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The UIL Regional Championships are also known as the state meet quarter finals and semi finals, but one thing for sure this round is no slouch.
Athletes and teams had to advance through two rounds of qualifying and with still one more to go until they reach the most difficult state meet of them all, you can expect some of the best performances of the year.
We have highlighted a couple of events to keep an eye on this upcoming weekend at the UIL Region 1-6A Championships.
Girls Sprints
Indya Mayberry (North Crowley) has been kind of like a solar eclipse. She hasn't competed an awful lot this season, but when she has it has been quite the spectacle.
Now that she has to run to continue to advance, look for her to find a rhythm which should result in some crazy stats.
Girls 400m
Skylar Brazzell (Northwest Nelson) qualified for the state meet in the 100m and 200m last year coming away with a fourth place finish in the 100m and a bronze medal in the 200m.
It looks like she will only compete in regional in the 400m this year at the Regional level. She has a 54.85 PR and went 55.52 to win the District 3 & 4 -6A Area Meet and cold be headed to Austin in a different event this year.
As Brazzell goes up in distance, Mashaylee Jones (Plano West) moves down from the 800m to the 400m. Jones' season in the 400m has seen her times drop week-by-week. She heads in to the regional with a 55.83 PR from area.
As with Jones, Devin Moore (Wolfforth Frenship) has improved all season long. She will come over from the Panhandle area to battle it out with with the DFW area girls.
Girls Distance Races
The Region 1-6A girls have been dominant over the recent years at the state meet.
This year, Samantha Humphries (Flower Mound) will not compete at the Region 1-6A meet in the last three years. Without having to account for her, that opens up a spot.
Nicole Humphries (Flower Mound) is expected to still grab spots in both the 800m and the 1600m events. Flower Mound teammates Adeline Bennett, Alexandra Fox, and Ava Cole are all expected to supplement Nicole and even possibly lead the charge when it comes to Fox.
Runners like Macy Wingard (Denton Braswell), MJ Novelli (Northwest Nelson), Mia McGlade (Allen), Alexandra Walsh (Southlake Carroll), and Adelynn Rodriguez (El Paso Eastwood) are expected to challenge.
Girls Hurdles
Alivia Rivera-Norman (Odessa Permian) and Grace Bettencourt (Flower Mound) are on a collision course for the 100-meter hurdle finals.
Norman has a 13.92 (+2.9) season best and Bettencourt is coming in with a 14.37 SB from the area meet. Denton Braswell sophomore Constance Aldred is also coming in hot from the area meet with a wind legal 14.48 run.
In the 300-meter hurdles, Norman again shows up as one of the favorites. Her 43.62 run from the UIL 6A - District 1 and 2 Area Meet is the top time in the region on the season.
She will have a group of four other girls who have run under 45-seconds eyeing her down just to get to the finals. Lily McDowel (Northwest Nelson), Bettencourt, Blair Haverkamp (Flower Mound), and Rylee Sanders (Wolfforth Frenship) should be the leading contingency.
Girls Horizontal Jumps
Skylynn Townsend (Rock Hill) has been the queen of jumps in the state and the region over the last two to three years. She could be on her way to two more state titles, but she could get ample competition this weekend.
Mackenzie Hill (Fort Worth Boswell) jumped 19-6 last week to win the District 3 & 4 -6A Area Meet long jump competition.
Karis Nartey (Allen) and Erin Cooper (Arlington Martin) are both 39 feet jumpers and could grab spots for the state meet.
Boys Throws
Evan Martinez (Arlington Lamar) is one heck of a thrower. He is approaching top five all-time status in both events. With Regionals and state coming up, be on the lookout for him to push for 72-6.5 and 209-6 benchmarks.
Martinez is very close to the 200 feet distance in the discus and he could reach that this weekend.
Boys 400m
With the absence of the reigning UIL 6A 400m state champion Jonathan Simms for the rest of the season, the event is open for a new champion.
