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The silver medalist from last year's UIL State Meet was Makaylee Ray a senior from Poolville, the bronze medalist was Emily Pharris a junior from Shelbyville. Pharris also had the fastest time coming in from regionals with a time of 2:21.01. Ray in lane one, Jessica Garcia from Eldorado in lane 5 and Pharris in lane 7 were all returners from last year's state meet.
It was a clean start with a tight pack through the first two hundred. A little bit of jockeying for position but Pharris came through first with a time of 1:07.77 Tabor Christanelli a senior from Quanah came through with a 1:07.93.
When it came down to the last two hundred meters Brown led the way home. Graci Brown from Nocona just a sophomore was your gold medalist with a time of 2:15.84, Pharris finished in second place with a time of 2:17.82 and Christanelli was your third place finished with a 2:18.38.
1600m
It was a fair start for the evening distance race and these girls were ready to run. Kaycei Salazar, a sophomore from La Villa came in with a 5.18.64 which was the fastest seed time.
It was a pretty tightly packed run for the first 400 with Emily Pharris, a junior from Shelbyville coming through first with Salazar not far behind at 2:41.28.
Salazar and Cameron Belcher, a junior from Windthorst coming through 1, 2 at the halfway point with everyone else content to follow along behind biding their time.
At the bell lap Salazar made her move with a 1:10.53, Blecher at 1:14.23 and Calista Turner a junior from Malakoff Cross Roads following behind in third with a 1:14.65.
On the back stretch Salazar extended her lead and with 100m to go she turned on the jets and won the gold medal with a 5:15.75. The silver went to Belcher with a 5.19.84 and Turner for the bronze 5:20.72.
Kacei Salazar wins the UIL 2A girls 1600m
Photo Credit: Shelton Jolivette/MileSplit TX
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