cooper, 54-1¼; 3. Hunter Spier, Amarillo High, 53-10¾; 4. Ethan Hoffmann, Abilene Wylie, 52-8; 5. Carson Dempsey, Aledo, 50-4; 6. Kobe Parks, Everman, 49-1¾.
Pole vault: 1. Gator Young, Argyle, 16-3; 2. Braylon Brown, Aledo, 15-6; 3. Breck Walker, Joshua, 15-0; 4. Zack Holt, Argyle, 14-6; 5. Jermey Morrison, Lubbock High, 14-6; 6. Kantyn Kasich, Aledo, 13-6.
3,200: 1. Miles Westbrook, El Paso High, 9:25.00; 2. Andrew DeYoung, Grapevine, 9:36.21; 3. Andrew Truax, El Paso High, 9:40.60; 4. Abdirisak Saidgurhan, Palo Duro, 9:47.30; 5. Jackson Newman, Amarillo High, 9:51.40; 6. Tyler Connelly, Aledo, 9:51.80.
GIRLS
Triple jump: 1. Aniyah Harrison-Stewart, Fossil Ridge, 39-11¼; 2. Dorie Davis, Mansfield Summit, 39-3; 3. Saphina Stanley, Tascosa, 38-11¾; 4. NaSya Atkins, El Paso Americas, 36-6; 5. Sarah Mbanbo, Chisholm Trail, 36-5¼; 6. Kahlen Whitley, Lubbock-Cooper, 36-3.
Discus: 1. Esenam Hussey, Denton Ryan, 136-9; 2. Kennedy Haynes, Fort Worth South Hills, 134-1; 3. Maggie Marhefka, Tascosa, 132-4; 4. Ava Rushing, Plainview, 132-2; 5. Delanie Harrison, El Paso Burges, 126-5; 6. Ariel Breceda-Chacon, El Paso High, 117-9.
High jump: 1. Brentley Preston, Lubbock-Cooper, 5-7; 2. Niomi Wines, Lubbock-Cooper, 5-7; 3. Avah Marcozzi, Cleburne, 5-6; 4. Kinley Lewis, Denton Ryan, 5-4; 5. Audrey Popp, Colleyville Heritage, 5-4; 6. Sara Goltz, Lubbock-Cooper, 5-2.
3,200 meters: 1. Reece Peña, Lubbock High, 10:52.89; 2. Molly Garrison, Aledo, 11:08.52; 3. Micah Neal, Aledo, 11:14.17; 4. Mason Murray, Abilene High, 11:36.52; 5. Ella Magallan, Burleson Centennial, 11:45.42; 6. Ashlyn McMillan, El Paso Hanks, 11:48.81.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Multiple Texas Panhandle athletes reach state on Day 1 of regionals
Continue reading...
Friday's slate included multiple field events and the finals of the 3,200-meter run, in addition to prelims for the remainder of the meet's running events. The meet will finish on Saturday, with a number of field events and the finals for running events set to begin at 9 a.m. and finish in the evening.
After a strong showing on day one, more standouts from the Texas Panhandle will look to qualify for the state track meet on Saturday, competing against athletes ranging from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex to El Paso.
Canyon ISD headlined Friday's 3,200-meter run, as Eagles' runners earned gold, silver and bronze medals in the 4A boys race, and Randall's Brooke French won the 4A girls race. Lady Eagles' senior Avery Brown also earned a silver medal in the event.
In 5A boys shot put, Tascosa junior Aaron Phares placed first, earning a gold medal and a spot in Austin in early May.
Check out takeaways and results from day one of the regional track meet below.
Canyon dominates 3,200-meter run
The Eagles have a pedigree for distance running, and Friday's showing at the Region I-4A track meet was evidence of that.
Veterans Lathan Lewter and Ryan Fernandez placed first and second in the two-mile race, returning to state after multiple previous trips to Austin. This year, however, the duo will be joined by teammate Noah Cooper, who earned his first trip to the state championships in track and field.
"It feels great (to see Cooper qualify for state)," Fernandez said. "We all know how hard Noah works, and how passionate he is, how much he wants it. So, I'm proud of him. It's definitely cool to have all of us go to state."
Cooper was part of the Eagles' state championship cross country team, but will make his first appearance at Mike A. Myers Stadium this year despite not finishing in the top two of his event. Cooper qualifies for the state track meet as a "wild card," a position which is awarded to the fastest third-place finisher out of all four regions in the state.
