UIL 2A Girls And Boys Preview

Refugio sprinter Ernest Campbell anchors a relay win 

Last year, we saw two outstanding 2A team title chases. The girls championship came down to an amazing three-way tie or first place. 

With 32 points scored, each Panhandle, Refugio, and Stamford took home gold trophies and Goldthwaite was only three points behind the tally from making it a four way scenario.

You'd think there is no way this year could be a repeat or anything similar, but Panhandle has been a consistent mainstay over recent years showing they can reload year after year. And Refugio has been equally as impressive as a team over the past seven years.

Last year, the Refugio boys handily won the team title with 68 points scored, but it was tight for the other podium team spots and trophies. Mason was the team runner-ups with 42 points and Timpson finished third just six points back with 36 and only two points ahead of Beckville who scored 34 points.

Kaycei Salazar runs to a 1600m win

Girls Preview

Distance Races

The girls 3200m will be almost like a rerun from last season's race. The top four finishers, which includes the three medalists are all back to race it out. 

The defending champ Cameron Belcher (Windthorst) has the top regional seed time of 11:18.90 with runner-up Kaycei Salazar (La Villa) at 11:46 and third place finisher Madison Nunes (New Deal) coming in with a 12:09 run.

In the 800m, the defending champion Graci Brown (Nocona) is back to shoot for another win. She enters with a 2:20.67 regional mark just ahead of last year's runner-up Emily Pharris (Shelbyville) and her 2:20.95.

Entering with the top regional mark is last year's fifth place finner Anna Pearcy (Hamilton). Pearcy ran 2:19.74 at regionals for the top mark and looks to ride that momentum onto the awards stand. 

Again, most of last year's 1600m finalists are all back for part two. Defending champ Kaycei Salazar (5:17.14), Cameron Belcher (5:09.18), and Calista Turner (Malakoff Cross Roads) (5:22.83) are some of the top seed, with Belcher's mark putting making her the favorite.

Girls Relays

The girls relays will be crucial to championship aspirations. Refugio is in good shape as they enter with the top 4x100 performance from regionals as well as the 4x200 relay. 

They are the defending champs in the 4x100 and they'll go head to head with Stamford and Panhandle who were 1-2 in last year's state meet.

It's Stamford and Panhandle showing up again in the 4x400 relay withe the top regional seeds. However, it is a close seed with Stamford coming in with a 3:59.12 just four hundredths of a second behind at 3:59.16. These two teams were the second and third place finishers last year.

Panhandle is the only team with top three entries in each of the three relay events and that is a huge point earning advantage for them.

Graci Brown (Nocona) captured the 400m/800m double

Girls Hurdles

Lainey Jernigan (Goldthwaite) captured the 100-meter hurdles gold last season with a wind legal (+1.70) time of 14.62. She comes in with the only sub 15-second run from regionals with her 14.74 run. She also added the 300-meter hurdle gold with a run of 44.12.

To win double golds, Jernigan will have to run faster in the longer of the two races.

She enters with a superb 43.83 from regionals, but freshman Carly Land (Panhandle) dropped a dime herself at regionals with a 43.15 to officially make herself a challenger to Jernigan. 

Kaylee Hunt (Hico) who was sixth last year and runner-up Drew Stewart (Normangee) both went 44.43 and 44.72 respectfully at regionals are expected to really make this race interesting.

Girls Sprints

Avery Koonce (Thrall) is the only medalist from last year who is back in this field and that should give her plenty of confidence to shoot for the win; she enters with a 12.54 regional performance.

However, Hailee Janzen (Alvord) who was a finalist last year has the top entry seed of 12.12 from regionals. Only one-hundredths of a second behind Janzen's regional mark is Savanna Camacho (Haskell) with a 12.12 of her own.

Last year, Tamasha Sellers (Hearne) won the 200m as just a freshman. She isn't back to defend, so we will crown a new champion in this event. The 2023 runner-up Akenzi Weaver (Era) is a suitable challenger.

However, Weaver will have some competition with Camacho who came up big at her regionals in this event as well when she ran 24.64. Janzen is also in the mix and will put pressure on the field from the outside lane (9) as she drew the outside stick. She ran 25.01 at regionals and will make the girls try to chase her down.

Can Graci Brown (Nocona) do it again? She completed the 400m/800m double last year and she decided it was so much fun that she'd try to do it again. Her 58.14 regional run is the second best entry seed.

Riley Haug (Refugio) brings in the top seed with her 57.91 regional performance. Keep an eye on Sydney Wyrwich (Stockdale) who was second last year and has a 58.84 entry seed and watch out for Anna Pearcy (Hamilton) as she'll be attempting in the 400m/800m double as well.

Girls Field Events

Bethany Preusse (Thondale) enters the state meet in a great position for a freshman. She has the top discus toss from regionals with her 145-09 winning throw. That is over 10-feet better than the nearest throw by Ciara tilley (Refugio).

In the high jump, defending champ Meredith Magliolo (Schulenberg) has the best regional mark of 5-6, which is better than her 5-5 winning mark from last year.

Logan Prater (Eldorado) only jumped 17-8 last year, she jumped 19-3 at regionals to show she intends fly farther into the sand this year in Austin.

Prater also has the top triple jump mark of 38-2.75, but has Jamiah Birmingham (Linden-Kildare) close behind with a 38-0.25 mark.

Kaylee Hunt (Hico) is the favorite to defend in the pole vault. She has a 12-6 clearance from regionals.

