BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

PSJA Southwest’s Victor Pedraza celebrated his birthday with a fight.

As the junior long-distance runner competed in the Class 5A 1600-meter run at the Region IV track meet on May 2 in San Antonio, he and Sharyland High’s Rene Guillen dueled for third place during the races’ final 200 meters. The winner would be eligible to qualify for the state meet this week in Austin. The loser would leave empty-handed.

“All I wanted to do was to get close enough to reach (Guillen),” Pedraza said.” “Because I knew his times were faster than mine. I tried to get as close as I could to him. But my kick at the end was stronger than I thought it was. I passed him and I surprised myself with what I could do.”

Pedraza held off Guillen by blocking him with his right arm at the finish line. Pedraza’s bronze-medal time of 4 minutes, 24.19 seconds marks a new personal best. The top-two finishers from each event automatically advance to state, meaning Pedraza had to qualify as the fastest third-place finisher in the state.

“I was really excited when I found out I was going to make it,” he said. “I thought my time was really slow.”

Pedraza will race for a state title at 9:45 p.m. on Friday at Mike A. Meyers Stadium. He enters the race with the sixth-fastest seed time. The quickest seed time is held by Carter Blunt of Frisco Independence High School (4:13.28). Pedraza say he’s been “taking it easy” in terms of his preparations for the meet, and says he’s been running six to 12 miles a day.

“I’m conditioning my body to handle more,” he said. “I’m just running long. A jog here and there, sprints and everything that will mentally prepare me.”

Pedraza swept both distance events during the District 32-5A meet last month in Donna. He ran the 1600 in 4:29.59 and won the 3200 in 9:55.13. Pedraza placed fourth in the 3200 in San Antonio in 9:42.93.

“On the two-mile, I bombed it with a very bad time,” he said. “And it got me so angry the more I thought about it that I guess I went out there and wanted to give it everything I had in the mile.”

Though Pedraza is an accomplished runner in his own right, he’s candid when describing his mental state before the trek to Austin.

“I’m going to be really honest, I am really scared. This is the first time I’ve gone to state, and I’m just thinking in my head that I’m going to run my best. Anything can happen. It could be anybody’s race. I’m going to run my own race and hopefully everything goes well.”

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Natalie Alaniz, Edinburg North — discus

Eleanor Arndt, Weslaco High — 4×400-meter relay

John Belmarez, San Benito — shot put

Alexandria Cruz, Edinburg High — 800-meter run, 1600-meter run

Alysa DeLeon, Weslaco High — 4×400-meter relay

Anthony Esparza, McAllen Memorial — shot put

Angel Espinoza, Brownsville Rivera — discus

Yariel Matute, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln — 400-meter dash

Cierra Pena, Harlingen South — long jump, 100-meter dash

Stephanie Sauceda, Weslaco High — 4×400-meter relay

Joe Solis, Weslaco High — 100-meter dash wheelchair, 400-meter dash wheelchair

Albert Villarreal, Harlingen High — pole vault

Angela Villarreal, Weslaco High — 4×400-meter relay

Class 5A

Zoe Alaniz, Mission Veterans — shot put wheelchair

Isaac Arevalo, Edinburg Vela — 4×400-meter relay

Vince Castillo, Donna High — 110-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles

Johnny Davila, Edinburg Vela — 4×200-meter relay, 4×400-meter relay

Tristan Flores, Edinburg Vela — 4×200-meter relay

Gabriel Jackson, Edinburg Vela — 4×200-meter relay, 4×400-meter relay

Reagan Olguin, Edinurg Vela — 800-meter run, 4×200-meter relay, 4×400-meter relay

Nora Monie, Sharyland Pioneer — shot put, discus

Victor Pedraza, PSJA Southwest — 1600-meter run

GJ Reyna, Mission Veterans — 3200-meter run

Brendon Rivera, Edinburg Vela — high jump

Kassy Rocha, Roma — triple jump

Brittany Vielma, PSJA Southwest — shot put, discus

Class 4A

Daniella Murchison, Port Isabel — shot put, discus

Carlos Rodriguez, La Feria — 800-meter run

Mike Zuniga, Rio Hondo — shot put

Class 3A

Leo Lara, Santa Rosa — long jump

Thaila Polanco, Lyford — 1600-meter run, 3200-meter run

Jillian Terry, Edinburg IDEA Quest — high jump

Valery Tobias, Edinburg IDEA Quest — 400-meter dash, 800-meter run

Team standings — 1, Edinburg Vela, 85; 2, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 62; 3, McAllen Memorial, 61; 4, Sharyland High, 52 1/3’ 5, Harlingen High, 46.67; 6, Los Fresnos, 46; 7, La Joya Palmview, 29; 8, San Benito, 28; 9, Mission Veterans, 24; 10, Donna High, 22.

Field Events

Shot Put — 1, John Belmarez, San Benito, 56-02; 2, Mike Zuniga, Rio Hondo, 55-03; 3, Anthony Esparza, McAllen Memorial, 54-09; 4, Ricky Espinoza, La Joya Palmview, 51-05.25; 5, Travis Barnes, Harlingen High, 50-11.25; 6, Johnny Howell, Sharyland Pioneer, 50-06.

Discus — 1, Angel Espinoza, Brownsville Rivera, 182-05; 2, Lucas Rios, Discus, 164-06; 3, Edward Pequeno, McAllen Memorial, 163-03; 4, Mike Gonzalez, PSJA Memorial, 161-05; 5, Cesar Villegas, Donna High, 160-08; 6, Mike Zuniga, Rio Hondo, 159-04.

Long jump — 1, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 22-06.75; 2, Sean Landez, Sharyland High, 22-04; 3, Tristan Flores, Edinburg Vela, 22-02; 4, Leonardo Lara, Santa Rosa, 22-01.5; 5, Ciro Hernandez, PSJA North, 21-10; 6, Roel Garcia, Mercedes, 21-06.

Triple jump — 1, Rauel Alvzarez, PSJA North, 43-11.25; 2, Isiah Martinez, La Feria, 43-10; 3, Pete Perez, Los Fresnos, 43-09.5; 4, Jose Galvan, Progreso, 43-08.5; 5, Carlos Barrera, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 43-06; 6, Mark Reyna, IDEA Quest, 42-10; 6, Hector Bosquez, McAllen Rowe, 42-10.

High jump — 1, Brendon Rivera, Edinburg Vela, 7-02; 2, Victor Bocanegra, La Joya Palmview, 6-05; 3, Adrian Rodriguez, Edcouch-Elsa, 6-02; 3, Diego Martinez, Sharyland High, 6-02; 3, Victor Bocanegra, La Joya Palmview, 6-02; 3, Robert Rosales, Valley View, 6-02; 3, Seth Carter, Sharyland High, 6-02; Darren Gonzalez, Brownsville Lopez, 6-02; 3, Devin Rosas, Harlingen High, 6-02.

Pole vault — 1, Albert Villarreal, Harlingen High, 15-00; 1, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 15-00; 3, Jose Garcia, Mission High, 14-06; 3, Derek Salazar, Rio Hondo, 14-06; 3, Marcos Carrizales, Rio Hondo, 14-06; 4, Trenton Teinert, Harlingen High, 14-00; 4, Rolando Garcia, Harlingen South, 14-00.

100-meter dash — 1, Christian Perales, Los Fresnos, 10.73*; 2, James Cole, Sharyland High, 10.79*; 3, Christopher Rosales, Harlingen High, 10.92*; 4, Gabe Vasquez, San Benito, 10.93*; 5, Carlos Vela, Edinburg Economedes, 10.94*; 6, Raul Rivas, PSJA Southwest, 11.00*.

200-meter dash — 1, Christian Perales, Los Fresnos, 21.54*; 2, James Cole, 21.83*; 3, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 21.93*; 4, Christopher Rosales, Harlingen High, 21.94*; 5, Sergio Murillo, Weslaco High, 22.25*; 6, Johnny Davila, Edinburg Vela, 22.31*.

400-meter dash — 1, Yariel Matute, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 48.94*; 2, Reagan Olguin, Edinburg Vela, 49.26*; 3, Sean Landez, Sharyland High, 49.39*; 4, Christopher Montemayor, Harlingen South, 50.09*; 5, Marcos Medina, Harlingen High, 50.21*; 6, Adrian Rodriguez, Edcouch-Elsa, 50.27*.

800-meter run — 1, Reagan Olguin, Edinburg Vela, 1:53.12*; 2, Jesus Mata, Mission Veterans, 1:54.61*; 3, Francisco Flores, PSJA Southwest, 1:55.08*; 4, Ricardo Mendoza, La Joya High, 1:55.48; 5, Victor Munoz, PSJA Memorial, 1:55.65*; 6, Lorenzo Castaneda, Harlingen High, 1:56.11*.