In the stands, Cooper's parents and grandparents watched anxiously as the Eagles' trio built an impressive lead throughout the race, beating out the fourth-place finisher by 30 seconds. Cooper wasn't only racing against his teammates, though, the CHS standout was racing against the clock.
With Lewter and Fernandez finishing ahead of Cooper, his only chance to reach the state title was by being the fastest third-place finisher in the state. The junior noticed during the race that he was on pace to run a fast enough time to earn a wild card berth in Austin, fueling a personal-best performance.
"We actually had a plan that I was going to lead two (laps), and Ryan (Fernandez) was going to lead two (laps)," Cooper said. "I thought they were going to drop me through the mile, but I ended up hanging on. Just training with them throughout the season, really kind of created that chemistry, and (it) really helped. Through like, the fifth lap, I saw that I was on pace to get the wild card to go to state, and I was like, 'I really just got to hang on'."
Phares notches winning throw, but still wants more
Aaron Phares, a junior at Tascosa, managed to beat out Lubbock-Cooper's Sione Vaea by three inches to claim the Region I-5A boys crown in shot put.
Even after earning a berth in the state championship and winning a gold medal, though, Phares wasn't completely satisfied with his performance. The Rebels' thrower acknowledged that his final throw, which would end up being a scratch, had the potential to be his best of the day.
"It feels good, but that last throw," Phares said. "Would've easily been the best throw ever, and I really wanted to go to state with that throw, because then it would have set the bar higher for me to work harder to beat my (personal record), but I'm still happy that I'm going."
Fortunately for Phares, though, the THS standout will have a few more weeks to make adjustments, and potentially achieve his goal of notching an even better throw. Still, Phares 54-foot, 4¼-inch heave was impressive enough to beat out a number of solid competitors at the regional track meet.
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This year, everything seems to have fallen into place for Phares, who turned in solid campaigns as a freshman and sophomore. The state-bound thrower said that he has seen noticeable improvement after changing his technique from what is know to shot put throwers as a "glide" to a "spin" motion, something that he has worked on relentlessly with his coaches at Tascosa.
"Freshman and sophomore year, I did the glide," Phares said. "It just wasn't working, my (personal record) was 39 (feet). With the help of all my coaches and friends, I was able to get the basics down of the spin, and I've just been repping it constantly at practice. I'll stay after practice, every time, just to get the feel down for the next event. Sometimes it works out during practice, and sometimes it doesn't, but every single time during the meet, I don't know. I think it's just the atmosphere, it makes me lock in better."
Phares ability to "lock in" has helped him reach the state championships for the first time in his career, heading to Austin as a regional champion.
Region I-4A, Region I-5A track and field meet results
Friday at Lowrey Field
Note: Top two finishers in each event advance to the UIL state track meet May 1-3 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.
REGION I-4A
BOYS
Shot put: 1. Kolton Dearth, Stephenville, 55 feet, 3¾ inches; 2. Keltyn Raymond, Glen Rose, 52-2½; 3. Jayden Colvert, Midland Greenwood, 51-9; 4. Boden Portales, Decatur, 51-4; 5. Keaton Goode, Decatur, 50-0½; 6. Ty Cowell, Lubbock-Cooper Liberty, 50-0.
Pole vault: 1. Parker Williams, Decatur, 15-0; 2. Lane Miller, Lubbock-Cooper Liberty, 15-0; 3. Matthew Cannon, Decatur, 14-6; 4. Kylar Mills, Stephenville, 14-0; 5. Matthew Portillo, Clint, 13-6; 6. Devan Hair, Springtown, 13-6.
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Triple jump: 1. Cayden Brooks, Fort Worth Dunbar, 45-7; 2. Tristian Gentry, Stephenville, 44-7; 3. Blake Robinson, Dumas, 44-4; 4. Aiden Green, West Plains, 44-0¾; 5. Nhoren Cloubou, Lake Worth, 43-8¼; 6. Ty Thompson, Graham, 43-8.
3,200 meters: 1. Lathan Lewter, Canyon, 9 minutes, 26.41 seconds; 2. Ryan Fernandez, Canyon, 9:28.04; 3. Noah Cooper, Canyon, 9:30.28; 4. Jacob Erickson, Perryton, 10:01.24; 5. David Retana, El Paso Harmony, 10:22.32; 6. Pedro Jimenez, El Paso Austin, 10:22.49.
GIRLS
High jump: 1. Hannah Deen, Brownwood, 5-5; 2. Anna Green, Bridgeport, 5-4; 3. Tenera Gray, Randall, 5-4; 4. Ava Green, Decatur, 5-2; 5. Aubrey Vanden Berge, Stephenville, 5-2; 6. Lyla Elkington, Krum, 5-2.
