Photo of Mackenzie Dagrosa
As a former high school track coach, the District meet is my favorite meet of the season. It is the final meet where the entire team competes and cheers on their teammates. It is not always the team that has the very best athletes, but rather takes an entire team performing well to pick up the extra points needed to win a title.
Shining Bright
There were many outstanding performances this past week, but there are a few individual performances that really stood out to me. There were three athletes who won four individual events and six who won three individual events. Iyanna Webb led Harlan to a District 29-6A title with her amazing performance. She won the long jump (20-6.5) and triple jump (40-11.5) on the first day of the competition and then won both hurdle events on the second day running 14.26 in the 100mH and 44.14 in the 300mH. Medina Valley's Carter Hewitt took individual gold in the long jump (20-6) and triple jump (42-9) in the field events and then won the 100m in 10.90 and 200m in 22.05. The final member of the four gold medals club is YMLA's Jeremiah Conaway won the high jump (5-8), triple jump (44-10.5) and both hurdle events posting times of 15.79 in the 110mH and 41.88 in the 300mH. He also picked up a fourth-place finish in the long jump.
The athletes who won three individual gold medals were Isabella Dagrosa (Reagan), Katie Dallas (La Vernia), Elizabeth Leachman (Boerne Champion), Caila Lyons (Brennan), Savanah Moya (New Braunfels), and Kiyana Perez (Medina Valley). Dagrosa won the long jump (18-6.75), 100mH (14.55) and 300mH (43.73). Dallas' wins came in the 800m (2:23.32), 1600m (5:35.48) and 3200m (12:18.58). Leachman won the same events as Dallas and set a new San Antonio record in the 1600m with her time of 4:40.47 to go along with excellent times of 2:10.24 in the 800m and 10:26.95 in the 3200m. Lyons pulled off the rare triple victory in the 400m (56.13), 800m (2:11.76) and 1600m (5:07.37) in a fabulous race where the top four runners finished within 1.4 seconds of each other. Moya pulled off the same feat as Dallas and Leachman winning with times of 2:14.96, 5:07.72 and 11:17.90, respectively. Perez won the 100mH (16.04), 300mH (48.90) and high jump (5-0).
The Race of the Day
While Caila Lyons won a tightly contested 1600m for Brennan, it does not match how close the District 27-4A girls 4x400m relay turned out to be. The host school, Wimberley, won the race in 4:00.22 while Davenport nipped second place in 4:00.43, Fredericksburg was third in 4:00.55 and Canyon Lake was fourth in 4:01.06.
Dominating the Event
It is difficult to sweep any event so I wanted to highlight some of those teammates that were able to pull it off. At the District 27-6A meet, the Clemens boys 110mH hurdlers and the Judson girls 300mH hurdlers were expected to sweet and they did, but the San Marcos boys milers pulled off a huge upset when Tucker Jones, Connor Mcglothlin and Adrian Rangel took down higher-seeded runners from Clemens and New Braunfels. All three are underclassmen and Jones and Rangel are both freshmen. The Clemens sweep was accomplished by Jackson Jones, Paul Mencke and Caleb Martinez who all ran 15.41 or better in the 110mH. The Judson girls were hoping to sweep both hurdle events but had to settle for Dayja'nae Pettit, Maria Flores and Jolene Martinez taking the top three spots in the 300mH running 46.15 or getter.
At the 28-6A meet, the Brandeis trio of Ada Mathias, Danelly Carrion and Violet Ostrowski took the top three spots in the 800m. That matched what the Reagan boys accomplished in the discus with Hector Ucha, Ryan Ramirez and Hurst Tyler dominating the event.
The Medina Valley girls pulled off a sweep in the 200m in District 28-5A. Madison Pinto, Cara Garcia and Amariah Young took the top three spots but Young only managed third place by a hundredth of a second.
In District 27-5A, the Alamo Heights boys took the top three spots in the 110mH led by Max Bacon, Jack Hollimon and James Lynch. They also took home 24 points in the pole vault with Harper Baggett, Aaron Silva and Ryan Stetson taking the top three spots.
The La Vernia girls pole vaulters have been outstanding all season long and it was no different last week as they completely dominated District 28-4A. Zoe Breitsprecher won with a clearance of 11-6 while Chloe McCloskey went 10-6 and Kelsey McCloskey cleared 10-0.
