What We'll Miss At State: What Could Have Been In TAPPS

What We'll Miss At State
William Grundy

Some of Texas' top distance runners were scheduled to be on display this weekend. Ellie Catron (L), Abraham Avila-Martinez (SJD), and Ben Shearer (3) would have been attempting to add to their state championship totals 

The TAPPS state track and field meet would have begun today. It looked like another year of outstanding track and field entertainment. However, thanks to COVID-19, it is not happening. Here are some things we were looking forward to watching out for if it had happened.

The Houston St. Agnes girls were on a roll. They've looked unstoppable based on their momentum from the past few years. They have another strong team with many of their 2019 TAPPS 6A championship team returning. 

It was going to be entresting seeing if Austin St. Dominic Savio and their strong sprint group or other teams could dethrone St. Agnes.

Last year, the St. Domanic Savio duo of Autumn Wilson and Hali Murphy won the three sprints and long jump then they teamed up to help lead the team to the 4x400 relay. We were going to see if they have another outstanding big state meet in them.

The Boys TAPPS championships were going to be good too. 

Midland Christian senior triple jumper Garison Breeding has been on fire this season. He isn't just one of TAPPS' best athletes, but he is one of the best jumpers both in Texas as well as nationally. His 49-11 jump has him ranked No. 2 in the nation.

The boys distance scene in TAPPS is on another level. We were going to see who was the best and who would end the season with bragging rights.

San Juan Diego senior Abraham Avila-Martinez and The Woodlands Christian junior Ben Shearer were having national level seasons, but other TAPPS boys were also running extremely well and like Jackson Long, Bryceson Boss, and others.

Here are other things we could have witnessed this weekend.

Related: What We'll Miss At State: St. Agnes Title Chase 5 In A Row

6A

  • Would St. Agnes dominate for their 5th straight state title or could Dallas Ursuline or St. Dominic Savio be able to challenge them?
  • We will definitely miss a classic Leah Klenke and Amanda Hogan battle.
  • Could Mimi McHugh challenge the TAPPS 6A state meet pole vault record?
  • Who were the favorites in the 6A boys events? Most of last year's winners graduated and new champions were up for grabs.
  • Was there any chance of another classic battle between defending champs Houston St Thomas and Dallas Bishop Dunne after last year's 92-91 team battle?
  • Garrison Breeding could have popped another US No. 1 jump.

5A

  • San Antonio Christian junior Abigail Craig won the 100m and 200m last year. She would have been favorite to repeat.
  • Long was second last year in the 1600m and 3200m behind Carter Cheeseman in both races and finally won his first state title in cross and was expected to have a big weekend this year.

4A

  • Could the Colleyville Covenant (CC) boys be stopped? Super star Ian Ellis medaled in five individual events with golds coming in the 400m and triple jump. Then his teammates were all over the relays and other track events. With a lot of returning scorers CC was again going to be hard to beat.
  • The excitement of watching multiple gold winning returners Trinity Byars of Dallas Shelton (100m and 200m) and Ellie Catron from The Woodlands Christian (800m, 1600, 3200m) shoot for another successful state meet.
  • As previously stated, how fast of a day would Ben Shearer have had?

3A

  • Could Marble Falls Faith Academy jump star Augustus Henry repeat his jump double from last year's state meet (HJ and LJ).
  • New Braunfels Christian Academy sprinter Kiana Van Haaren won the 100m and 200m as a freshman last year, could she repeat as a sophomore.
  • Dallas Covenant sophomore Sophie Davis was third last year in both the 800m and 1600m last year. She won the cross country title in the Fall; We would have seen if she could have added two more state titles after last year's champs and runner-ups graduated.

2A

  • What would Abraham Avila-Martinez have accomplished?
  • Would Shiner St. Paul girls and boys dominate once again?

1A