Prentice Sanders (Prosper) has been a top competitor in the event the past two years and with his 46.84 season best and 47.17 area mark, he could step in as regional champion.
Sanders will have a familiar foe when it comes to vying for the regional title. District member Amar Williams (Rock Hill) had the second best regional run at the Area Championships with his 47.56 PR.
Keep your eyes on Miguel Chapa (El Paso El Dorado). The sophomore doesn't have catchy runs this year. However, competing in the DFW is a lot more conducive to fast times than performing out in El Paso. His 48.05 from his area meet is a PR and like Sanders and Williams he is an all-around sprinter.
Watch out for Ayden Nyanasimeibi (Allen), Jayden Haynes (Plano West), and Logan Meade (Midland Legacy) as well.
Boys 100m and 200m
Region 1-6A is always a big time sprint region. Things appear to be wide open this year, but the area meets might have made some favorites introduced.
The 100m at the UIL 7-8 5A | 5-6 6A Area meet was the one few events there with a legal wind reading (0.0). It also had a couple of big time personal records produced. Stating that indirectly casts a judgement on the race, but we have to take notice of it without trying to assume anything.
What we do know is that Matthew Maldima (Coppell) looks to be 100% healthy and his performances are showing so. He ran 10.29 and 20.89 at area and looks to be headed back to the state meet.
Raymond White (McKinney) Caleb Smith (Allen) and previously mentioned Amar Williams (Rock Hill) all had swift runs in the 100m or 200m at the 5-6 6A Area meet.
Tandon Champion (Hurst Bell) and Tavares Duckett II (Arlington Bowie) are bonafide and established sprinters and will be looking to run their way back to the state meet.
Boys Pole Vault
Ethan Erwin (Allen) and Cooper Moore (Dallas Highland Park) have the best jumps in the region this year. Erwin has a 16-6 SB and respectfully Moore checks in with a 16-0.25.
However, neither had great area performances. That could mean absolutely nothing in the pole vault world.
What is significant is the Marcus boys Chase Johnson and Lance Owen area heading into the regional meet with the top jumps. Johnson went 16-0 to win the area meet with Owen clearing the 15-6 bar.
Boys Distance Races
Sue me for saying this if you want, but in terms of quality at the top, the best distance runners are in Region 1-6A.
That is going to make the 1600m and 3200m races interesting ones to watch.
Joaquin De La Cruz (McKinney Boyd) is on a heater. He is perhaps on the best streak of any runner in Texas. He won the 5-6 6A area meet with runs of 4:14.94 and 9:18.72. Parker Noffz (Marcus) has also been on a good streak and was second to De La Cruz in both races.
I expect the rest of the DFW qualifiers to be ready to give their best push for the state meet.
El Paso distance boys are always exceptional. The times don't reflect it, but again, that's because they run in El Paso type conditions, which could range from snowing one day to 80 degrees the next day (trust me, I've witnessed it twice in the last six years).
In the 1600m, Aidan Danny Torres (El Paso Eastwood), Mark Barajas (El Paso Pebble Hills), Diego Romero (El Paso Americas), and Carlos Mendez (El Paso Franklin) are the survivors of the uber-talented UIL 6A - District 1 and 2 Area Meet. In the 3200m, it was Juan Leal and Carlos Mendez both from El Paso Franklin joining Torres and Romero in earning regional berths..
In recent years, El Pasoans have had good success getting out of Region 1-6A.
Making things even more interesting was the slow times coming out of the District 3 & 4 -6A Area Meet. I take that to mean that the qualifiers were polishing up their racing techniques.
Despite the slow area meet, Matthias Peterson (Northwest Nelson) is another DFW runner having a fast season. He won the 1600m race at the area meet and was third in the 3200m.
Carroll boys Ryan Van De Berghe, Jude Alvarez, and Caden Leonard qualified in the 1600m with Zach Troutman and Griffin Cords joining Leonard and Peterson in the 3200m.
The region could get three runners out in both races.