The only other 1-2-3 finishes I noticed were pulled off by the Randolph boys in District 26-3A. Aaron Davis, Palmer Vandevere and Hagen Kalynko easily swept the 100m. Soon after Braylen Brown, Messiah Miller and Kai Evans earned 24 points in the 400m and then Austin Young, Vandevere and Kevin Harris took the top three spots in the 200m.
Randolph's Relays
The Randolph boys and girls each swept all three relays at the District 26-3A championships en route to two team titles. The boys posted times of 43.29 in the 4x100m, 1:28.58 in the 4x200m and 3:28.58 in the 4x400m. Their 4x200m team is ranked #3 in the State. The girls won with times of 49.29 in the 4x100m, 1:46.61 in the 4x200m ad 3:54.44 in the 4x400m. They have won the State title in the 4x100m each of the last two years thanks to Taylor Nunez who ranks #1 in the State in both the 100m and 200m. However, this year she has joined the 4x400m team along with Sophia Bendet who ranks #1 in the State in the 800m and 1600m. They are currently ranked #1 in the State in the 4x400m and are one of two teams that have broken 4:00. I would be remiss if I did not mention that Austin Young jumped 24-1 in the long jump for the boys team to win the district title and take over as the #1 long jumper in 3A this year.
Jumping Over the Competition
The San Antonio area is blessed with a large number of high-quality girls high jumpers this year. Last week there were three that stood out above the rest. Reagan's Mackenzie Dagrosa finally reached the magic height of 6-0 after having chances at it for the past three seasons. It put her #1 in the nation in the high jump. Boerne's Kendall Lemm cleared 5-10 last year and went 5-8 to win District 27-4A where three others also cleared 5-4. Finally, Pieper's Caroline Peterson, the 2022 UIL 4A State champion, cleared 5-6 en route to winning District 26-5A.
School Records
In this section, I want to highlight the new school records that were set during the week. I need coaches to please let me know when you have a new record set. Either email me at shanemeling@gmail.com or message at me @ShaneMeling on X (Twitter).
Iyanna Webb, Harlan, long jump,
20-6.5
Mahogany Pierce, Brennan, long jump,
18-1.5
Justice Boston, Steele, triple jump,
40-1.75
Gavin Chapa, Reagan, 1600m, 4:14.14
Ryan Kovacs, Davenport, high jump,
5-4
Elijah Hernandez, Sotomayor, 400m,
47.36
Taft Boys, 4x200m Relay, 1:27.62
(Malik White, David Aguirre, Cristian Mendoza, Ja'Dan Keiler)
Kendall Perry, Marshall, 200m,
25.89
Sean Torres, Taft, 1600m, 4:34.47
Frances Serrano, Davenport, shot
put, 34-1.5
River Gomez, Davenport, pole vault,
9-0
Aliyah Montanio, Davenport, triple
jump, 34-5.75
Kyle Stautzenberger, Davenport, pole
vault, 12-6
Bradley Quick, Davenport, pole
vault, 12-6
Clayton Williams, Davenport, 110mH,
15.70
Mackenzie Dagrosa, Reagan, high
jump, 6-0
Caila Lyons, Brennan, 800m, 2:11.76
Marshall girls, 4x200m Relay, 1:44.08
(Kendall Perry, Karmyn Daily, Kaylen McTyer, Marieme Fall)
Davenport girls, 4x400 Relay, 4:00.43
(Kendall Fallon, Rylee Reisdorph, Ryan Kovacs, Macie Fallon)
Elizabeth Leachman, Boerne
Champion, 1600m, 4:40.47
Kassia Kozarski, Steele, 1600m,
5:18.96
Kourtni Geyer, Devine, pole vault,
10-4
Kylie Monreal, Devine, 300mH, 45.30
Warren boys, 4x100m Relay, 41.69
(Lorenzo Ramirez, George Silva, Isaiah Huerta, Nick Ross)
Kendall Fallon, Davenport, 300mH,
46.79
District Results
I wanted to go back through and see how I did in picking my District champions.
· District 27-6A Boys
I was both right and wrong. I picked New Braunfels, but did not feel confident about it saying that I thought there were four contending teams and it ended up being Clemens winning by eight points over Steele. The Unicorns finished in third place.
One Performance to Remember: East Central's Deanthony Anderson posted the longest triple jump in the city with a winning jump of 46-8.75.
