SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - When I wrote
my individual event preview articles I thought about writing one for the relays
but realized that was going to be difficult for a number of reasons. A majority
of the meet results do not list the actual relay members and some teams change
their relays throughout the year depending on the meet. So, what I have decided
to do is to take a look back at the programs that consistently produce the top
relay teams in the area.
I decided to look at the past five years of results in the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400-meter relays for UIL 4A, 5A and 6A since the other divisions do not have as many locals schools. I found quite a bit of information that I already knew such as the Reagan girls are always excellent in the sprint relays and the Boerne Champion girls are outstanding in the 4x400 every year, but I also found some information that I was not aware of like the Tivy boys 4x100 has been among the top 5A teams in the area each of the past five years.
I have been of the opinion for awhile now that certain programs really take pride in their relays and that they put the extra time and effort into them that makes them high quality year after year. They may have some seasons where they are not the best of the best, but they will put good teams on the track that can compete at the big meets. I have singled out programs that have produced relay teams that have posted a top 10 time in the area for each of the past five seasons and I am using their current classification so even though some schools have jumped between classifications I am only comparing them to their current level.
Boy's 4x100 Relay
| School | Classification | Best Time |
| Judson | 6A | 40.17 (2018) |
| Roosevelt | 6A | 41.93 (2022) |
| Smithson Valley | 5A | 41.82 (2020) |
| Tivy | 5A | 43.48 (2021) |
| Boerne | 4A | 43.10 (2022) |
| Devine | 4A | 43.53 (2018) |
| Fredericksburg | 4A | 44.10 (2021) |
| Wimberley | 4A | 43.27 (2022) |
Boy's 4x200 Relay
| School | Classification | Best Time |
| Judson | 6A | 1:23.58 (2018) |
| Alamo Heights | 5A | 1:29.87 (2022) |
| Canyon | 5A | 1:27.93 (2019) |
| Smithson Valley | 5A | 1:26.53 (2019) |
| Boerne | 4A | 1:30.21 (2019) |
| Devine | 4A | 1:31.24 (2018) |
| Fredericksburg | 4A | 1:30.95 (2018) |
| La Vernia | 4A | 1:31.62 (2019) |
| Wimberley | 4A | 1:26.79 (2022) |
Boy's 4x400 Relay
| School | Classification | Best Time |
| Brandeis | 6A | 3:19.88 (2022) |
| Judson | 6A | 3:13.63 (2018) |
| Boerne Champion | 5A | 3:20.78 (2022) |
| Canyon | 5A | 3:23.76 (2019) |
| Medina Valley | 5A | 3:23.65 (2019) |
| Smithson Valley | 5A | 3:19.56 (2022) |
| Tivy | 5A | 3:22.56 (2018) |
| Boerne | 4A | 3:30.66 (2022) |
| Fredericksburg | 4A | 3:24.59 (2022) |
Girl's 4x100 Relay
| School | Classification | Best Time |
| Brennan | 6A | 48.38 (2020) |
| Harlan | 6A | 48.88 (2022) |
| Johnson | 6A | 48.76 (2018) |
| Judson | 6A | 47.03 (2022) |
| Reagan | 6A | 45.00 (2021) |
| Boerne Champion | 5A | 48.17 (2021) |
| Seguin | 5A | 46.75 (2022) |
| Smithson Valley | 5A | 46.80 (2022) |
| Wagner | 5A | 47.75 (2022) |
| Devine | 4A | 50.43 (2021) |
| Fredericksburg | 4A | 49.59 (2021) |
| La Vernia | 4A | 49.40 (2018) |
| Uvalde | 4A | 48.99 (2021) |
| Wimberley | 4A | 49.79 (2021) |
Girl's 4x200 Relay
| School | Classification | Best Time |
| Reagan | 6A | 1:38.12 (2021) |
| Medina Valley | 5A | 1:42.94 (2022) |
| Seguin | 5A | 1:42.74 (2022) |
| Boerne | 4A | 1:47.21 (2018) |
| Devine | 4A | 1:46.89 (2021) |
| Fredericksburg | 4A | 1:46.62 (2018) |
| La Vernia | 4A | 1:43.86 (2022) |
| Wimberley | 4A | 1:44.52 (2018) |
Girl's 4x400 Relay
| School | Classification | Best Time |
| Brandeis | 6A | 3:55.38 (2021) |
| Harlan | 6A | 4:00.64 (2022) |
| Reagan | 6A | 3:47.40 (2022) |
| Boerne Champion | 5A | 3:50.94 (2019) |
| Canyon | 5A | 4:04.30 (2022) |
| Smithson Valley | 5A | 3:44.59 (2022) |
| Bandera | 4A | 4:08.72 (2022) |
| Canyon Lake | 4A | 4:04.84 (2022) |
| Devine | 4A | 4:11.01 (2019) |
| Fredericksburg | 4A | 3:58.00 (2018) |
| La Vernia | 4A | 4:10.67 (2018) |
| Wimberley | 4A | 4:00.82 (2018) |
If I were to guess which teams were going to be at the top of the relay lists this year, my first guess is those who come from the above schools. There are a few noteworthy things to mention from these lists. The Reagan girls not only were in the top 10 in the 4x100 and 4x200, but they were the top team each of the five years in both events. The Boerne Champion girls were the only 4x400 relay team in any division to break 4:00 each year.
There were a few other groups that were the top team in their division each of the past five years including Judson boys 4x200 and 4x400, Smithson Valley boys 4x400 and the Fredericksburg girls 4x400.
One final thing I would like to ask of all the teams is to let me know anytime a school record is broken. I would like to highlight those accomplishments every time it happens. I can be contacted via email at shanemeling@gmail.com or via Twitter @ShaneMeling.