Region 3-5A will be a very challenging meet to survive for coaches, teams, and athletes. I will be very entertaining for the fans, but oh so competitive for the competitors. Of course, that is nothing new in the world of Texas high school track and field, but this may be one of the toughest qualifying meets in recent history. Check out some of the more competitive events that will take place this weekend.
Girls 200m
The girls 200m is one of the events to watch for. The big thing about this event is that many of the top performances coming into the weekend are by girls who will be returning next season. Humble junior Arianna West is the top ranked runner coming into the race, but she has several girls right behind her that will be looking to qualify for state. Beaumont Central's Maya Kelly and Houston Madison's Brandolyn Walker closely follow West and could get a qualifying spot and maybe even the regional title.
SLEEPER: Keep an eye on Port Arthur Memorial Freshman Zykirra Cabarras. Cabarras placed third in the District and Area meets, but as I was once told, the best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores. Now that it is the tail end of the season, Cabarras could be in a good position to sneak her way into one of the qualifying spots and if they know how to anything in Port Arthur, Texas it is how to run the 200m.
Girls 400m
Fort Bend Marshall's Payton Wells appears to be the favorite in the 400m. If she takes care of business, the real race will be for the other qualifying spot and several girls are in the mix. Kingwood Park's Hannah Overmyer and Porter's Rebeca Gonzalez have season bests that are only separated by three one hudredths of a second and could be a very close race. Gonzalez is also entered in the 800m and that may or may not have an affect.
SLEEPERS: I'm think youth and confidence are dangerous combinations. Temple's Rhea Miles and Cedar Park's Sophia Roach are both sophomores who have been running better and better in the last few weeks of the season seeing their times drop. They have also been crossing the line first in those meets and that could play a factor in their performances.