1600-meter run — 1, Jayven Cordova, Weslaco East, 4:19.28*; 2, Rene Guillen, Sharyland High, 4:22.62*; 3, GJ Reyna, Mission Veterans, 4:24.11*; 4, Victor Pedraza, PSJA Southwest, 4:24.19*; 5, Adam Herrera, Edinburg Vela, 4:25.20*; 6, Eliseo Rodriguez, La Joya Palmview, 4:25.80*.

3200-meter run — 1, GJ Reyna, Mission Veterans, 9:17.81; 2, Christian Machuca, Brownsville Rivera, 9:33.95; 3, Jose Aleman, Sharyland Pioneer, 9:35.24; 4, Eliseo Rodriguez, La Joya Palmview, 9:36.75; 5, Victor Pedraza, PSJA Southwest, 9:39.05; 6, Albert Herrera, Weslaco East, 9:39.81.

110-meter hurdles — 1, Vince Castillo, Donna High, 14.51*; 2, Marcus Pena, Sharyland High, 14.79*; 3, Omar Silva, Port Isabel, 15.30*; 4, Bony Rios, Edinburg Economedes, 15.40*; 5, JD Alaniz, La Joya Palmview, 15.47*; 6, Brandon Bradford, PSJA North, 15.56*.

300-meter hurdles — 1, Vince Castillo, Donna High School, 37.92*; 2, Rene Pecina, La Joya Palmview, 38.94*; 3, Jorge Cantu, San Benito, 39.53; 4, Omar Silva, Port Isabel, 39.87*; 5, JD Alaniz, La Joya Palmview, 39.92*; 6, Mark Garcia, Mission High, 40.04*.

400-meter relay — 1, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 42.38*; 2, McAllen Memorial, 42.42*; 3, Los Fresnos, 42.56*; 4, Edinburg Vela, 42.68*; 5, Weslaco East, 43.04*; 6, Sharyland Pioneer, 43.13*.

800-meter relay — 1, Edinburg Vela, 1:28.45*; 2, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:28.45*; 3, Sharyland Pioneer, 1:29.63*; 4, San Benito, 1:29.67*; 5, Harlingen South, 1:29.73*; 6, Mercedes, 1:30.24*.

1600-meter relay — 1, Edinburg Vela, 3:17.93*; 2, Harlingen High, 3:18.47*; 3, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 3:19.48*; 4, Los Fresnos, 3:23.80*; 5, La Feria, 3:23.89*; 6, Sharyland High, 3:24.14*.

Girls

Team standings — 1, Weslaco High, 92.6; 2, Sharyland Pioneer, 63; 3, Harlingen South, 54; 4, Port Isabel, 52; 5, Los Fresnos, 49; 6, La Joya Palmview, 44; 7, Brownsville St. Joseph, 33.5; 8, Edinburg High, 30; 9, Edinburg North, 28; 10, PSJA Memorial, 19.

Field Events

Shot put — 1, Daniella Murchison, Port Isabel, 46-01.5; 2, Nora Monie, Sharyland Pioneer, 45-03.5; 3, Brittany Vielma, PSJA Southwest, 43-07; 4, Faitih Olszak, Weslaco East, 39-05; 5, Valerie Granados, Los Fresnos, 38-05.5; 6, Maisie Trevino, Edinburg Economedes, 38-0.5

Discus — 1, Nora Monie, Sharyland Pioneer, 144-01; 2, Clarissa Chavez, Brownsville Veterans, 134-09; 3, Daniela Murchison, Port Isabel, 134-07; 4, Brittany Vielna, PSJA Southwest, 134-01; 5, Natalie Alaniz, Edinburg North, 123-04; 6,Gertrudis Ruiz-Balli, Brownsville Pace, 122-04.

Long jump — 1, Cierra Pena, Harlingen South, 18-11.05; 2, Gabby Torres, Port Isbabel, 18-0.05; 3, Jaleah Calvillo, Los Fresnos, 17-04; 4, Jacklyn Flores, Mercedes, 17-02; 5, Eleanor Arndt, Weslaco High, 17-01.75; 6, Natalie Young, McAllen Memorial, 16-11.75.

Triple jump — 1, Abriana Saenz, Edinburg North, 37-04; 2, Jaleah Calvillo, Los Fresnos, 37-01; 3, Kassy Rocha, Roma, 36-11.5; Jovanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 36-04.5; 5, Jacklyn Flores, Mercedes, 35-09.5; 6, Brandy Endsley, Brownsville Rivera, 35-05.

High jump — 1, Gabby Torres, Port Isabel, 5-07; 2, Jaleah Calvillo, Los Fresnos, 5-05; 3, Joan Cepeda, PSJA Memorial, 5-04; 3, Jackie Kingsbury, Los Fresnos, 5-04; 5, Maria Avila, Brownsville Pace, 5-02; 5, Eleanor Ardnt, Weslaco High, 5-02; 5, Sydney Pemelton, McAllen High, 5-02; 5, Sarah Kllian, McAllen High, 5-02.

Pole vault — 1, Sydney Salinas, Weslaco High, 11-01; 2, Megan Lopez, Brownsville St. Joseph, 11-00; 3, Alexandria Martinez, Port Isabel, 10-00; 3, Carolina Carrillo, PSJA North, 10-00; 4, Aaryn Martinez, Misison Veterans, 9-06; 4, Marifer Velencia, Brownsville St. Joseph, 9-06;

100-meter dash — 1, Cierra Pena, Harlingen South, 11.97*; 2, Valerie Mancha, PSJA High, 12.24*; 3, Milytza Galvan, La Feria, 12.26*; 4, I’Dasha Sorrell, Donna North, 12.34*; 5, Caitlin Alaniz, Weslaco East, 12.44*; 6, Alyssa Garza, La Joya Palmview, 12.54*.

200-meter dash — 1, Cierra Pena, Harlingen South, 25.36*; 2, Gaby Garza, Brownsville St. Joseph, 25.54*; 2, Mia Hinojosa, La Joya Palmview, 25.54*; 4, Caitlin Alaniz, Weslaco East, 26.33*; 5, Valerie Mancha, PSJA High, 26.40*; 5, I’Dasha Sorrell, Donna North, 26.40*.

400-meter dash — 1, Angela Villarreal, Weslaco High, 58.27*; 2, Valery Tobias, IDEA Quest, 58.43*; 3, Cierra Pena, Harlingen South, 58.54*; 4, Juliana Guerrero, Harlingen South, 58.98*; 5, Nicole Gonzalez, Harlingen South, 59.04*; 6, Jovanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 59.64*.

800-meter run — 1, Alexandria Cruz, Edinburg High, 2:10.79*; 2, Kyrsta Martinez, Edcouch-Elsa, 2:15.18; 3, Adriana Cruz, Rio Grande City, 2:18.02*; 4, Vallery Tobias, IDEA Quest, 2:18.02; 5, Violet Torres, PSJA Memorial, 2:19.35*; 6, Isabel Mendoza, Sharyland Pioneer, 2:21.17*.

1600-meter run — 1, Alexandria Cruz, Edinburg High, 4:54.14*; 2, Krysta Martinez, Edcouch-Elsa, 5:07.29*; 3, Beth Ramos, Edinburg North, 5:11.46*; 4, Adriana Cruz, Rio Grande City, 5:17.40*; 5, Emily Suarez, Edinburg Economedes, 5:20.48; 6, Brianna Robels, La Joya Palmview, 5:20.84*.

3200-meter run — 1, Beth Ramos, Edinburg North, 10:50.89; 2, Alexandria Cruz, 11:05.24; 3, Brianna Robles, La Joya Palmview, 11:26.46; 4, Lizette Chapa, Sharyland Pioneer, 11:32.90; 5, Krysta Martinez, Edcouch-Elsa, 11:34.36; 6, Emily Suarez, Edinbug Economedes, 11:39.08.

100-meter hurdles — 1, Gaby Garza, Brownsville St. Joseph, 14.77*; 2, Jaleah Calvillo, Los Fresnos, 15.46*; 3, Gabby Torres, Port Isabel, 15.65*; 4, Maria Avila, Brownsville Pace, 15.84*; 5, Olivia Garcia, Edinburg Vela, 16.34*; 6, Nyla Vela, Mission Veterans, 16.63*.

300-meter hurdles — 1, Alyssa DeLeon, Weslaco High, 44.69*; 2, Gaby Garza, Brownsville St. Joseph, 44.78*; 3, Thanya Garza, McAllen Memorial, 46.04*; 4, Brittany Cano, La Joya Palmview, 47.24*; 5, Marissa Lopez, Mercedes, 47.59*; 6, Michaela Arteaga, Brownsville Veterans, 47.68*.

