SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - The preview on
the 3200 meters is the eighth in the series of preview articles for the San
Antonio Metro area. The private schools have the top runners in the area in the
event although that does not mean the public schools are lacking. This is an
event with some highly ranked national-level runners. Please note that this
will be the final preview until after New Year's.
6A Boys
The 6A returning boys are a thin group when compared with the rest of the region, but those who are back are some of the best in the region. Johnson's Tate Underwood is the top 1600 and 3200-meter runner in the area. He was a District and Area champ last year running a 9:18.52 and declined to run at the Regional meet. Hayden Scott from Brandeis should challenge Underwood all year long for the top 2-miler crown.
New Braunfels' Ethan Stutts and Holmes' Ben Montgomery did not match Underwood or Scott last year, but it would not be surprising to see them make the jump this year. Montgomery had an awesome freshman year running a 9:38.64 so I will be watching him to see what he can do as a sophomore. There are two other runners in the area who have run sub-10:00, Arlo Gonzales of LEE and Kanalu Wong from Reagan.
6A Girls
The returning 6A girls group is the opposite of the 6A boys. There is a deep group of runners, but it is unlikely that any will compete for a berth in the State meet. There are a total of 17 girls who return with times under 12:20 and they are spread throughout the different Districts. LEE senior Helena Herzog is the top returner and only runner who has run sub-11:30, however she is still only eighth in the Region heading into the season.
There are four runners who have clocked times in the 11:40's: Destiny Hernandez (East Central), Sanai Robinson (Warren), Lola Daffin (New Braunfels) and Jadeyn Perez (Clark). All four are among the top 1600-meter runners in the area as well. A name that does not appear on any lists from last year is Brandeis' Mikaela Garza who took 50th at the State cross country meet and broke 12 minutes in the 3200 a couple years ago.
5A Boys
Lockhart's James Franco is the top miler and 2-miler in the area, but it is Canyon High School that boasts three of the top six returners. Franco ran a 9:42.79 and Canyon's Nathan Aguilar (9:45.74) and John Kelemen (9:54.95) are the next best returners.
Nolan Keenan of Alamo Heights and Schaefer Robertson from Smithson Valley are the only other two returners who have run under 10 minutes. A wild card runner to follow is Smithson Valley's Bradyn Youngdahl who missed most of last season with an injury but did nab 35th at the State cross country meet.
5A Girls
Alamo Heights, Brackenridge and Canyon dominate that list of top returning 3200-meter runners this year. Each school has two runners in the top six while Brackenridge has three in the top 10 and Canyon has four in the top 12. There are a total of eight returners who broke 12-minutes last year.
Brackenridge's Melody Espinoza is the top returner after running an 11:33.55 last year and teammate Faith Ramos has run 11:47.05. Alamo Heights boasts Avery Brawner (11:41.26) and Trinity Warnicke (11:50.71) while Canyon has Alexia Tiscareno Macias (11:41.67) and Taylor Cochran (11:42.62). Unsurprisingly, the top 11 returning runners are also among the top returning milers.
4A Boys
There is a total of nine 4A boys who have run sub-11 minutes for the 3200, but there is only one, Christian Pena of Davenport, who has run under 10 minutes. Pena ran 9:49.46 last year and is also the top 1600-meter runner in the area. His teammate, Eli Guerra, is #2 on the list with his 10:13.58 time.
Despite a long list of solid returners in the area only Guerra, Bandera's Braden Cox and Mack Segovia (Brooks Academy of Science and Engineering) actually competed in the 3200 meters at the Regional meet last year. Cox was the top finisher taking 6th place and all five in front of him return to other schools in the Region.
4A Girls
There is a long list of 4A girls 3200-meter runners returning to the fold this year and the best of the bunch is Canyon Lake's Cadence Patterson who finished third in the Regional meet last year. She has run a best time of 11:43.35 well ahead of Davenport's Madeline Reagan and Fredericksburg's Ann Claire Cop who have each run 11:56.
After the top three, Eleanor Davis (Boerne) and Katie Dallas (La Vernia) are the best of the rest. They have both run sub-12:30. Boerne and Fredericksburg each have multiple returning runners who will be trying to push their way into the top group of contenders.
3A Boys
With former State champion Wyatt Hoover graduating it opens up the competition among the 3A boys 3200-meter runners. Benjamin Alcott of Great Hearts Northern Oaks and Randolph's Josh Howard will both compete for a Regional title. Alcott was third in the Region last year with a 10:05.70. Howard has a top time of 10:09.30 and was also 35th at the State cross country meet.
After the top two, the quality dips a little bit to a pair of Cole runners, Sean Smyth and Javier Hernandez Cole. Randolph has a plethora of talent to choose from in the 3200 meters with four more runners ranking among the top 15 returners in the area. Elliot and Oliver Ludington are the best of the remainder for the Ro-Hawks.
3A Girls
The 3A girls line up in a similar fashion to the 3A boys with two runners at the top who should compete for an automatic spot at the State meet. Randolph's Sophia Bendet was fourth and Poth's Keira McKinney was seventh at the Regional meet last year in the 3200. Each runner has a best time in the 12:40's which is well ahead of any other challengers in the area. Bendet took fourth at the State cross country meet.
Cole has a solid group of 2-milers, but it is unlikely that any would be able to make the leap to challenge Bendet or McKinney. Poth has three girls to keep an eye on after seeing what they did at the State cross country results this fall: Brooklyn Albert, Rylee Ellis, and Kora Rocha (Poth).
Other Boys
I am combining the private schools, smaller public schools and home school athletes into one group. The usual names dot the list of the top 3200-meter runners in the area. TMI's Marcelo Parra and Franco Parra are at the top and Marcelo is one of the top in the nation after running an 8:55.15 last year. The duo will likely be the top two 2-milers in the area regardless of classification.
The top five runners in the area rounds out with Central Catholic's Nathan Morales and Andrew Rivas slotting in at #3 and #4 as both have run under 9:45. Jack Hicks from San Antonio Christian is the fifth runner who has gone under the 10-minute barrier. Elias Flores (FEAST) is the top non-private school runner and Kash Brown of Falls City is the top small, public school runner.
Other Girls
Micaela Villarreal of Antonian and Lesli Salas of Cornerstone Christian School gives this division plenty of star power to match up with anyone in the area. Villarreal has run a 10:57.53 while Salas has crossed the tape in 11:11.53. Villarreal swept the 1600, 3200 and cross country State titles in the past year and was recently fourth at the USATF National XC Championships held in College Station. Salas has won the 800, 1600, 3200 and cross country TAPPS 1A titles in the past year.
The Antonian twins, Hannah and Haylee Maya, have run right at 12 minutes for the 3200 while Loghan Gonzales of FEAST is about 10 seconds behind them. Makayla Janysek of Falls City has run a time of 13:11.72 is the top UIL 2A runner in the area but will likely focus on the 800.
* Please note that all times are taken from the MileSplit website. There is always a possibility that someone I mentioned no longer competes for the school they did last year or that they are even competing in track and field anymore. These articles are just a very early preview of the upcoming season.