Girls Teams With Potential To Win UIL 5A State Championship

Lancaster girls pose at the 2022 girls state track and field championships

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The UIL 5A team state title has gone back to Missouri City to Fort Bend Marshall and Lancaster for the past two years. This year, there are no shortage of competition for the championship this year. By looking at the season stats, we see several teams, but especially four within nine points of the top spot. The scoring is based on our meet point system, which isn't the UIL scoring system, but the traditional of scoring eight places without awarding double relay points.

Here are how the UIL 5A girls team rankings show the state meet could look next month.

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After a sixth place finish last year, Cedar Park has the top score of 46 points and that is a tough 46 to score as it comes without relay points and it will be hard to fend off the double point scoring. Things start with state champion Isabel Conde De Frankenberg. It's likely she will be shooting for the distance trifecta as she did last year. Frankenberg has the chance to bring in 20 - 30 points alone. 

Hurdler Amani Graham is another possible multi point scorer for the Timberwolves. Graham ranks second in the 5A girls 100 meter hurdles after a FAT/wind legal run at Texas Relays. She is also ranked No.6 in the 300 meter hurdles.

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The team to beat could be Smithson Valley who steps down from the 6A classification where they finished ninth last year. The Lady Rangers have just about everything covered from the sprints to the 1600m and into the field events. Zada Zimmerman lowered her SB in the 100 meter hurdles at the Texas Relays (+4.0 wind), Alyssa Jones has top 5A marks in both the 100m and 200m (was fifth in 6A long jump last year), Mia Perez has top 5A marks in both the 800m and 1600m and could make it out of a tough Region 4-5A, and Jazmyn Singh who finished fourth at last year's 6A state meet is the second ranked 400m runner. 

While it would be hard for everything to be perfect for Smithson Valley, stranger things have happened. But, they won't just be banking on those four girls as they have more scoring opportunities. Pole vaulter Ella Pickron has a good shot to medal with her 12-0 best, which could be valuable. The 4x200 relay is a close second to Lancaster in the 5A rankings and the  4x400 relay is fourth after the Texas Relays.

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Lucas Lovejoy scored 29 points at last year's 5A state meet to finish in sixth place. This year, the back-to-back 5A cross country state champions have another opportunity to podium and possibly win it all. They also have the ability to emulate what Flower Mound did in 6A last year.

Senior Amy Morefield and junior Sara Morefield both added points last year with their running in the 1600m and 3200m events. The Morefield sisters are again 5A ranked runners in the longer events and sophomore Camryn Benson is the 10th ranked 5A runner in the 3200m. Pair that trio with reigning defending 800m state champion Kailey Littlefield who also scored in the 1600m. Littlefield is also a top ranked quartermiler in 5A if she chooses to go the 400m/800m route.

The Lady Leopards also have relay opportunities in the 4x200 and 4x400 relays. They rank 10th in the state in the 4x200, but are fifth in the region making it difficult to get to the state meet. The 4x400 relay could be a completely different story. It could potentially add anywhere between 12-20 points to the team total as they are the top ranked 5A squad.

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Lancaster checks in as the fourth placed team in our scoring just nine points behind the top spot. They have a knack for finding their way to the podium as they are perennial champions and trophy winners. Recently, last year they finished third overall with a total of 52 points and in 2021 they tied for the state title.

Their biggest strength is their relay scoring ability as they scored 42 points off the three relays last year. The Lady Tigers rank No. 1 in the 4x100 and 4x200, and third in the 4x400 relay. Another strength of Lancaster's over the years is the 400m and the hurdles. They have two hurdlers who can score points in Talicia Fair who ran well at Texas Relays and senior Kialia Claiborne in the 100 meter hurdles. Kelaiah Daniyan ranks in the top 5 in the 5A girls 400m and could help keep Lancaster competitive.