Triple jump: 1. Mackenzie Flaugher, Springtown, 39-6¼; 2. Tenera Gray, Randall, 39-3½; 3. Marlie Morris, Krum, 38-2½; 4. Ella Hurst, Lubbock-Cooper Liberty, 37-7½; 5. Piper Patterson, West Plains, 36-11; 6. Inylah Hall, Brownwood, 36-7½.
Discus: 1. Valerie Hunt, Monahans, 146-3; 2. Genesis Rubio, San Elizario, 125-11; 3. Karlee Swarb, Monahans, 119-3; 4. Jacelyn Gestes, Lubbock-Cooper Liberty, 114-11; 5. Kora Bridges, Canyon, 113-0; 6. Taylor Harlin, Glen Rose, 106-10.
3,200 meters: 1. Brooke French, Randall, 11:00.60; 2. Avery Brown, Canyon, 11:10.55; 3. Emily Gross, Dumas, 11:16.25; 4. Sidney Windham, Brownwood, 11:49.42; 5. Alexia Martinez, Fabens, 12:05.49; 6. Michaela Sharber, Canyon, 12:11.54.
REGION I-5A
BOYS
Triple jump: 1. Ake O'Neal, Argyle, 47-9¾; 2. Andre Washington, Abilene Wylie, 46-10½; 3. Omari Johnson, Fort Worth Chisholm Trail, 46-3½; 4. Caleb Woodard, Keller Fossil Ridge, 45-11½; 5. Terris Banks, Mansfield Timberview, 45-11¼; 6. Alhosan Sheriff, Caprock, 45-3¼.
Shot put: 1. Aaron Phares, Tascosa, 54-4¼; 2. Sione Vaea, Lubbock-Cooper, 54-1¼; 3. Hunter Spier, Amarillo High, 53-10¾; 4. Ethan Hoffmann, Abilene Wylie, 52-8; 5. Carson Dempsey, Aledo, 50-4; 6. Kobe Parks, Everman, 49-1¾.
Pole vault: 1. Gator Young, Argyle, 16-3; 2. Braylon Brown, Aledo, 15-6; 3. Breck Walker, Joshua, 15-0; 4. Zack Holt, Argyle, 14-6; 5. Jermey Morrison, Lubbock High, 14-6; 6. Kantyn Kasich, Aledo, 13-6.
3,200: 1. Miles Westbrook, El Paso High, 9:25.00; 2. Andrew DeYoung, Grapevine, 9:36.21; 3. Andrew Truax, El Paso High, 9:40.60; 4. Abdirisak Saidgurhan, Palo Duro, 9:47.30; 5. Jackson Newman, Amarillo High, 9:51.40; 6. Tyler Connelly, Aledo, 9:51.80.
GIRLS
Triple jump: 1. Aniyah Harrison-Stewart, Fossil Ridge, 39-11¼; 2. Dorie Davis, Mansfield Summit, 39-3; 3. Saphina Stanley, Tascosa, 38-11¾; 4. NaSya Atkins, El Paso Americas, 36-6; 5. Sarah Mbanbo, Chisholm Trail, 36-5¼; 6. Kahlen Whitley, Lubbock-Cooper, 36-3.
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Discus: 1. Esenam Hussey, Denton Ryan, 136-9; 2. Kennedy Haynes, Fort Worth South Hills, 134-1; 3. Maggie Marhefka, Tascosa, 132-4; 4. Ava Rushing, Plainview, 132-2; 5. Delanie Harrison, El Paso Burges, 126-5; 6. Ariel Breceda-Chacon, El Paso High, 117-9.
High jump: 1. Brentley Preston, Lubbock-Cooper, 5-7; 2. Niomi Wines, Lubbock-Cooper, 5-7; 3. Avah Marcozzi, Cleburne, 5-6; 4. Kinley Lewis, Denton Ryan, 5-4; 5. Audrey Popp, Colleyville Heritage, 5-4; 6. Sara Goltz, Lubbock-Cooper, 5-2.
3,200 meters: 1. Reece Peña, Lubbock High, 10:52.89; 2. Molly Garrison, Aledo, 11:08.52; 3. Micah Neal, Aledo, 11:14.17; 4. Mason Murray, Abilene High, 11:36.52; 5. Ella Magallan, Burleson Centennial, 11:45.42; 6. Ashlyn McMillan, El Paso Hanks, 11:48.81.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Multiple Texas Panhandle athletes reach state on Day 1 of regionals
Continue reading...