All three medalist are back this year with Cayla Albers (Falls City), Kiana Roberson (Albany), and Mia Gray (Sunray). Abers threw 41-10.50 at regionals with Gray's 41-2 not far behind. However, Nelly Theissen (Panhandle) figures to get in the mix with her 41-1 regional toss.

Boys Distance Races

Just like with the girls 3200m event, there are several returners from last year's state meet. That includes the defending state champion Caden Thurman (Wolfe City).

Thurman ran 9:33 for the win last year, but he enters this year's meet after going 9:12 at regionals. That would net him a new UIL 2A state meet record and overtake the 23-year old 9:22.03 standard by Julian Acuna (Agua Dulce) from 2001, if he is able to replicate something similar to his regional race.

Taylor Warrick (Stockdale) was third last year and has the second best regional run of 9:40 with Alan Baez Corpus (Ganado) at 9:44, and Dwight DonJuan (Quanah) at 9:49 coming in under 10-minutes.

Six runners out of last year's 800m state meet field have successfully qualified again for this year's challenge. That includes all three medalists Jhoan Menjivar (Plains), Jace Coleman (Rio Vista), and Aiden Summers (Riesel).

Caden Thurman is the guest to this year's field and he comes in with the top regional seed of 1:55.70 and will be a major challenger. Menjivar won last year with a 1:55.45, so expect a scintillating race with Thurman smack in the middle of it.

With Thurman going with the 800m over the 1600m, there will be a new champion crowned. Marco Cunningham (Waco Meyer) was the runner-up in 2023 and will be one to watch.

However, Alan Baez Corpus comes in with the best regional mark of 4:30.19 and Dwight DonJuan at 4:31.92 have several seconds on the rest of the field.

Boys Relays

In the 4x100 relay, It's defending champions Refugio coming in after narrowly missing the 2A state meet record by one-tenth of a second. They enter with a 43.32 regional mark and that will have them in a good race with Thorndale and Stamford who both had 43.18 runs to qualify.

Wellington blazed 4x200 relay time a 1:28.86 at regionals for the top time just ahead of last year's champs Mason who ran 1:29.79 at regionals. Refugio looks to get another double point score for more points towards their tally in the 4x200 relay. 

The beautiful thing about this meet is that it could all come down to the 4x400 relay before the team champion gets decided. That is important because there are three teams who have entered with seeds all within seven-tenths of a second of one another.

One of those teams who figure to need the earn points is Refugio. The defending champs ran 3:22.20 coming in, but Plains (3:22.53) and Sonora (3:22.98) will be looking to win the 4x400 relay as well and will definitely give Refugio all it wants and more.

Boys Hurdles

Last year was a showdown between two extremely fast hurdlers Jkoby Williams (Beckville) and Adam Hill (Albany). Williams won the 110-meter hurdles with a wind legal (+1.8) time of 14.26 over Hills 14.36.

Both studs are back to race it out as Hill has the top regional mark of 14.61. Williams ran 15.15 at his regional championships and that will open the door for other guys to give big time challenges. 

Camden Derricoatte (Stockdale), Meshach Griffin (Holland), and Diego Martinez (Vega) all ran under 15.19 at regionals and will provide some speed in this weekend's race.

Defending 300-meter hurdle champ Hill figured to have his work cut out for him trying to repeat last year's win. Both runner-up and third place finishers were underclassmen and both ran under 40-seconds. 

However, neither of them are in this field and with the potential to run sub 39-seconds, he should be considered the favorite once again. Michael McCloy (Gruver) and Kasey Lux (Sonora) both check in with sub 40-second regional races.

Boys Sprints

Ryelan Morris (Honey Grove) and his 10.86 narrowly edge out Carson McCoy (Thorndale) and his 10.88 regional seed for the top mark coming in from the regional round. McCoy was third in this event last year with Morris finishing fifth.

However, it would be wise to not overlook the two-time 100m champion and UIL 1A state meet record holder Ernest Campbell (Refugio). Campbell ran a wind legal 10.20 (+2.0) last year for his second consecutive title in this event.

Last year Campbell dropped a speedy 20.90 to win the 200m. He is not back to line up in this year's 200m field, so we will get a new champ. 

Morris again has the top seed of 22.06 from regionals could be the favorite. However, expect to see Kaston Vega (Stamford) and Carson McCoy (Thorndale) shoot their shots as well.

In the 400m, we will get another new champ. Last year's runner-up Jason Moore (Refugio) is the top returner in the field. His 49.21 from regionals is the top seed, just ahead of Miguel Lopez (Bovina) and Huston Powers (Crawford).

Boys Field Events

In the discus, defending champion Bryce Braden (Stratford) comes from the Panhandle with a business like mind. He'll be looking to defend his title and his 173-01 toss is no joke and will be hard for anyone to top.

The top four finishers from last year's high jump competition all graduated, so this field is kind of open. Alberto Andreatta (Lipan) and Dylan Parker (Shelbyville) both cleared 6-5 at regionals, but they'll have Weston Griffin (Era) to deal with and his 6-6 regional clearance.

Jamarquis Johnson (Rosebud-Lott) won state last year and entes with a 22-7 from regionals. He'll have to out jump Ernest Campbell (Refugio) who went 23-0.75 at regionals.

Pole vaulter Max Garvin (Joaquin) was runner-up last year and his 16-8 is well worth marking him the favorite.

Shot put runner-up last year Kobe Burton (Flatonia) has the top throw from regionals with his 55-4.75, but Zayes Elmore (Stamford) isn't far behind with a 53-1.25 toss.

Kolby Teakell (Windthorst) was runner-up in the 2023 triple jump and has the second best incoming regional mark. Diontay Ramon (Hawley) and his 46-8 are top seeded.