400-meter relay — 1, Weslaco High, 48.84*; 2, Harlingen South, 49.72*; 3, La Joya Palmview, 49.76*; 4, Sharyland Pioneer, 50.04*; 5, Los Fresnos, 50.07*; 6, McAllen Memorial, 50.21*.

800-meter relay — 1, Weslaco High, 1:42.96*; 2, Sharyland Pioneer, 1:44.68*; 3, La Joya Palmview, 1:45.64*; 4, Los Fresnos, 1:46.55*; 5, Port Isabel, 1:46.78*; 6, McAllen Memorial, 1:47.06*.

1600-meter relay — 1, Weslaco High, 3:50.07*; 2, Sharyland Pioneer, 4:02.88*; 3, PSJA Memorial, 4:03.36*; 4, Borwnsville Veterans, 4:05.24*; 5, Port Isabel, 4:06.39*; 6, Edinburg High, 4:07.08*.

BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

SAN ANTONIO — Saturday kept getting better for the Edinburg Vela boys track team as their medal collection grew. The SaberCats won two golds and a silver during Saturday’s track finals at the Region IV championships at Alamo Stadium, good enough for 72 team points and the first regional championship among Valley schools from Class 5A.

Distance runner Reagan Olguin was the first Vela athlete to top the podium Saturday after winning the 800-meter run in 1 minutes, 53.12 seconds. Olguin’s time is a new regional meet record in addition to a personal record and Valley’s best this season. The senior, along with all other top-two finishers, automatically qualifies for the UIL state track meet which runs from May 14-16 in Austin.

“I didn’t think I’d make up the gap between me and the leader in the last 300 (meters),” Olguin said. “But at about the 600-meter mark, everyone else kind of slowed down. Everyone hit their maxspeed, and, for me, I had more energy left over. I was still going fast, but I wasn’t taking much energy. I was confident. I’m a sit-and-kick guy. I was ready to kick that last 100-meter.”

In addition to his solo showing, Olguin competed in two relays. He served as second leg in the 4×200 and was the anchor in the 4×400. Both relays placed well enough to punch a ticket to state. The 4×200 team came in second with a time of 1:28.44 – clipping third place San Antonio Houston by .01 seconds.

“The beginning was a little gray,” coach Hernan Figueroa said. “We weren’t quite where we wanted to be, but the kids kept pushing and pushing. Our third and fourth legs are our fastest guys, and they put us in position there at the end.”

The third and fourth legs were Gabriel Jackson and Johnny Davila, respectively. Both runners also competed in the 4×400 relay. Where the 200 was a photo-finish to determine who would advance to state, the SaberCats controlled the 400 from start to finish. Second leg Isaac Arevalo passed an athlete from Medina Valley on the north side of the track to take the lead. From there, Davilla and Olguin only extended the lead, finishing in 3:17.93, setting a new record for the regional meet.

“It was a business trip for us,” Davila, a junior, said. “We knew we could compete. We wanted to show it. The past year, we had teams that could have done it, and we came up short. I think this year we finally put it together. And what better way, because these seniors have been with us all… I think we took some people by surprise today.”

Vela high jumper Brendon Rivera qualified for state with a first-place showing in the high jump with a height of 6 feet, 10 inches on Friday.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

SAN ANTONIO — Alexandria Cruz wasn’t worried about the competition. She was more concerned with her allergies.

The Edinburg High senior distance runner spent the week leading up to Saturday’s finals in the Region IV track and field championships at Alamo Stadium suffering through clogged sinuses which hampered her breathing. She spent time on the track as well as the doctor’s office.

“I had bad headaches and felt really weak,” Cruz said. “I was really focused on my breathing, I took my allergy medicines, hit up antibiotics, my doctor even gave me a shot. He said, ‘Don’t take medication after Thursday night, I don’t want it to affect you.’”

No side effects were visible Saturday as Cruz competed in the Class 6A 800-meter and 1600-meter runs. She won gold in the 800 with a time of 2 minutes, 10.79 seconds before setting a new Valley-record in the 1600 with a second-place time of 4:54.14.

“It’s like another victory for me,” Cruz said. “I’m really happy with that and the time I was able to hit today. Two (personal records), two medals, and now I’m going to state for the first time ever. It feels amazing.”

The previous Valley record was set in 1991 by Edinburgh High alum Sonia Sepulveda with a time of 4:54.58.

All athletes and relay teams who placed in the top-two in their respective events automatically qualified for the UIL state track meet which run from May 14-16 in Austin. 22 Valley-athletes from Class 5A and 6A will make the trek to the state capital.

Both races featured something Cruz has craved all season, competition. The 800 saw her and Dominique Allen of Converse Judson battle for the gold during the race’s final 300 meters with Cruz edging her by .79 seconds.

“It was what I really wanted,” Cruz said of her first-place effort. “It’s what I knew was going to happen at the meet, and I knew I had to go out there strong and battle through the first 200 (meters) because they were going to try and box me in. I didn’t want to get boxed in. I didn’t want that disadvantage of getting boxed in and then trying to get around them. I ran strong and safe and tried to stay up front. Hopefully I’ll have more competition at state. I’m ready.

Cruz will attend the University of Texas and compete on the Longhorns track team in the fall.

TWO HIT RECORDS

The Weslaco High girls 4×400-meter relay team broke two records in as many days at the regional meet. The foursome ran a 3:55.02 during Friday’s preliminaries to best the previous record set by PSJA High in 1991 by .33 seconds. As an encore, the team broke their own record during Saturday’s finals in 3:50.07. The time was good enough for second place and the team’s first trip to the state meet.

“That was big time,” coach Pablo Almaguer said. “To run a time like that, I have no words. I’m shaking. That puts us up there with the state’s best. I’m shaking.”

Freshman Eleanor Arndt served as the first leg and is the only underclassmen on the team.

“We worked so hard, and to be one of the teams from the Valley to go to state, it’s mind-blowing and it’s a blessing,” Arndt said. “I just love my team so much. From last year, we lost so many seniors and we didn’t think we were going to be as good as we were last year. We pulled a good team together, and we’re better than we ever were.”

Weslaco hovered in the top four through the race’s first three legs. Stephanie Sauceda, a junior, pulled her team within 10 meters of Smithson Valley, setting up anchor Angela Villareal to pass from third into second with the first 100 meters of the final lap.

“Stephanie changed the game for us,” Almaguer said. “For her to go out and run a (56-second split) was crazy. She got the stick, and she gave us a just a chance, and that little girls ran the fastest she has all season.”

A JUMP, A QUARTER, A SPRING

Donna High’s Vince Castillo is going back to Austin to compete for a third-straight championship in the 5A 300-meter hurdles. The senior won gold Saturday with a new Valley’s best time of 37.92. Castillo’s best time in the event is a 36.71 which he ran in 2013.

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln’s Yariel Matute finished second in the Class 6A 400-meter run, setting a new Valley’s best and personal record in 48.92. The senior runner will compete at state for the first time.

“I gotta thank the guy behind me for making my go so fast,” Matute said. “I knew he was there, I could hear him behind me and I didn’t want this to be the end of my season.”

Harlingen South senior Cierra Pena qualified for state in the 6A 100-meter dash after finishing second in 12.44. Pena will also compete in the long jump after placing second on Friday with a try of 17 feet, 4.25 inches.

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Team Standings — 1, Edinburg Vela, 70; 2, S.A. Houston, 52; 3, Leander 44; 4, Austin Travis, 38; 5, Boerne Champion, 29; 6, Cedar Park, 30; 7, Boerne Champion, 29; 8, Austin Vandergrift, 27; 9, FLoresville, 24; 10, Georgetown, 23.

Field Events

Shot put — 1, Andres Garcia, S.A. Harlandale, 59-10; 2, Tristan Zaragoza, S.A. Highlands, 55-04; 3, Drew Kirkpatrick, Uvalde, 51-05; 4, Johnny Howell, Sharyland High, 50-06; 5, Travis Raidford, Kerrville Tivy, 49-03.25; 6, Jacob Breyer, Marble Falls, 48-08.

Discus — 1, Carlos Tijerina, Eagle Pass, 156-04; 2, Ryan Becker, Marble Falls, 156-03; 3, Jacob Graner, Dripping Springs, 154-07; 4, Andres Garcia, S.A. Harlandale, 150-05; 5, Cesar Villegas, Donna High, 148-01; 6, Benji Cohen, S.A. Alamo Heights, 148-00.

Long jump — 1, Mikael Dawkins, Leander, 22-08.5; 2, Travis Bannan, Austin Vandergrift, 22-00; 3, Sean Landez, Sharyland High, 21-10.5; 4, Laken Williams, Victoria East, 21-07.75; 5, Taveon Jones, S.A. Houston, 21-07; 6, Isiah Patterson, C.C. Mody, 21-06.5.

