So, this weekend was HUGE!!!
It was like watching a heavy weight fight. Actually, it was like watching a Royal Rumble caged fight.
Their were individual battles going on at each meet, but then it was like each meet's top performers were going at the ones at the other meets.
On Saturday morning, the Jesuit-Sheaner Relays, Marble Falls Inv, Prairie View, and Klein Relays were going and the athletes and teams there dropped some of the fastest times and field event marks in the state. In the evening, the Victor Lopez Classic was going on and the athletes and teams had an opportunity to take those times down.
Check out the top ten take aways from this weekend:
1. Big time distance races at Victor Lopez
There was some good old fashioned distance running going on in Houston.
In the 800m, Halena Rahmaan dropped two big time PRs this weekend. In the prelims, she ran a 2:15.79, which gave her the top time heading into the finals. The finals is where she really shocked a lot of people by running even faster as she dropped a 2:12.48.
The boys 800m was just as fast and was an exciting race. In fact, it was a big time Humble ISD showdown. Humble ISD athletes took the first four finishes with Atascocita's Christian Gilmore winning in 1:54.08 followed up by Kingwood's Trent Nolan in 1:54.16 and the Summer Creek duo of Travis Jacobs-1:54.97 and Solomon Brent 1:55.92.
Katy Cinco Ranch freshman Heidi Nielson had a great weekend. Early Thursday afternoon, she qualified for the 800m final with her SB 2:19.79. That was just a tune up for her showdown in the 3K with Sophie Lasswell. Nielson and Lasswell would duel it out in the 3K running stride for stride until Nielson pulled away in the last 500m. Nielson would win the 3K in 9:51.80 over Lasswell's 9:56.46.
During Saturdays finals, she would forgo the 800m finals and elect just to run the 1500m. In the 1500m, Nielson would run a fast 4:40.93.
Kingwood junior Carter Storm would have a similarly outstanding weekend. On Thursday, he would defeat an outstanding boys 3K field as he would put down the hammer to run a 8:37.07. He would narrowly finish ahead of CollegePark's Bradley Pease 8:37.36 and Katy Tompkins' Cole Lindhorst 8:37.44.
Storm would double back on Saturday with a 1500m win when he ran a 3:56.81.
2. Fast Boys 4x100s
So, the last couple of years have us spoiled. We have seen so many sub 41.0 4x100 relays in recent years, it becomes a expectation. However, it is a harder task that many believe.
This weekend, we saw three teams do the dip under 41 and there were almost three more.
On Saturday morning, the DeSoto boys dropped their season best time to 40.54 as they dominated at the Jesuit-Sheaner Relays. Also, on Saturday morning, Katy Seven Lakes ran 40.68 at the Klein Relays.
Later that evening, The Woodlands went crazy on the track as they took down DeSoto's short lived TX #1. They went 40.50, which was just .04 faster
Just like that, there are three teams sub 41 teams with three on the brink with Cedar Hill going 41.00, Fort Bend Marshall going 41.12, and Mansfield Legacy going 41.13.
3. Dominick Houston Shepard With Some Hot Hurdling
Fort Bend Marshall junior Dominick Houston Shepard had a very good weekend. Shepard went for a SB 14.16 in the 110H at the Victor Lopez Classic. If that wasn't impressive enough, Shepard ran his first two 300H races of the year.
He went 37.96 in the prelims for a heck of a first race of the season and tune up for the finals. In the finals, he would go 36.76 for a PR and the top time in the state.
4. Girls 400 at Jesuit-Sheaner
This weekend, we also saw a girls 400m prelims that may have been the fastest girls 400m race in a long time. Frisco Heritage senior Bailey Lear headlined a girls field that saw her run a 53.80 with two 54s and three 55s run in just the prelims.
In the finals, Lear would drop another 53 leading four other girls to 54s. Just for good measure, she dropped a 53 split on the 4x400 relay.
5. Alex Loving long jump 24-4.5
Amarillo senior Alex Loving is a straight stud long jumper. However, this weekend he jumped a new PR 24-4.5. Loving, who had a previous PR of 24-0.5 definitely got a good one in this weekend.
Loving looks to jump his way to the state meet and a state title. Becoming the top jumper in the state with districts right around the corner isn't a bad place to be right now.
6. DeSoto Girls Run Wild At Jesuit-Sheaner
So, it is no secret that DeSoto has a super duper squad, but the put on an amazing display this weekend. Their relays set the tone for the state and went on to drop some stop times.
In the 4x100, they Lady Eagles went 45.80 for a TX #1 and the second fastest time in the nation. They then hit the track in the 4x200 relay. Going for a second fastest time in the nation wasn't in the plans. This time they became #1 as they dropped a 1:35.43, oh and they replicated that in the 4x400 relay with their 3:43.36 for another US #1 time.
Perhaps the eagles aren't running....they could be flying.
7. Bailey Goggans Is Right Back At It
The small town girl with big time talent has extended her season of outstanding running. After dropping a 2:11 800m a few weeks ago, Goggans went on to run some more 800s in the 2:12s and 2:13s and then she ran a couplde of fast 1600m races.
Well, this weekend, she was right back at her elite ways as she ran 2:11.39 winning by 15 seconds.
8. Jake Merrell Is Heating Up
Now that basketball season is over, we get him back. Jake Merrell's season turns to the track and he picking up where he left off.
This weekend, Merrell ran the state's top 800m time of 1:52.
What he does next, we will have to wait and see.
9. Austin Lake Travis' Home Grown Products Of Hard Work
Austin Lake Travis has two studs that rocked out this weekend.
What is the significance of 2:04.27 and 4:33.36 for Brendan Hebert? Those were his PRs heading into this season. Well, those were the days of old. Presently, Hebert has dropped those times to 1:53.62 and 4:19.59. Evolution and hard work has definitely paid off, and Hebert is having a heck of a senior year.
As for Jared Tracy, he is having a heck of an improved season as well. He came into the season throwing 57-10.5 and 174-3. He has put those in the past as this weekend he threw 62-4 and 183-1 to take two wins at the Jesuit-Sheaner Relays.
10. Dallas Carter Studs Ramping Up
We just talked about two studs at Lake Travis, well it's no secret Dallas Carter has two of their own and they are had a break out weekend.
Sha'Carri Richardson has had a quiet season compared to her previous three high school seasons. However, that hush has come to an end. She ran 11.57 and 24.22 at the Eddie Payne-Carter Shoot out. Those are pretty relaxed times compared to Richardson's standards, but she is proving that she is getting hot at the right time. Keep in mind, that she said she plans to run under 11.00 and 23.0 this year.
Carter also has a stud on the boys side and his name is LaKyron Mays. Mays is a versatile runner who can run anything from the 100m up to the 800m. This past weekend, he ran a TX #1 47.09 showing that he too is ready to break loose this season.