A few weeks ago, the Region I-5A race was an all out duel between Aledo sophomore Graydon Morris and El Paso Hanks sophomore Michael Abeyta. Both guys ran 14 low 3 mile runs. Well, it just so happens that was the state meet tune up.
In the UIL 5A boys championship race, it was the dynamic duo leading the race once again. El Paso Irvin senior Aaron Gilliam took the first mile out in a blistering pace. Despite the very fast pace, there was still a pack at the front. Closely following Gilliam included a pack of Abeyta, Morris, Ace Castillo, and Sergio Armendariz.
The pack stayed fast and tight through the two mile mark, but Abeyta, Morris, Castillo, and Armendariz began to pull away from the field. Coming through the two mile mark at nearly 9:04, the pace began to take a toll on each runner, but each knew mentally the final time would be fast and that this is what they all trained for.
In the end, it was Morris pulling away from Abeyta in the last 200m for the win. This was the second time in a row these two guys battled over the course of an entire race only to be separated by seconds. At Region I, Morris won by four seconds and at the 5A state meet, his winning margin was a mere two seconds, but good enough for the state title. At the end of the race, Both Morris and Abeyta would outlast Castillo, Armendariz and a host of other top 5A runners, in what was an awesome individual and team battle.