Triple jump — 1, Robert Allen, S.A. Brackenridge, 45-08.5; 2, Travis Brannan, Austin Vandergrift, 45-07.25; 3, Laken Williams, Victoria East, 25-02.25; 4, Taveon Jones, S.A. Houston, 44-04; 5, Darnelle Odom, S.A. Highlands, 44-00.5; 6, Zae Giles, Austin Johnson, 43-10.

High jump — 1, Brendon Rivera, Edinburg Vela, 6-10; 2, Chris Albert, Floresville, 6-08; 3, Ketaon Harvey, Cedar Park, 6-05; 4, Blayke Phillips, Victoria West, 6-04; 5, Jake Nowak, Austin Vandergrift, 6-02; 6, Drew Wallace, Victoria West, 6-00.

Pole vault — 1, Hudson Hall, Gregory-Portland, 14-06; 2, Hunter Stadler, Boerne Champion, 14-00; 3, Tate Hancock, Leander, 13-06; 4, Alexsis Galarza, Edcouch-Elsa, J13-06; 5, Seth Carter, Sharyland High, J13-06; 6, Wesley Lozano, Boerne Champion, 13-00.

Running Events

100-meter dash — 1, Tommy Martin, C.C. Flour Bluff, 10.80; 2, Javelin Guirdy, Cedar Park, 11.00; 3, Addonis Davis, Bastrop, 11.31; 4, Jarrett Burks, S.A. Houston, 11.42; 5, Raul RIvas, PSJA Southwest, 11.50; 6, Ashton Williams, Austin Johnson, 12.31.

200-meter dash — 1, Johnathan Challenger, S.A. Houston, 21.55; 2, Vondell Hargrove, Austin Travis, 21.98; 3, Kentwaun Freeman, Victoria West, 22.52; 4, Zae Giles, Austin Johnson, 22.54; 5, Fernando Castillo, Lockhart, 22.60; 6, Robert Allen, S.A. Brackenridge, 22.72.

400-meter dash — 1, Isiah Patterson, C.C. Moody, 48.07; 2, Jake Nowak, Austin Vandergrift, 48.16; 3, Sean Landez, Sharyland High, 49.85; 4, Ricardo Contreras, Bastrop, 50.00; 5, Gavin Davis, Leander, 50.36; 6, Cody Moos, Medina Valley, 50.39.

800-meter run — 1, Reagan Olguin, Edinburg Vela, 1:53.12; 2, Jaqwae Ellison, Georgetown, 1:53.33; 3, Darren Medrano, Georgetown, 1:54.80; 4, Francisco Flores, PSJA Southwest, 1:55.08; 5, Jesus Mata, Mission Veterans, 1:56.70; 6, Anselam Roosevelt, S.A. Edison, 1:57.97.

1600-meter run — 1, Andrew Tankersly, Boerne Champion, 4:19.50; 2, Darren Medrano, Georgetown, 4:21.41; 3, Victor Pedraza, PSJA Southwest, 4:24.19; 4, Rene Guillen, Sharyland High, 4:24.46; 5, GJ Reyna, Mission Veterans, 4:27.58; 6, Jaqwea’ Ellison, Georgetown, 4:27.87.

3200-meter run — 1, GJ Reyna, Mission Veterans, 9:17.81; 2, Andrew Tankersley, Boerne Champion, 9:18.30; 3, Raul Almaraz, S.A. Edison, 9:31.16; 4, Victor Pedraza, PSJA Southwest, 9:42.93; 5, Adam Herrera, Edinburg Vela, 9:47.30; 6, Isreal Orihuela, S.A. South, 9:48.38.

110-meter hurdles —1, Vondell Hargrove, Austin Travis, 14.38; 2, Vince Castillo, Donna High, 14.51; 3, Apollos Hester, East View, 14.62; 4, Marcus Pena, Sharyland High, 15.18; 5, Justin Ruiz, Gregory-Portland, 15.40; 6, Nathan Schmitzer, Dripping Springs, 15.42.

300-meter hurdles — 1, Vince Castillo, Donna High, 37.92; 2, Alexander Smith, Cedar Park, 38.08; 3, Morgan Sanner, Leander, 38.90; 4, Justin Ruiza, Gregory-Portland, 39.77; 5, Camren Ley, Boerne Champion, 39.84; 6, Robert Wilson Chestney, Austin Vandergrift, 39.95.

4×100-meter relay — 1, S.A. Houston, 42.21; 2, Victoria West, 42.23; 3, Edinburg Vela, 42.68; 4, Cedar Park, 42.76; 5, C.C. Flour Bluff, 43.51; 6, S.A. Alamo Heights, 43.90.

4×200-meter relay — 1, Austin Travis, 1:28.40; 2, Edinburg Vela, 1:28.45; 3, S.A. Houston, 1:28.45; 4, Leander, 1:28.71; 5, Victoria West, 1:28.91; 6, Austin Johnson, 1:29.64.

4×400-meter relay — 1, Edinburg Vela, 3:17.93; 2, Floresville, 3:19.36; 3, Leander, 3:20.77; 4, Bastrop, 3:21.36; 5, S.A. Alamo Heights, 3:22.79; 6, Castroville Medina Valley, 3:23.37.

Girls

Team Standings — 1, Bastrop, 56; 2, Victoria West, 45; 3, Marble Falls, 44; 4, Leander, 36; 5, Austin Vandergrift, 33; 6, Kerrville Tivy, 30; 7, C.C. Flour Bluff, 28; 8, S.A. Alamo Heights, 25; 9, Victoria East, 24; 10, Sharyland Pioneer, 23.

Field Events

Shot put — 1, Crystal Onwukaife, Cedar Park, 46-00; 2, Nora Monie, Sharyland HIgh, 44-03; 3, Brittany Vielma, PSJA Southwest, 43-07; 4, Patricia Randal, Kerrville Tivy, 40-00.25; 5, Patricia Nintcheua, Austin Vandergrift, 39-07.5; 6, Fabiola Nintcheu, Austin Vandergrift, 38-09.25.

Discus — 1, Nora Mona, Sharyland Pioneer, 136-08; 2, Brittany Vielma, PSJA Southwest, 121-06; 3, Gertrudis Ruiz-Balli, Brownsville Pace, 120-06; 4, Patricia Randal, Kerrville Tivy, 119-05; 5, Many Garza, Uvalde, 118-00; 6, Alexis Sacky, CC Calallen, 114-11.

Long jump — 1, Glorilisha Carter, Bastrop, 18-07.25; 2, Madison Miles, San Marcos, 18-00.5; 3, Natalie Schulz, Marble Falls, 17-03.75; 4, Bailey Daniel, Victoria West, 16-10.5; 5, Sarah Keys, S.A. Lanier, 16-10; 6, Arianna Selman, Austin Crockett 16-08.5.

Triple jump — 1, Glorilisha Carter, Bastrop, 38-06.25; 2, Kass Rocha Roma, 36-06.75; 3, Sara Keys, San Antonio Lanier, 36-02.75; 4, Kylie Nothnagle, CP Vista Rid, 35-09.5; 5, Arianna Stegall, CC Flour Bluff, J35-09; 6, Bailey Daniel, Victoria West, 35-03.

High jump — 1, Jessica Watts, East View, 5-06; 2, Heidi Borgerding, Boerne Champion, 5-05; 3, Kylie Nothnagle, CP Vista Rid, 5-04; 4, Kassidy Heitzmann, Victoria East, 5-02; 5, Stephanie Ramirez, Eagle Pass, J5-02; 6, Sarah Keys, S.A. Lanier, J5-02.

Pole vault — 1, Mackenzie West, Gregory-Portland, 12-03; 2, Kendahl, Shue, Boerne Champion, 11-06; 3, Kelby Pople, Kerrville Tivy, 11-03; 4, Brooke Story, S.A. Alamo Heights, 10-06; 5, Hannah Newman, Georgetown, 10-00; 6, Alexis Inman, Boerne Champion, J10-00.

Running Events

100-meter dash — 1, Tevis Thomas, S.A. Brackenridge, 12.16; 2, Shanice Manning, Lockhart, 12.49; 3, Glorilisha Carter, Bastrop, 12.62; 4, Mikaya Roell, Victoria West, 12.68; 5, Valerie Mancha, PSJA High, 12.96.

200-meter dash — 1, Glorilisha Carter, Bastrop, 24.38; 2, Tevis Thomas, S.A. Brackenridge, 24.99; 3, Shanice Manning, Lockhart, 25.58; 4, Adeline Carter, Austin Vandergrift, 25.77; 5, Kirsten Hallmark, Boerne Champion, 26.65; 6, Jasmine Darden, S.A. Houston, 26.31.

