1-6A
Girls
The sprints are always big time in Region 1-6A. The DFW area is one of the fastest hotbeds of track and field and the region is oversaturated with speed and talent.
Lewisville sprinter Te'anna Harlin qualified for state last year as a junior from the region. She finished sixth overall and is one of the favorites to get back to Austin. The Brazzell sisters from Northwest Nelson are enjoying a great 2023 season and look forward to continuing it. Sophomore Skylar Brazzell has been one of the state's top sprinters and checks in with a 11.74 in the 100m and 24.39 in the 200m from the area rounds. Her older sister Bryce Brazzell was hot on her tail in both events at the area rounds with her 11.84 and 24.40 performances. Sophomore Bailey Johnson (Arlington Bowie) has a 11.56 from areas in the 100m and Arlington Martin sprinters Caitlyn Cavitt and Latoreia Perkins had promising area meet performances.
In the 200m, all ladies will have to deal with perhaps the most consistent runner all season long, Lauren Lewis from Prosper. Lewis has been in the mid to low 23s all season long and her 400m strength will make it tough on the short sprinters to have to hold their form in the latter stages of the race.
Lewis is also the favorite in the 400m. The state record holder at 51.83 is looking to repeat as the UIL 6A state champion. The rest of the field will have a tough go to qualify for state with Kyla Lewis (Prosper Rock Hill) and Ivana Odonkor (McKinney) have been just as consistent as Lewis. They could both run in the 54s and possibly 53 and all three could make it to Austin.
All of the distance races will be interesting to watch. The 800m has two of the three medalists from last year back and could replace Aubrey O'connell who graduated. Sasha Crawford (Keller) was third at state last year and has the top area time of 2:09.41. Nicole Humphries (Flower Mound) has the second best time from area and has eyes on medaling at state with her 2:10.34. Nicole beat the reigning defending state champion and her sister Samantha Humphries who ran 2:10.34.
The Humphries twins will compete in all three distance races, so there is some window of opportunity for other girls. With four girls at 2:13.08 and faster from the area rounds, there is a possibility of several girls sneaking into the state meet from the region.
In the 1600m, the Humphries are again favorites. Samantha was the state meet runner-up from last year and Nicole was the bronze medal winner in 2022. They are the top area qualifiers with teammate Alexandra Fox the third best qualifier at 4:51.20. As with the 800m, there is no shortage of girls who will be like sharks with blood in the water. The 1600m will be the third race for the Humphries and the second of the day and the same for Fox on the day. Four additional girls in the region have under 5:00 and could be anticipating a window of opportunity for them to grab qualifying positions.
The 3200m is yet another chance for Flower Mound to gain an advantage to try to repeat as state meet team champions. That will be driving force in them trying to get two to three qualifiers out for the second straight season. Fox and the Humphries will be fresh for this event and probably the most prepared. However, the Lady As, Ava Bushaw, Audrey Dunn and Alexandra Walsh (Southlake Carroll) along with Macy Wingard (Denton Braswell) have all run under 11:00 this season and could threaten to grab a state meet qualifying spot.
Sidney Green (Allen) will be the hurdle favorite in both events. She has the top area mark in the 100 meter hurdles at 14.46. Mikayla Watson (Keller Timber Creek) at 14.67, Skyler Schuller (Coppell) at 14.69, Grace Bettencourt (Flower Mound) at 14.83, and Mikayla Douglas (Irving MacArthur) at 14.87 all ran sub 15.0 at their area meets and might be in position to qualify for state.
In the 300 meter hurdles, Green is the prohibitive favorite. She is the state record holder with her 40.63 from Texas Relays and she could be eyeing the UIL state record when she gets back to Mike A. Myers. Schuller and Douglass are both under 45 from the area rounds.
In the 4x100 relay, Lewisville is the only team in the region to run under 46.0 this year and have the fastest time in the 4x200 with their 1:37.95 from the district meet. Prosper didn't qualify for regionals in the 4x400 relay. Their 3:47 is the fastest time of any team in the region, but it's Denton Guyer with their 3:51 from area that has the next fastest time. In fact, the entire area was rolling and Coppell, Plano West, and McKinney were all within 0.48 within one another.
In the field events, Region 1-6A has some of the state's best.
Defending state champion Emma Sralla (Marcus) is the second best discus thrower ever in Texas, Skylynn Townsend (Rock Hill) long jumped 20-8.5 and triple jumped 41-2. Three other girls jumped over 19 feet and three girls went over 38-0 in the area rounds. Riley Ward (Flower Mound) is the defending state champion in the high jump and went 6-0 at area, and Schuller jumped 14-1 at area to lead two other girls over 13-0.
Boys
Xavier Lewis (Lewisville) qualified for the UIL 6A state meet in the 100m last year. He will give it another go this weekend. However, Justin Stewart (Hurst Bell) has been on fire all season long. He ran 10.46 at the area meet for the fastest time from the last round. Marquis Shorten (Arlington Martin) is right on his tail at 10.47. With several runners who are looking to qualify for state, Tavares Duckett II (Arlington Bowie) and Renaud Francois (Keller Timber Creek) both ran 10.57. El Paso Franklin senior Beau Sparks won the UIL 6A 1-2 area meet with a 10.67.
In the 200m, many of the same suspects from the 100m will be lining up.
Jonathan Simms (Allen) qualified for state last year as a freshman and in his second UIL season, he has proven to be the best quartermiler in the state for most of the season.
The 800m is open for the most part with eleven guys under 1:57 from the area rounds. Prosper junior Layne Sheely at 1:55.37 has the top time from areas in the DFW. However, the top returning half miler from 2022 and the UIL 6A state meet runner-up Omer Ibrahim will be back in Arlington. He ran 1:55.27 at his area meet with his Pebble Hills teammate Mark Barajs in second in 1:55.86, Miguel Lujan (Odessa) in third in 1:55.91.
The 1600m and 3200m will be interesting events to watch. The young Carroll distance runners Caden Leonard and Jude Alvarez are showing their fitness levels. They are the top regional qualifiers from the DFW areas with 4:19s in the 1600m. Alvarez is also the top 3200m qualifier with Joaquin De La Cruz and Caleb Millard of (McKinney Boyd) turning in the second and third fastest area 3200m times.
Luis Pastor (El Paso Coronado) is back in action. He is still rounding into running form after sitting out from injury, but he qualified for regionals with a 4:18 in the 1600m and a 9:22 in the 3200m. In fact three other guys from El Paso are heading to Arlington under 9:37 in the last round.
In the hurdles, Braswell's Austin Kiser looks to get back to state in bothe the 110s and the 300 meter hurdles. he ran 14.19 and 37.97 last round.
All of the the boys relays will be interesting. Five 4x100 relays ran under 41.50 with Allen's 41.24 the top time. Allen's 3:13.85 also leads the region in the 4x400 relay. They are looking to improve on last year's 4x100 finish and they're one of the top 6A teams this year in the 4x400.
Hurst Bell not only has fast sprinter. They have David Wilson III in the shot put who threw a 63-9.75 bomb in the area rounds.
Levar Thornton (Keller Timber Creek) jumped 6-10 in the high jump and Trystyn Jones-Hall (Crowley) went 6-8 behind him.
Jake Dorrell (Denton Guyer) is having an outstanding season in the pole vault. He wasn't scratching the surface in being close to qualifying for the state meet last year, but 2023 is completely different. He skied to 16-4.75 to win the UIL 6A 5-6 area meet and the state title is within reach.