Big Question: What events will Jakob Gilbreth run for the Unicorns? A: The 100m, 200m and 400m, which he won in 48.32.
· District 27-6A Girls
My preview was spot on here and it was Judson winning the team title by two points over Steele and they did have to sweat out the 4x400m. The Rockets needed to finish two places in front of Steele to win the team title. They took first in 3:56.48 and then East Central came through to beat Steele by less than a half-second for the silver medal to secure the team title. Steele and Judson went back-and-forth throughout the meet. Steele led 119-115 heading into the 4x200m relay and extended their lead to 149-137 heading into the 300mH where the Rockets went 1-2-3 to take a 161-153 lead. The Lady Knights went back ahead after a strong performance in the 1600m, 174-168 to set the stage for the 4x400m.
One Performance to Remember: San Marcos freshman Nellie Mauritz-Barboza won the pole vault with a clearance of 11-3 and also ran 59.66 in the 400m for sixth place.
Big Question: Can New Braunfels freshman Savanah Moya win the 800m, 1600m and 3200m or will Steele's Jadyn Cook or Kassia Kozarski knock her off in one of the races? A: Moya came through in a big way for the Unicorns and won all three events as a freshman.
· District 28-6A Boys
Reagan was a safe choice but the right choice as they won with 168 points. I thought it would be close for second place, but Johnson distanced themselves from the rest of the pack with 138 points. The 800m did prove to be a great race with eight guys breaking two minutes.
One Performance to Remember: Churchill's Alejandro Rosales took out the 800m hard and led the entire way en route to a fantastic time of 1:52.74. It was the fastest time in San Antonio since Judson's Santos Flores ran 1:52.61 at the 2022 Region IV-6A meet.
Big Question(s): I have two questions for this meet. Will Reagan's Sam Abati continue to fly high and clear 18-feet in the pole vault and can Brandeis freshman Ben Tealer pull off the difficult task of winning the 400m and 800m? A: Neither one came to fruition as swirling winds prevented Abati from setting a new record and Tealer did not compete in the 800m, although he won the 400m.
· District 28-6A Girls
The Reagan girls won again and have not lost a district title since 2015. They picked up 191 points while Johnson was second with 138. I did not have to go too far out on the limb to get this one right.
One Performance to Remember: This is an easy pick here. Standing within 10 yards of Mackenzie Dagrosa as she cleared 6-0 in the high jump is something that I will always remember.
Big Question: Will Reagan's Mackenzie Dagrosa be unleashed in the 200m and 400m? A: Dagrosa finished second in the 200m to teammate Nnenna Opara but did not run the 400m.
· District 29-6A Boys
The Brennan Bears kept their perfect season intact as they took the District title by a comfortable margin. They finished with 168 points while Sotomayor was second with 120 and Harlan had 85 points. The Bears did not win as many events as they thought they would, but they proved tough to beat because they have so few weaknesses. Harlan's Tate Taylor and Warren's Nick Ross did not disappoint in the sprints and Sotomayor's Elijah Hernandez remains the top 400m runner in the area.
One Performance to Remember: Taylor ran the fastest 200m in the San Antonio area in at least a decade for races that took place inside the high school season
Big Question: Can Tate Taylor or Nick Ross break 21 seconds in the 200m? A: Taylor did indeed break 21 seconds while Ross ran 21.39 in the finals and 21.26 in the prelims. The Greater San Antonio record in the event is 20.58 set in 1993 by Judson's Jerod Douglas.
· District 29-6A Girls
The Harlan girls have been a consistent District champion in recent years, but they were pushed to the brink by Brennan which matched with my prediction. Iyanna Webb did indeed come through for the Hawks with four individual gold medals. The Hawks won with 135 points while the Bears finished with 127. It was actually closer than that because if Brennan had run the 4x400m just two seconds faster they would have been the meet champions.
One Performance to Remember: I have to go with two performances to remember since Webb and Brennan's Caila Lyons both showed why they are among the top track athletes in the State.
Big Question: How will Brennan utilize Caila Lyons? A: Lyons won the 400m, 800m and 1600m with excellent times in each. This meant they did not get to put her in the 4x400m relay.
· District 26-5A Boys
I thought that Wagner had a chance to win this but ended up picking Boerne Champion. The Thunderbirds led the meet by one point heading into the 4x400m but their quartet of Abdi Nur, Alfred Alderson, Channon Davis and Kevon Carter came through with a winning time of 3:21.89. I did say that Seguin's 4x100m team should threaten to break 41 seconds and they came through with flying colors in 40.64. It is quite possible that this district fielded three or four teams that would have won the other 5A districts in the area.