400-meter dash — 1, Adeline Carter, Austin Vandergrift, 56.89; 2, AnnaBetha Burniston, Kerrville Tivy, 57.49; 3, Jasmine Fernandez, C.C. Tuloso-Midway, 58.99; 4, Tatyana Terrell, Anna Richards, 59.43; 5, Olufunmilayo Orekoya, Leander, 59.44; 6, Genevie Rivera, S.A. Halandale, 1:00.43. d

800-meter run — 1, Katherine Ramirez, Alice, 2:14.66; 2, Lauryn Asiedu, C.P. Vista Rid, 2:15.44; 3, Brooke Barrington, C.C. Calallen, 2:17.64; 4, Adriana Cruz, Rio Grande City, 2:18.02; 5, Vanesza Stanley, C.C. Flour Bluff, 2:18.55; 6, Krysta Martinez, Edcouch-Elsa, 2:20.01.

1600-meter run — 1, Abby Gray, S.A. Alamo Heights, 5:05.23; 2, Claire Crone, Leander, 5:12.49; 3, Krysta Martinez, Edcouch-Elsa, 5:17.49; 4, Jazmin Hernandez, Georgetown, 5:19.68; 5, Gabriela Gonzalez, Uvalde, 5:20.00; 6, Conrada Trejo, Lockhart, 5:23.04.

3200-meter run — 1, Abby Gray, S.A. Alamo Heights, 10:53.49; 2, Jazmin Hernandez, Georgetown, 11:22.88; 3, Victoria Mayorga, Floresville, 11:26.19; 4, Gabriela Gonzalez, Uvalde, 11:30.70; 5, Claire Crone, Leander, 11:37.33; 6, Lizette Chapa, Sharyland Pioneer, 11:43.24.

100-meter hurdles — 1, Lauren Rangnow, Victoria East, 15.42; 2, Natalie Schulz, Marble Falls, 15.43; 3, Hannah Biggs, Dripping Springs, 15.53; 4, Destiny Wright, Georgetown, 15.73; 5, Madi Johnson, C.P. Vista Rid, 15.86; 6, Dacia Garcia, S.A. Alamo Heights, 16.03.

300-meter hurdles — 1, Arianna Stegal, C.C. Flour Bluff, 44.92; 2, Natalie Schulz, Marble Falls, 44.95; 3, Sarah Lewis, Marble Falls, 45.06; 4, Sydney Aberegg, Cedar Park, 45.20; 5, Lauren Rangnow, Victoria East, 46.50; 6, Madi Johnson, CP Vista Rid, 48.29.

4×100-meter relay — 1, Victoria West, 47.96; 2, Austin Johnson, 48.32; 3, Marble Falls, 49.00; 4, San Antonio Houston, 49.25; 5, C.C. Flour Bluff, 49.59; 6, Cedar Park, 49.61.

4×200-meter relay — 1, Bastrop, 1:40.95; 2, Victoria West, 1:42.43; 3, C.C. Flour Bluff, 1:43.19; 4, Victoria East, 1:43.95; 5, Sharyland Pioneer, 1:44.82.

4×400-meter relay — 1, Leander, 3:54.21; 2, Austin Vandergrift, 3:57.88; 3, C.C. Tuloso-Midway, 3:59.03; 4, Kerrville Tivy, 3:59.63; 5, Marble Falls, 4:01.93; 6, Sharyland Pioneer, 4:04.74.

Class 6A
Boys

Team Standings — 1, Cibolo-Steele, 89; 2, New Braunfels Canyon, 60; 3, S.A. Madison, 56; 4, Converse Judson, 49; 5, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 38; 6, S.A. Reagan, 32; 7, Northside Marshall, 28; 8, Harlingen High, 24; 9, McAllen Memorial, 22; 10, Northside Warren, 16.

Field Events

Shot put — 1, John Belmares, San Benito, 56-02; Anthony Esparza, McAllen Memorial, 54-02; 3, Ben Zeug, Smithson Valley, 51-10.25; 4, Ethan Engelbrecht, S.A. Lee, 51-00.25; 5, Travis Barnes, Harlingen, 50-11.25; 6, Aaron Rosales, C.C. Carroll, 50-00.

Discus — 1, Angel Espinoza, Brownsville Rivera, 162-06; 2, Terrence Steele, Cibolo Steele, 160-00; 3, Mike Gonzalez, PSJA Memorial, 159-05; 4, Greg Grimes, Smithson Valley, 153-07; 5, Edward Pequeno, McAllen Memorial, 148-07; 6, John Banda, Weslaco East, 147-00.

Long jump — 1, Moses Dedmon-Renolds, Northside Jay, 22-04.5; 2, Antoine Cox-Wesley, Cibolo Steele, 22-02.75; 3, Jeremy Garcia, Northside Warren, 22-01; 4, Jesse Jones, C.C. Carroll, 22-00.5; 5, Gabriel Spivey, Northside Taft, 21-04.75; 6, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 21-04.5.

Triple jump — Bryan Ty Chusum, Eagle Pass, 48-02; Antoine Cox-Wesley, Cibolo Steele, 48-02; 3, James Liburd, S.A. Madison, 46-06.75; 4, Angelo Gordon, Converse Judson, 46-02; 5, James Olsen, Northside Brandeis, 45-05.5; 6, Tavian Carter, Cibolo Steele, 45-02.5.

High jump — 1, Colin George, Northside Warren, 6-07; 2, Landry Dowdy, Canyon, 6-06; 3, Jack Scarborough, S.A. Johnson, J6-06; 4, Victor Bocanegra, La Joya Palmview, 6-05; 5, Antoine Cox-Wesley, Cibolo Steele, 6-02; 6, James Tonsall, Converse Judson, J6-02.

Pole vault — 1, Colin Padalecki, East Central, 15-06; 2, Bailey Henderson, Canyon, J15-06; 3, Albert Villarreal, Harlingen High, 15-00; 4, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, J15-00; 5, Jerrod Young, Northside O’Connor, J15-00; 6, Jose Garcia, Mission High, 14-06.

Running Events

100-meter dash —1, Andrew Hudson, Cibolo Steele, 10.77; 2, Uchenna Nnaji, Northside Marshall, 10.95; 3, Tevin Burney-Mitchell, S.A. Madison, 10.98; 4, Anthony Vera, MacArthur, 11.16; 5, Tre’ Frontenot, Northside Jay, 11.20; 6, Trevor Speights, McAllen Memorial, 11.21.

200-meter dash — 1, Uchenna Nnaji, Northside Marshall, 21.79; 2, Tevin Burney-Mitchell, S.A. Madison, 21.94; 3, Christian Parales, Los Fresnos, 22.05; 4, James Liburd, S.A. Madison, 22.23; 5, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 22.24; 6, Jonathan Kinkle, Cibolo Steele, 22.26.

400-meter dash — 1, James Liburd, S.A. Madison, 48.64; 2, Yariel Matute, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 48.94; 3, Kellen Mond, S.A. Reagan, 49.39; 4, Tristen McNeal, Smithson Valley, 49.89; 5, Matthew Hernandez, Northside Jay, 51.74.

800-meter run — 1, Parker Scott, C.C. King, 1:53.86; 2, Brandon Falkquay, S.A. Lee, 1:55.60; 3, Isaac Pearce, Schertz Clemens, 1:55.84; 4, Lorenzo Castaneda, Harlingen High, 1:56.11; 5, Mitchel Lara, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:56.31; 6, JOse LIma, Cibolo Steele, 1:56.51

1600-meter run — 1, Samuel Worley, Canyon, 4:18.54; 2, Alex Rogers, Canyon, 4:18.60; 3, Garett Cortez, Cibolo Steele, 4:19.93; 4, Chris Myers, Norhtside Holmes, 4:21.08; 5, Paul Delgado, Del Rio, 4:23.33; 6, Jayven Cordova, Weslaco East, 4:25.38.

3200-meter run — 1, Alex Rogers, Canyon, 9:00.60; 2, Samuel Worley, Canyon, 9:01.66; 3, Chris Myers, Northisde Holmes, 9:07.58; 4, Garett Cortez, Cibolo Steele, 9:25.51; 5, Christian Machuca, Brownsville Rivera, 9:33.95; 6, Jessie Arreola, Del Rio 9:35.75.

110-meter hurdles — 1, Carl Bibbs, Northside Marshall, 14.63; 2, Kristian Drake, Canyon, 14.64; 3, William Young, Northside Clark, 14.77; 4, David Gallegos, New Braunfels, 15.03; 5, Isaiah Martin, S.A. Madison, 15.08; 6, Christian Falkenberg, Norhtside Brandeis, 15.15.

300-meter hurdles — 1, Collin Sepulveda, Northside O’Connor, 38.18; 2, La’Darian McFarland, S.A. Wagner, 38.33; 3, Andrew Pirog, S.A. Reagan, 38.61; 4, Isaiah Martin, S.A. Madison, 38.77; 5, J.C. Lacy, Northside Taft, 39.22; 6, Erik Corona, Laredo United, 39.56.

