NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
AUSTIN — Edinburg IDEA Quest junior Valery Tobias captured the gold medal in the Class 3A girls 800-meter run on Saturday at the UIL Track and Field State meet at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Through the first 400 meters, Tobias ran with the pack as Pottsboro’s Olivia Zint began to create some separation between herself and her competitors. Heading into the final 100, Tobias turned on the speed as Zint began to decelerate. Tobias eventually passed Zint to take first with a time of 2:13.08, a new personal record. Pottsboro’s Zint won the silver at 2:13.64 and Little River Academy’s Jenna Brazeal took bronze with a 2:14.37.
Tobias’ gold medal win at the UIL state meet is her second victory in two years. As a sophomore, Tobias won gold in the 800 run at state, as well, with her previous best coming in at 2:16.86.