UIL 1A Girls And Boys State Meet Preview

Paducah scored a win with last year's state title by scoring 60 points, 12 points ahead of Van Horn and their 48 point total.

The girls team title race was much closer with Roby scoring 47 and winning by seven points over Nazareth and Lamesa Klondike at 40 points. Springlake Earth and Veribest were only four points behind with their 36 scored points.

Girls Preview

Girls Distance Races

The girls distance races over the past three years have all ended in large wins for Taytum Goodman (Springlake Earth). This is the final state championships and she could be adding all three state title to her resume.

In the 3200m, Chasity Benson (Roby) at 11:39 and Jace Chisum (Jayton) at 11:44 are the nearest seeds from regional races.

In the 800m, a freshman is the nearest competitor for Goodman. Danni Ruiz (Menard) ran 2:22 at regionals and Hailee Garmer (Roby) at 2:24 isn't far behind.

Goodman's top competition in the 1600m will come from Chisum once again. She has a 5:24 regional best and Isabella Billingsley (Tilden McMullen) could make a push for the podium with her 5:32 regional run.

Girls Relays

The Hart girls perhaps drew the best lane assignment in the 4x100 relay. They enter with a 51.38 and are in lane four; they have Bronte (51.95) on their outside in lane four, Milford (51.94) in lane six, Throckmorton (51.54) in lane seven, and Gordon (51.78) in lane eight. This will be a close race.

Tilden McMullen enters with a 1:50.88 for a top regional see. They'll be in lane five trying to chase down last year's third place finishers Blum and runner-ups Nazareth who will be in lane nine. Gail Borden Co. will be in lane four with their 1:51.38 trying to chase down all of the top seeds.

The three 4x400 relay medalists from last year are all in this race with Nazareth, Roby, and Tilden McMullen. However, they'll be chasing Throckmorton who has a 4:11 regional seed and Gordon who has a 4:13 coming in from regionals.

Girls Sprints

Last year, Kamryn Dyck (Loop) won the state meet as a freshman and has the top seed of 12.44.

In the 200m, senior Kayden Arrington (Blum) is the highest returner from last year. Arrington also has the top 26.02 entering time. Sydney Smith (Rochelle) will be one of the top challengers.

Trinity Schlueter (Turkey Valley) comes to Austin with the only sub 60-second state meet qualifying time. Her 58.93 and Danni Ruiz (Menard) at 1:00.87 are the top two times.

Girls Hurdles

Emily Jackson (Bronte) and Giselle Esparza (Wildorado) are the top two returning 100-meter hurdlers from last year. They also have the top two entering seeds from regionals; Jackson ran 16.01 and Esparza 16.43.

Maddie Francis (Silverton) is the defending champion and it looks like she plans on doing just that. She will have to deal with freshman Gracie Lain (Gordon) who ran 47.76. 

Girls Field Events

All three medalists from last year are back to do it again. Defending champ Xiomara Rodriguez (Lasara), Amanda Harrell (May), and Milly Hughes (Strawn) all went 1-2-3. Rodriguez threw 138-8 at regionals and Hughes threw 135-11 for the top two throws.

The shot put also has all three medalist returning in Claire Burleson (Rocksprings), Calie Hernandez (Roby), and Rodriguez. They also happen to have the top three best marks from regionals.

The high jump will be a highly contested competition. Tyler Madison (Lazbuddie) was third last year and is the top returner. Mercedes Ewing (Miami) and Emalyn Bohensky (Bronte) both jumped 5-2 at regionals.

Kamryn Dyck (Loop) won the long jump last year and Brenna Francis (Silverton) was third. They have the top two regional jumps.

Francis also earned the bronze medal in the triple jump, but her 35-8.75 was only the third best regional mark. Emalyn Bohensky (Bronte) jumped 35-11.50 and Milianna Mandujano (Imperial Buena Vista) cleared 38-10.75 inches of sand.

Ronni McClain (Zephyr) was the silver medalist last year at state has the best regional clearance of 10-00.

Boys Preview

Boys Distance Races

Defending state champ Austin Magness (Paint Rock) got the narrow win last year with him and Landon Cobb (Graford) both coming back from last year's podium. It is Sebastian Talamantez (Comstock) who has the top regional mark of 9:58.

Christian Gonzalez (Sulphur Bluff) and Jake Ozymy (Avalon) went 1-2 last year and Gonzalez will look to defend with Ozymy running to try to take him down.

Sophomore Sean Stanaland (Jayton) has the top regional time of 1:59 heading into Saturday's state meet.

Wiley Gaskins (Ackerly Sands) is the top returner from last year as the bronze medal winner, but there are two runners with better regional times than last year's state win.

Ryker Haivala (Cumby Miller Grove) enters with a 4:34 and Talamantez ran 4:37.

Boys Relays

Defending state champs Paducah and third place Milford are back in the 4x100 relay. However, it's Rankin and their 44.10 and Whitharral at 44.39 who have the top times.

Klondike won last year's race and they are the only podium team to return to Austin in the 4x200 relay. Their entering time of 1:32.62 is second to top seeded Gordon and their 1:31.90.

The 4x400 relay will close things out with a bang. Gordon enters with the top time of 3:26.10; Jayton has an impressive 3:28.50 coming in and then it's a bunch of low 3:30s.

Boys Sprints

The top returner from last year is Michael Smith (Iraan) and has one ot the top seeds of 10.94. Riley Reed (Gordon) ran 10.74 at regionals and Jakyen Wright (Paducah) at 10.90 are also top seeds.

Wright is the defending 200m state champ from last year and is the second best seed going in. The top seed belongs to sophomore Jordan Gutierrez (Iredell) and his 21.98.

Baret Jackson (Rankin) and Griff Reel (Jayton) finished 1-2 at the state meet last year. They enter this year's meet as the top two seeds. It is Reel going in with the top time of 50.65 and Jackson the second best seed at 50.83.

Boys Hurdles

Francis Sawyer (Silverton) was the silver medalist last year and has one of the top regional times coming in (14.81). Stryker Reed (Gordon) also ran 14.81 at his regional and Zeke Kasel (Lazbuddie) enters with the top time of 14.44.

Gordon is turning out good hurdlers on both the girls and boys side and Reed is their ace on the boys side. He was the runner-up last year as a freshman and is sits good to podium again. His 39.66 was the second best regional time with Kasel leading with his 39.50.

Boys Field Events

Robert Freeman (Strawn) was second last year at state and his 162-5 is the top throw coming in from regionals. Hagen Williams (Aquilla) threw 152-0 and Alex Hughes (Strawn) went 151-6.

Last year, the entire shot put field was made up of seniors, so a new champ will be crowned for sure. Aden Burns (Robert Lee) and Kody Daniel (Roby) both threw over 49 feet at regionals.

Rance Berney (Martinsville) was third last year and his 6-5 regional jump is the top clearance from regionals.

The boys long jump will be tightly contested. Of the nine qualifiers, eight of them jumped from 21-1.75 to 21-6.50. 

Khari Woodson (Slidell) was the silver medalist in the triple jump last year and his 43-7.25 is the second best regional mark. Brent Robinson (Whitharral) and his 44-1.50 is the top mark and will challenge Woodson.

Defending state champ Lawson Fritsch (Fayetteville) and runner up Hayes Bressler (Happy) are back to compete. However Jace Bennett (Utopia) jumped 14-0 at regionals and Brenner Sherwood (Robert Lee) cleared 13-9 for the second best entering bar.