4×100-meter relay — 1, Cibolo Steele, 41.73; 2, S.A. Madison, 41.93; 3, Converse Judson, 42.30; 4, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 42.38; 5, McAllen Memorial, 42.42; 6, S.A. MacArthur, 42.59.

4×200-meter relay — 1, Cibolo Steele, 1:26.98; 2, Converse Judson, 1:27.49; 3, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:28.45; 4, S.A. MacArthur, 1:28.55; 5, Northside Brennan, 1:29.17; 6, Northside Taft, 1:29.49.

4×400-meter relay — 1, S.A. Regan, 3:17.12; 2, Judson Converse, 3:18.35; 3, Harlingen High, 3:18.47; 4, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 3:19.48; 5, Eagle Pass, 3:21.70; 6, Southwset, 3:32.73.

Girls

Team Standings — 1, Converse Judson, 130; 2, Spring Branch Smithson Valley, 80; 3, S.A. Johnson, 79; 4, Northside Brandeis, 33; 5, S.A. Reagan, 32; 6, Weslaco High, 26; 7, Northside Brennan, 23; 8, S.A. Wagner, 20; 9, Edinburg High, 18; 10, Cibolo Steele, 17.

Field Events

Shot put — 1, Maia Campbell, Converse Judson, 43-05.5; 2, Emily Spendlove, S.A. Reagan, 40-08; 3, Cynthia Gonzalez, MacArthur, 40-06.75; 4, Kasey Gladson, Del Rio, 40-03.75; 5, Faith Olszak, Weslaco East, 39-01.75; 6, Eloisa Martinez, McAllen Memorial, 37-11.75.

Discus — 1, Brianna Jordan, Northside Brennan, 123-07; 2, Natalie Alaniz, Edinburg North, 123-04; 3, Karen Guerra, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 118-07; 4, Maya Tyler, S.A. Johnson, 115-07; 5, Mypatia Sorunke, Northside Taft, J115-07; 6, Sadey Rodriguez, Laredo United, 115-05.

Long jump — 1, Mikayla Jordan, S.A. Johnson, 17-11.25; 2, Cierra Pena, Harlingen South, 17-04.25; 3, Lawren Tanner, Converse Judson, 17-03.25; 4, Zskaira Williams, S.A. Reagan, 17-02.00; 5, Mahogani Frazier, Cibolo Steele, 16-9.25; 6, Alexandria Ecker, Northside O’Connor, 16-09.

Triple jump — 1, Mahogani Frazier, Cibolo Steele, 38-09; 2, Mikayla Jordan, S.A. Johnson, 38-01.5; 3, Josie Larson, S.A. Johnson, 37-01.5; 4, Alexandra Ecker, Northside O’Connor, 36-09.5; 5, Jovanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 36-04.5; 6, Danielle Meador, C.C. Carroll, J36-04.5.

High jump — 1, Chloe Lucas Brown, S. A. Johnson, 5-06; 2, Taylor Martinez, Churchill, J5-06; 3, Joan Cepeda, PSJA Memorial, 5-02; 4, Jada Gardner, Cibolo Steele, J5-02; 5, Brianna Walker, Northside Brandeis, J5-02; 6, Alyssa Adams, S.A. Johnson, J5-02.

Pole vault — 1, Colleen Clancy, Smithson Valley, 13-00.25; 2, Stephanie Stewart, C.C. King, 12-00; 3, Emily Mallet, Northside Brandeis, 11-09; 4, Olivia Buntin, Canyon, 11-06.00; 4, Britton Chapman, Northside Brandeis, 11-00; 6, Katherine Simms, Laredo Alexander, 10-06.

Running Events

100-meter dash —1, Talajah Murrell, Converse Judson, 12.28; 2, Cierra Pena, Harlingen South, 12.44; 3, Danielle Nelson, East Central, 12.45; 4, Zskaira Williams, S.A. Reagan, 12.65; 5, Breanna Ransom, S.A. Madison, 12.70; 6, Jaylen Adams, Northside Brandeis, 12.88.

200-meter dash — 1, Kiana Horton, Converse Judson, 23.52; 2, Konstance James, Converse Judson, 24.91; 3, Hannah Desmarais, S.A. Johnson, 24.96; 4, Danielle Nelson, East Central, 25.15; 5, Chloe Riddley, S.A. Johnson, 25.53; 6, Alia Griffin, Northside Brennan, 25.91.

400-meter dash — 1, Darionne Gibson, Converse Judson, 55.50; 2, Zantori Dickerson, Converse Judson, 55.98; 3, Maya Puller, Northside Brandeis, 56.76; 4, Alyson Miller, Laredo Alexander, 56.77; 5, Chelsey Edwards, Schertz Clemens, 57.65; 6, Juliana Guerrero, Harlingen High, 59.05.

800-meter run — 1, Alexandria Cruz, Edinburg High, 2:10.79; 2, Dominique Allen, Converse Judson, 2:10.93; 3, Reagan Bachman, Smithson Valley, 2:16.82; 4, Violet Torres, PSJA Memorial, 2:18.93; 5, Ruby Briones, Eagle Pass, 2:20.50; , Mackenzie Jenson, Smithson Valley, 2:21.36.

1600-meter run — 1, Devin Clark, Smithson Valley, 4:45.91; 2, Alexandria Cruz, Edinburg High, 4:54.14; 3, Haleigh Galvan, Northside Brandeis, 5:02.63; 4, Megan Lindquist, Canyon, 5:03.62; 5, Kylie Welch, Smithson Valley, 5:14.56; 6, Kerri Welch, Smithson Valley, 5:15.04.

3200-meter run — 1, Devin Clark, Smithson Valley, 10:18.37; 2, Haleigh Galvan, Northside Brandeis, 10:40.94; 3, Kylie Welch, Smithson Valley, 11:10.01; 4, Kerri Welch, Smithson Valley, 11:14.71; 5, Daneille Martinez, anyon, 11:26.46; 6, Brianna Robles, La Joya Palmview, 11:26.46

110-meter hurdles — 1, Jerica Love, Northside Warren, 14.84; 2, Rachel Keany, Schertz Clemens, 15.13; 3, Olivia Pappas, Smithson Valley, 15.29; 4, Jordan Dennis, Del Rio, 15.55; 5, Megan Mann, Smithson Valley, 15.69; 6, Magogani Frazai, Cibolo Steele, 16.02.

300-meter hurdles — 1, Olivia Pappas, Smithson Valley, 43.61; 2, India Simmons, Northside Clark, 44.08; 3, Alyssa Deleon, Weslaco High, 44.69; 4, Alexandria Blount, S.A. Lee, 45.48; 5, Jordan Dennis, Del Rio, 46.04; 6, Emily Davila, S.A. Madison, 46.42.

4×100-meter relay — 1, Converse Judson, 45.98; 2, S.A. Reagan, 47.44; 3, S.A. Johnson, 47.95; 4, Northside Brennan, 48.40; 5, S.A. Wagner, 48.43; 6, Weslaco High, 49.11.

4×200-meter relay — 1, Converse Judson, 1:37.38; 2, S.A. Johnson, 1:39.26; 3, S.A. Madison, 1:39.95; 4, S.A. Wagner, 1:41.17; 5, Northside Brenna, 1:42.38; 6, Weslaco High 1:43.31.

4×400-meter relay — 1, Converse Judson, 3:46.11; 2, Weslaco High, 3:50.07; 3, Spring Branch Smithson Valley, 3:51.01; 4, San Antonio Wagner, 3:58.35; 5, S.A. Johnson, 3:59.08; 6, Northside Brandeis, 4:00.55.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

SAN ANTONIO — As Valley athletes competed during field event finals for the Region IV track and field championships Friday at Alamo Stadium in San Antonio, area teams were best represented in the day’s eight throwing events. In all, 37 Valley-boys and girls athletes from Class 5A and 6A competed in the shot put and discus throw for a chance to qualify for the UIL state track meet later this month in Austin.

For an athlete or relay team to advance to state, they must finish in the top-two in their respective event.

Three gold-medals were won on the day. The first came from Sharyland Pioneer’s Nora Monie in the 5A discus with an attempt of 136 feet, 8 inches. Monie secures a trip to the state meet where she will also compete in the shot put after placing second (44-03). The second Valley-gold medal came courtesy of Brownsville Rivera’s Angel Espinoza in the 6A discus (162-06). San Benito’s John Belmares earned first in the 6A shot put (56-02).

Valley-athletes to place second in throwing events were PSJA Southwest’s Brittany Vielma (5A discus, 121-06), Edinburg North’s Natalie Alaniz (6A discus, 123-04) and McAllen Memorial’s Anthony Esparza (6A shot put, 54-02). Vielma and Alaniz will compete at state for the first time.

