Photo of Sophia Bendet (Randolph)
UIL Track and Field State Championships
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3A Girls 800m
Sophia Bendet, a junior from Universal City Randolph was last year's state champion and Bendet came in today with a top seed time from regionals 2:10.25, it is less than the current UIL 3A record.
The gun sounded twice but they declared no false start and the second time around was a clean start with Daniela Baeza a freshman from Mount Pleasant Chapel Hill, going out hard 30 seconds in the first 200. Baeza and Bendet were neck and neck at the bell lap with what looked like a little elbowing, but Bendet took the challenge and began to pull way ahead, running 1:37 with 200 left.
Bendet smoked the last 100 and finished with the gold medal with a time of 2:09.99 and a new conference 3A record that was set back in 1996. Baeza faded a bit at the end and finished in 4th place.
Kenli Atwood a sophomore from Holliday finished in second place with a time of 2:14.51 and Braylen Lusby a senior from Spearman captured the bronze with a time of 2:16.33.
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3A Girls 1600m
Sophia Bendet, a junior from Universal City Randolph was looking to replicate last year's double win by taking the 1,600m race. She entered with the top regional performance of 4:55.01 -- ten seconds faster than the nearest seed time.That time is also eight seconds faster than the UIL 3A girls state meet record of 5:03.23.The 2023 silver medalists Kenli Atwood a sophomore from Holliday was also in this race and was doubling back from her 800m runner-up run finish earlier in the evening.
With the 4x400 relay still to run for Bendet, she took out with Addison Hite (Pilot Point) who also won the 3,200m this morning. Bendet led with a 1:14.21 first lap, with Hite and Atwood hanging right there with her. She would earn five yards separation by the 600m mark and she continued to press the issue.
At the halfway mark, she was ahead of record pace with her split 2:29.34. Atwood pulled on the side of Hite at the 1K mark and Cara Sims (Elysian Fields) joined the chase pack.With one lap to go, it was Bendet with 20m over Atwood who began to distance herself from HIte and Sims.
That was the finishing order with Bendet cashing in a new UIL 3A state meet record of 4:53.73, Atwood finished in second in 4:59.13, and Hite 4:04.59 rounded out the top three.
