Photo of Jaden Faz of Somerset
The outdoor season is right around the corner, but before it starts there are still two more events to preview. Today, it is time to check out the triple jumpers in San Antonio.
6A Boys
The top three 6A boys triple jumpers are also three of the best football players in the area. Steele's Dontae Carter finished third in the Region last year and went over 45-feet at all three championship meets with a top mark of 46-3.25. Right behind Carter is Ty Hawkins of Johnson who only competed during the championship season but went 45-7.5 at the Area meet.
East Central's Austin Vivier and Judson's Jaireus Boldin both jumped 44-8.25 last year. Neither was able to advance past a loaded Area meet. Looking forward to the season, 10 of the top 11 from last year's Regional meet return. Reagan's Robbie Booker and Deanthony Anderson of East Central are the other two returners who are close to reaching 44-feet. The top freshman from last year is Judson's Caiden Walker who went 41-5.5 while competing at the JV level.
6A Girls
Harlan's Iyanna Webb and Steele's Justice Boston are a step ahead of the rest of San Antonio. Webb was the Regional champ with a leap of 40-4.75 and had a great summer season where she jumped at least 40-6 at four AAU meets. Boston took third at the Regional meet and returns as a favorite to go to State this year. Her season best was 39-5.75 at the Area meet and she went over 38-feet at every championship meet.
The remainder of the top returners includes four jumpers from Judson. The best of the bunch is Alyssa Renney who jumped 37-1 and just missed advancing out of the District meet. Her teammates, Anette Ndayishimiye, Jada Arkadie and Anesa Jones all went past 34-6 last year and will give the Rockets another group of outstanding jumpers. Churchill's Siena Isaac, Reagan's Sa'naa Tucker and Iduzaye Igiehon of Clemens are three others to follow.
5A Boys
In addition to being the top two returning long jumpers Boerne Champion's Joshua Hierholzer and Hayden Brace are the top returning triple jumpers in the area. Hierholzer was the Regional champ jumping 46-4 to advance to the State meet as a sophomore. Brace went 45-4.25 to take third at Regionals and he was the Area and District champions as well.
After the two BC boys it gets interesting with Pieper, Seguin and Veterans Memorial each having two returners who have jumped at least 42-feet. Pieper's Kahdyn Freeman went 43-4.75 as a freshman last year and his teammate Michael Ajagbe went 42-9.75. Seguin's Kayden Holz is the only other returner over 43-feet and his teammate, Kevin Lingueno, went 42-2. Ben Toney and Deondrey Alvarado hail from Veterans Memorial meaning the top eight returning jumpers are all from the same district.
5A Girls
While Seguin's Daisha Shular is the top returning long jumper, her sister, Arianna Shular, is the top returning triple jumper with a mark of 37-1. Her teammate, Leah Brown, is the second best returner with a distance of 36-7. Neither made the Regional meet thanks to a tough Area meet. Brackenridge's Alasia Brown is the top local returner from the Regional meet where she finished ninth with a jump of 35-7.25.
Canyon's Carlee Sturm is the only other returner who jumped over 35-feet. She went 35-5.5 in February but was unable to build upon it in her freshman season. There are five others who went past 34-feet including Iyonna Sherwood of MacArthur and Aaliyah Palmer of Alamo Heights who is also highly ranked in the long jump.
4A Boys
There are only two returning locals who competed at the 4A Regional meet, Gianni Evans-Williams of Davenport and Jaden Faz of Somerset. Faz finished ahead of Evans-Williams at the meet, but Evans-Williams has the top returning mark at 43-0. Faz had a season best of 41-9.
Jeremiah Conaway of YMLA and Aidan Duffek of La Vernia should each be two of the best in the area. Both were high 42-foot jumpers last year. Overall, the Region will be a difficult one to get out of with State champion Oliver Miles of El Campo back for his senior season after jumping 50-10 last year as well as two others who jumped over 46-feet.
4A Girls
There is a strong group of returning triple jumpers this year in the area and in Region IV in general. There are a total of six girls in the area who jumped at least 35-0 last year and the best of the bunch is Wimberley's Baylee Gold. Gold finished fifth in the Region last year and had a season best of 37-8 but it will likely take at least 38-feet to make the State meet this year.
Fredericksburg's Ava Stuewe and Savanna Oberholtzer of Canyon Lake were also Regional qualifiers last year. Neither jumped their best at Regionals but Stuewe has a personal best of 36-10.75 and Oberholtzer went 35-10.5 as a freshman. La Vernia's Tyler Miles and Fredericksburg's Addie Schoessow each will be in the mix as well. One of the limiting factors is that Canyon Lake, Fredericksburg and Wimberley are all in the same district. One final girl to keep tabs of is Davenport's Kendall Fallon who only competed in the triple jump one time last year, but went 34-7.5 at her previous school, Boerne Champion.
3A Boys
I expect this to be a tightly contested event in the area this year with four returners all in the 43-foot range. Dorian Aranda (Dilley) Aiden Martinez (Great Hearts Monte Vista) and Chase Hallmark (Marion) all finished in the top-7 in the Region last year and all three should be in contention for a State meet berth. Aranda has the top personal best of the group, 43-11.25, but it is a tough call as to who will be the best this year.
Cole's James Livingston did not really start competing until April last year and still nearly qualified for Regionals. He jumped 43-1.75 to win District 26-3A and then finished fifth at the Area meet despite jumping 42-10. After Livingston the only other returner who has jumped over 40-feet is Gabriel Silansky of Poth who went 41-0.5 in his only recorded meet.
3A Girls
Cole's Maddison Kitson heads into her senior season as one of the best horizontal jumpers around. She is easily the top returning 3A triple jumper who has an all-time best of over 37-feet and went 36-3.5 last year. She was the top local jumper at the Regional meet where she finished sixth, but all of the first five finishers will also be back.
Randolph's Amari Haines and Poth's Adisen Magill are the only other returners who have even jumped 34-feet. Both had season bests just over that mark. The one jumper outside the top-3 to follow is Dilley's Alyssa Perez who jumped 32-11 as a freshman last year. She was the District 28-3A champion and a Regional finalist.
Other Boys
I am combining private schools, smaller public schools and homeschool athletes into one group. There are five quality returning TAPPS State finalists from a year ago and that does not count Stockdale's Camden Derricoatte who was a UIL 2A Regional finalist with a top mark of 43-2.25. He was also a State finalist in the 110mH.
Josiah Wentrcek of Christian School at Castle Hills was the silver medalist in 3A and had a season best of 43-6.25. San Antonio Christian has a pair of returners who scored at the State meet in Joshua Aiken and Adrian Rule who both jumped over 42-feet. Antonian's Marcus Miller finished fifth in 6A and had top jump of 42-10.5 while Luke Harrison of Central Catholic finished sixth and had a season best of 41-3.5.
Other Girls
Fredericksburg Heritage won a team State title last year and one of the reasons was Ellie Shipman who won the TAPPS 1A State title by nearly two feet with a leap of 32-11.5. Castle Hills sophomore Addalyn Erps took home a silver medal in 3A with a jump of 33-5. Olivia McCabe of San Antonio Christian should compete with Shipman and Erps for the top spot in the area this year after jumping 33-2.75 last year.
Antonian's Annaliese Beninato and Incarnate Word's Cheyenne Deckard are each top returners in both horizontal jumps. Beninato went 32-0.5 last year while Deckard was right behind her at 31-8.
* 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.