MAKING HIS OWN WAY
A year ago, Mission Veterans distance runner GJ Reyna didn’t know if he’d make it to state. Having placed third at regionals in the 3200-meter run, Reyna traveled to Austin as the state’s fastest third-place qualifier, a spot created to fill the nine-line track at Mike A. Meyers Stadium.

Leaving nothing to chance during his senior season, Reyna finished first in the 3200 on Friday with a time of 9 minutes, 17.81 seconds, a new Valley’s best on the season as well as a new personal best.

What was an endurance race became an all-out sprint during the final 200 meters as Reyna and Andrew Tankersley of Boerne Champion raced for the finish line. Reyna passed Tankersley on the outside in the final 50 meters to win by less than half a second.

“From last year, we looked at my times and scoped out each race and tried to find things we could improve on,” Reyne said. “And one of those things was laps six and seven always seem to slow down for me. It was all about keeping a pace and speeding up hitting my speed at the right time. That’s kind of what I did here.”

GO AHEAD AND JUMP
Edinburg Vela senior Brandon Rivera will compete for the 5A high-jump title for a second consecutive year after claiming the regional title with an effort of 6-10. Rivera entered the day ranked No. 1 in the state among 5A jumpers with a mark of 7-02, which is also a Valley’s Best. Harlingen South’s Cierra Pena qualified for state in the 6A long jump (17-04.5). Pena competes today in the finals for the 100-meter and 200-meter dash.

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BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

SAN ANTONIO — Angel Espinoza attempted just one successful throw, but it was good enough to punch a ticket to Austin. The Brownsville Rivera thrower won the Class 6A boys discus title during Friday’s Region IV track and field championships at Alamo Stadium in San Antonio with a gold-medal throw of 162 feet, 6 inches.

Espinoza’s podium-topping attempt occurred on his first effort. Each of his five follow-up throws were disqualified due to error on the part of Espinoza.

“My focus was really off this meet,” Espinoza said despite his championship day. “I don’t know why, maybe the throwing circle was slippery or maybe I’m not that focused, but I should be hitting around 170 (feet). I got first place, but that wasn’t my goal. My goal was to throw a 183, which would be a personal best for me.”

Espinoza and the other competitors threw without the luxury of a strong wind, meaning no help from Mother Nature to carry the discus a few extra feet. Adding to the degree of difficulty was the throwing field itself, which was awkwardly positioned on a slight embankment, meaning athletes were throwing slightly uphill.

“It’s intimidating,” Espinoza said of the less than ideal conditions. “You can’t really tell if (the discus) is going to be up there where you want it or not. It was unpredictable really. I had to fix my throwing angle because of the field, which isn’t good. It’s never good to change things this late in the game.”

Espinoza was joined by familiar faces in the event, as six of the eight finalists were Valley athletes. PSJA Memorial’s Mike Gonzalez finished third (159-05). McAllen Memorial teammates Edward Pequeno (148-07) and Lucas Rios (145-04) finished fifth and seventh, respectively. John Banda of Weslaco East placed sixth (147-00) and Harlingen South’s Abel Villarreal came in eighth (145-00).

And as Espinoza continued to scratch his attempts, he could only watch as the competition aimed for his mark.

“I was really scared throughout,” he said. “I was biting my nails. My nerves were wrecking. It was a bad feeling. I’m glad I came out on top. Coach (Edward Garcia) was trying to calm me down and tell me what I should do, but it could only help so much.”

Garcia was as equally flustered as Espinoza.

“We had set goals at the beginning of the season,” he said. “And that goal was to win every meet. We did that today, but we also had secondary goals, and one of those goals was to be consistent, and we weren’t consistent today, and that was the frustrating part. But throwing like that, we can’t win like that.”

Espinoza will have two weeks to regain his desired level of consistency, as the UIL state track meet begins May 14 in Austin. All athletes and relay teams that place in the top two automatically qualify for state.

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Shot put — 1, Andres Garcia, S.A. Harlandale, 59-10; 2, Tristan Zaragoza, S.A. Highlands, 55-04; 3, Drew Kirkpatrick, Uvalde, 51-05; 4, Johnny Howell, Sharyland High, 50-06; 5, Travis Raidford, Kerrville Tivy, 49-03.25; 6, Jacob Breyer, Marble Falls, 48-08.

Discus — 1, Carlos Tijerina, Eagle Pass, 156-04; 2, Ryan Becker, Marble Falls, 156-03; 3, Jacob Graner, Dripping Springs, 154-07; 4, Andres Garcia, S.A. Harlandale, 150-05; 5, Cesar Villegas, Donna High, 148-01; 6, Benji Cohen, S.A. Alamo Heights, 148-00.

Long jump — 1, Mikael Dawkins, Leander, 22-08.5; 2, Travis Bannan, Austin Vandergrift, 22-00; 3, Sean Landez, Sharyland High, 21-10.5; 4, Laken Williams, Victoria East, 21-07.75; 5, Taveon Jones, S.A. Houston, 21-07; 6, Isiah Patterson, C.C. Mody, 21-06.5.

Triple jump — 1, Robert Allen, S.A. Brackenridge, 45-08.5; 2, Travis Brannan, Austin Vandergrift, 45-07.25; 3, Laken Williams, Victoria East, 25-02.25; 4, Taveon Jones, S.A. Houston, 44-04; 5, Darnelle Odom, S.A. Highlands, 44-00.5; 6, Zae Giles, Austin Johnson, 43-10.

High jump — 1, Brendon Rivera, Edinburg Vela, 6-10; 2, Chris Albert, Floresville, 6-08; 3, Ketaon Harvey, Cedar Park, 6-05; 4, Blayke Phillips, Victoria West, 6-04; 5, Jake Nowak, Austin Vandergrift, 6-02; 6, Drew Wallace, Victoria West, 6-00.

Pole vault — 1, Hudson Hall, Gregory-Portland, 14-06; 2, Hunter Stadler, Boerne Champion, 14-00; 3, Tate Hancock, Leander, 13-06; 4, Alexsis Galarza, Edcouch-Elsa, J13-06; 5, Seth Carter, Sharyland High, J13-06; 6, Wesley Lozano, Boerne Champion, 13-00.

Running Events

3200-meter run — 1, GJ Reyna, Mission Veterans, 9:17.81; 2, Andrew Tankersley, Boerne Champion, 9:18.30; 3, Raul Almaraz, S.A. Edison, 9:31.16; 4, Victor Pedraza, PSJA Southwest, 9:42.93; 5, Adam Herrera, Edinburg Vela, 9:47.30; 6, Isreal Orihuela, S.A. South, 9:48.38.

Shot put — 1, Crystal Onwukaife, Cedar Park, 46-00; 2, Nora Monie, Sharyland HIgh, 44-03; 3, Brittany Vielma, PSJA Southwest, 43-07; 4, Patricia Randal, Kerrville Tivy, 40-00.25; 5, Patricia Nintcheua, Austin Vandergrift, 39-07.5; 6, Fabiola Nintcheu, Austin Vandergrift, 38-09.25.

Discus — 1, Nora Mona, Sharyland Pioneer, 136-08; 2, Brittany Vielma, PSJA Southwest, 121-06; 3, Gertrudis Ruiz-Balli, Brownsville Pace, 120-06; 4, Patricia Randal, Kerrville Tivy, 119-05; 5, Many Garza, Uvalde, 118-00; 6, Alexis Sacky, CC Calallen, 114-11.

Long jump — 1, Glorilisha Carter, Bastrop, 18-07.25; 2, Madison Miles, San Marcos, 18-00.5; 3, Natalie Schulz, Marble Falls, 17-03.75; 4, Bailey Daniel, Victoria West, 16-10.5; 5, Sarah Keys, S.A. Lanier, 16-10; 6, Arianna Selman, Austin Crockett 16-08.5.

Triple jump — 1, Glorilisha Carter, Bastrop, 38-06.25; 2, Kass Rocha Roma, 36-06.75; 3, Sara Keys, San Antonio Lanier, 36-02.75; 4, Kylie Nothnagle, CP Vista Rid, 35-09.5; 5, Arianna Stegall, CC Flour Bluff, J35-09; 6, Bailey Daniel, Victoria West, 35-03.

High jump — 1, Jessica Watts, East View, 5-06; 2, Heidi Borgerding, Boerne Champion, 5-05; 3, Kylie Nothnagle, CP Vista Rid, 5-04; 4, Kassidy Heitzmann, Victoria East, 5-02; 5, Stephanie Ramirez, Eagle Pass, J5-02; 6, Sarah Keys, S.A. Lanier, J5-02.