One Performance to Remember: Kevon Carter won the 400m in 48.55 and then closed out the team title by running the anchor leg on the winning 4x400m team.
Biggest Question: Who wins the final event of the meet? Four teams are within two seconds of each other in the 4x400. A: Wagner, and it was critical!
· District 26-5A Girls
Smithson Valley made me look good this year by winning the district title by over 70 points over Boerne Champion and Canyon. The Rangers won five events including two of the three relays and methodically went about winning the team title. Champion's Beth Leachman was the star of the meet winning all three distance events and setting a new San Antonio record in the 1600m with her time of 4:40.47. It will be difficult for SV to post back-to-back State titles, but they are well on their way to getting a good group of State qualifiers once again. Overall, this district is loaded with former State qualifiers and should be sending back many to Austin again this year.
One Performance to Remember: I don't want to take for granted what Beth Leachman is doing this year on the track with national titles and records already. She had an amazing district meet and is setting herself up for a State meet to remember.
Biggest Question: Will Beth Leachman attempt to run the 800m, 1600m and 3200m throughout the championship season or only focus on two races? A: Yes, she did run all three races. She dialed back the intensity in her 3200m while still running an extremely fast time.
· District 27-5A Boys
Alamo Heights lived up to their billing and easily took home the team title with 279 points and MacArthur did show they were an improving team that finished second with 93 points. The Mules won 11-of-17 events including all three relays. They are set up to have a large group of Regional qualifiers, but hurdler Max Bacon likely has the team's best chance at making the State meet. Sam Houston's Jaeden Servantez and Michael Terry of Alamo Heights also showed that they could contend in their sprint events.
One Performance to Remember: Markeis Dixon of Lanier was nowhere on my list of potential winners, but he surprised me by winning the long jump with a mark of 21-0.
Biggest Question: Can the Mules post results that compare favorably to District 26-5A? A: As stated above, Max Bacon and Michael Terry posted results that matchup with the best from District 26-5A.
· District 27-5A Girls
I tabbed Alamo Heights to win the district with fewer points than their boys team and it turned out that way as the Mules finished with 242 points while Sam Houston was second with 95 and MacArthur finished in third. Sophia Zadel did win the high jump for Alamo Heights and likely remains their best bet to make the State meet.
One Performance to Remember: MacArthur's Ava Williams won the 300mH and is putting herself in position to be a Regional finalist in the event.
Biggest Question: Will there be an athlete that puts their stamp as the top performer in the meet? A: There were three athletes who each won two events; Avery Brawner, Alasia Brown and Siara Hardeman, but I don't know if any of them were the clear-cut top performer.
· District 28-5A Boys
I did pick Medina Valley to win the title and that Carter Hewitt and Anthony Zapata would have big meets, but I also said that Southwest might be able to challenge MV for the title which was way off. Southwest did finish second, but they were 141 points behind Medina Valley.
One Performance to Remember: Carter Hewitt won the 100m, 200m, long jump and triple jump and to cap it all off he anchored the winning 4x400m relay team to give himself a tidy total of 45 points in the meet. Hard to beat that!
Biggest Question: Can Southwest sweep all three relays to make the team title interesting? A: They could not. They won the 4x200m but were DQ'd in the 4x400m and finished fourth in the 4x100m.
· District 28-5A Girls
Medina Valley did in fact win the meet easily scoring 303 points while winning 14 events. Only Southwest Legacy's Alicia Galvez and McCollum's Brooke Romo were able to get on the top step. Galvez won the 800m and 1600m while Romo took gold in the shot put. Legacy finished in second as a team and Southwest was third. Kiyana Perez was the top scorer for MV with three individual first place finishes.
One Performance to Remember: Annabelle Jehl dominated the discus with a throw of 123-10 which proved to be her season's best.
Big Question: Can Kiyana Perez post times in the 100mH and 300mH that make people sit up and take notice? A: While Perez did win both events she did not post times that were close to her season bests in either event.
Overall, I think I did well picking 10 of the 12 district champions at the 5A and 6A level in San Antonio. My best pick was the Judson girls winning District 27-6A in a nail-biter and my worst pick was taking the New Braunfels boys over Clemens in the same district.