The whole country knows about Bailey Goggans' crazy 2:11.62 800m last weekend. She took the weekend off from the half mile race...I mean what's the point of running again this weekend, right?
That doesn't mean the rest of the girls in the state are going to lay down and let her get all of the shine.
This weekend, tons of girls took to the track and decided to put up some top 800m marks themselves. It all started on Thursday, when Frisco Heritage teammates Bailey Lear and Alyssa Duhart.
We let everyone know that sprint star Lear and distance star Duhart would tangle and that it could result in a fast time. Well, Lear took things out in 60/61 just as an aggressive sprinter would be expected to do. Then Duhart made a move heading towards the 600m and then took the lead.
Lear made a push in the last 75 meters to pull next to Duhart and the two teammates would run side by side for the winner to be declared only by a photo finish. The official times were 2:14.88 for Duhart and 2:14.89 for lear ranking them #4 and #5 in the state.
Then on Friday, at the Northwest Texan Relays All-State 800m runner Isabel Van Camp junior from Keller busted open for a 2:13.78 for a TX #2 time. Still not a PR for Van Camp who has a 2:10.25 personal best, the time was still a good early season measure for UIL 6A 2017 third place finisher.
Van Camp wasn't finished. She then stepped to the line for the 1600m race. Still feeling in a good rhythm, this time her efforts would result in a new personal best. She blazed the track in a new 4:56.27 PR besting her previous 5:11.67 by almost 15 seconds.
On the boys side, this weekend was HUGE!
Heading into this weekend, Austin St Stephens' Crayton Carrozza had been the lone Texan to drop an elite time with his 1:53.97 and 1:54.25 efforts.
Then on Friday, Myriq Freeman of Cypress Creek ran his best time of the year with a 1:54.40. Continuing his great day, Freeman then ran another seasons best in the 400m when he ran 48.35. Both times now rank Freeman in the top five in both events in the state.
Round Rock Cedar Ridge senior Sean Prendeville and Richmond Foster senior Christopher Wise both ran 1:55s this weekend and Hebron junior Dylan Lowe ran 1:56.29. Both Prendeville and Wise were indoor event leaders for all of Texas and are now seeing their momentum carry into the outdoor season.
It was in El Paso, Texas where the two of the top times run this weekend would take place. At the Spartan Aztec Invitational, 2017 UIL 5A cross country runner-up Michael Abeyta would be taken for the 800m ride of his life.
El Paso El Dorado senior Ethan Delgado would take the race out in a blistering pace as soon as the gun went off. Abeyta would tag along for as long as he could for the first lap. For the spits, they two would hit 24/25 - 200m, 39 - 300m, 53 - 400m, and 1:20/1:21 for the 600m.
With Delgado setting a ferocious pace for 90% of the race, Abeyta would finally get use his endurance to take over the race and out sprint Delgado. However, it wasn't until Delgado helped lead both runners to two of the top times in the state as Abeyta would come through in 1:53.35 and Delgado finished with a 1:55.10.