Pole vault — 1, Mackenzie West, Gregory-Portland, 12-03; 2, Kendahl, Shue, Boerne Champion, 11-06; 3, Kelby Pople, Kerrville Tivy, 11-03; 4, Brooke Story, S.A. Alamo Heights, 10-06; 5, Hannah Newman, Georgetown, 10-00; 6, Alexis Inman, Boerne Champion, J10-00.

Running Events

3200-meter run — 1, Abby Gray, S.A. Alamo Heights, 10:53.49; 2, Jazmin Hernandez, Georgetown, 11:22.88; 3, Victoria Mayorga, Floresville, 11:26.19; 4, Gabriela Gonzalez, Uvalde, 11:30.70; 5, Claire Crone, Leander, 11:37.33; 6, Lizette Chapa, Sharyland Pioneer, 11:43.24.

Shot put — 1, John Belmares, San Benito, 56-02; Anthony Esparza, McAllen Memorial, 54-02; 3, Ben Zeug, Smithson Valley, 51-10.25; 4, Ethan Engelbrecht, S.A. Lee, 51-00.25; 5, Travis Barnes, Harlingen, 50-11.25; 6, Aaron Rosales, C.C. Carroll, 50-00.

Discus — 1, Angel Espinoza, Brownsville Rivera, 162-06; 2, Terrence Steele, Cibolo Steele, 160-00; 3, Mike Gonzalez, PSJA Memorial, 159-05; 4, Greg Grimes, Smithson Valley, 153-07; 5, Edward Pequeno, McAllen Memorial, 148-07; 6, John Banda, Weslaco East, 147-00.

Long jump — 1, Moses Dedmon-Renolds, Northside Jay, 22-04.5; 2, Antoine Cox-Wesley, Cibolo Steele, 22-02.75; 3, Jeremy Garcia, Northside Warren, 22-01; 4, Jesse Jones, C.C. Carroll, 22-00.5; 5, Gabriel Spivey, Northside Taft, 21-04.75; 6, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 21-04.5.

Triple jump — Bryan Ty Chusum, Eagle Pass, 48-02; Antoine Cox-Wesley, Cibolo Steele, 48-02; 3, James Liburd, S.A. Madison, 46-06.75; 4, Angelo Gordon, Converse Judson, 46-02; 5, James Olsen, Northside Brandeis, 45-05.5; 6, Tavian Carter, Cibolo Steele, 45-02.5.

High jump — 1, Colin George, Northside Warren, 6-07; 2, Landry Dowdy, Canyon, 6-06; 3, Jack Scarborough, S.A. Johnson, J6-06; 4, Victor Bocanegra, La Joya Palmview, 6-05; 5, Antoine Cox-Wesley, Cibolo Steele, 6-02; 6, James Tonsall, Converse Judson, J6-02.

Pole vault — late

Running Events

3200-meter run — 1, Alex Rogers, Canyon, 9:00.60; 2, Samuel Worley, Canyon, 9:01.66; 3, Chris Myers, Northisde Holmes, 9:07.58; 4, Garett Cortez, Cibolo Steele, 9:25.51; 5, Christian Machuca, Brownsville Rivera, 9:33.95; 6, Jessie Arreola, Del Rio 9:35.75.

Shot put — 1, Maia Campbell, Converse Judson, 43-05.5; 2, Emily Spendlove, S.A. Reagan, 40-08; 3, Cynthia Gonzalez, MacArthur, 40-06.75; 4, Kasey Gladson, Del Rio, 40-03.75; 5, Faith Olszak, Weslaco East, 39-01.75; 6, Eloisa Martinez, McAllen Memorial, 37-11.75.

Discus — 1, Brianna Jordan, Northside Brennan, 123-07; 2, Natalie Alaniz, Edinburg North, 123-04; 3, Karen Guerra, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 118-07; 4, Maya Tyler, S.A. Johnson, 115-07; 5, Mypatia Sorunke, Northside Taft, J115-07; 6, Sadey Rodriguez, Laredo United, 115-05.

Long jump — 1, Mikayla Jordan, S.A. Johnson, 17-11.25; 2, Cierra Pena, Harlingen South, 17-04.25; 3, Lawren Tanner, Converse Judson, 17-03.25; 4, Zskaira Williams, S.A. Reagan, 17-02.00; 5, Mahogani Frazier, Cibolo Steele, 16-9.25; 6, Alexandria Ecker, Northside O’Connor, 16-09.

Triple jump — 1, Mahogani Frazier, Cibolo Steele, 38-09; 2, Mikayla Jordan, S.A. Johnson, 38-01.5; 3, Josie Larson, S.A. Johnson, 37-01.5; 4, Alexandra Ecker, Northside O’Connor, 36-09.5; 5, Jovanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 36-04.5; 6, Danielle Meador, C.C. Carroll, J36-04.5.

High jump — 1, Chloe Lucas Brown, S. A. Johnson, 5-06; 2, Taylor Martinez, Churchill, J5-06; 3, Joan Cepeda, PSJA Memorial, 5-02; 4, Jada Gardner, Cibolo Steele, J5-02; 5, Brianna Walker, Northside Brandeis, J5-02; 6, Alyssa Adams, S.A. Johnson, J5-02.

Pole vault — 1, Colleen Clancy, Smithson Valley, 13-00.25; 2, Stephanie Stewart, C.C. King, 12-00; 3, Emily Mallet, Northside Brandeis, 11-09; 4, Olivia Buntin, Canyon, 11-06.00; 4, Britton Chapman, Northside Brandeis, 11-00; 6, Katherine Simms, Laredo Alexander, 10-06.

Running Events

3200-meter run — 1, Devin Clark, Smithson Valley, 10:18.37; 2, Haleigh Galvan, Northside Brandeis, 10:40.94; 3, Kylie Welch, Smithson Valley, 11:10.01; 4, Kerri Welch, Smithson Valley, 11:14.71; 5, Daneille Martinez, anyon, 11:26.46; 6, Brianna Robles, La Joya Palmview, 11:26.46

BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Yariel Matute will take to the track this weekend at Alamo Stadium in San Antonio looking for what has eluded him so far this season — something to chase. The La Joya Juarez-Lincoln senior will compete in the 400-meter dash at the Class 6A regional track meet, where his speed will be tested among some of the state’s fastest.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Matute said. “I’m ready for the challenge. I haven’t really been tested that much this season in the Valley. I’m racing by myself a lot.”

According to Athletic.net, Matute’s time of 49.24 seconds in the 400 is the 10th fastest time in the state among 6A runners. The senior’s speed is also put to good use in the 400-meter and 1600-meter relays, where he serves as the team’s anchor. The Huskies’ relay teams have consistently dominated the competition this season and swept all three events at an area meet last week in Laredo.

Should Matute finish in the top-two in any of the three events, he’ll automatically qualify for the state competition later this month in Austin.

This is the most successful year for the Huskies under fourth-year boys coach Horacio Garza. After three years of what Garza calls, “laying the foundation,” the team won the District 30-6A championship earlier this month and came within four points of winning the area title as well. Though Juarez is loaded with talent, Matute is arguably the team’s greatest catalyst. But his presence on the team is the result of fortuitous timing.

Matute found himself in the weight room his junior year, conditioning himself for basketball season. He was working out on jumping boxes when Garza noticed him. Garza offered him a chance to compete in the long jump and triple jump, to which Matute agreed. However, he quickly grew bored jumping and the excessive downtime that came with it.

“I was at a JV meet at Mission Veterans (High School), and I was bored just sitting there watching everybody,” Matute said. “I asked coach to put me in the mile relay. I remember I was the second leg, and once I had the baton, we left everyone behind. I ran a 52 (second) split. I love the mile relay now and I love running the 400.”

Matute’s athleticism allowed for his speed and power, but that doesn’t mean track didn’t come without a learning curve. For Matute, learning the technical aspects of the sport proved a hindrance at first.

“It was weird getting used to the starting blocks because my body is so long,” he said. “But getting the blocks right helps cut so much time off your runs. It could be the difference between first and last.”

Though he’s comfortable with track’s customary starting position, he admits to still struggling with baton handoffs, which is one reason why he pulls anchor duty during relays.

“I have no idea why it’s so hard,” Matute says with a laugh. “I just gives me problems. And it’s important too. A good handoff is everything in a relay.”

Matute and his family moved to the Valley from Orlando in 2013. He says the change of scenery was easy since he already knew Spanish thanks to his Honduran-born mother.

“Things are different here, but in a good way,” Matute said. “A lot more people speak Spanish. I remember thinking how cool it was that my teachers taught in Spanish. It wasn’t hard to get used to the culture down here.”

The seamless transition made it easy for Matute to bond with his teammates, which in turn allowed him to be one of the leaders on the Huskies.

“He’s the type of guy that you know what you’re going to get every day, every practice every meet,” Garza said. “He hates losing, and he’s always trying to make himself and his teammates better. You can’t instill that kind of competitive spirit into someone. It’s something they have to want.”

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