UIL Track and Field State Championships
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4A Boys 800m
The 4A boys took the race out quickly as the lead group hit the 200m mark in 26 seconds and Bullard's Brayden Vining led through the 400m in 55.18 although all nine runners when through the first quarter in less than 56 seconds.
Canyon's Alex Niemiec took over the lead around the first bend of the second lap. He was challenged by multiple runners but never gave up the lead the rest of the way. He held off a pair of hard-charging challengers in Korban Murphy of Mabank and Ian Hill of Iowa Colony in the last 20m. Niemiec crossed the line in 1:53.08 while Murphy finished in second place and Hill in third place.
Victor Aviles of Burnet, the 2023 State champion, never seriously threatened in the race and came through in eighth place. Niemiec was the bronze medalist in 2023 as a junior.
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UIL 4A Boys 1600m
Sanchez out quickly going through in 60 and the 800 in 2:05. Fernandez and Anderson moved up to close in on Sanchez heading into final lap. Anderson makes a move at 250 to move into 2nd, Fernandez fought back to take second but neither could catch Sanchez.
Angel Sanchez of Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis made it a pair of gold medals by leading from wire-to-wire in the UIL 4A Boys 1600m. He took the race out in a brutal pace hitting the 400m in 1:00.27 and the 800m in 2:05.39.
Sanchrez slowed slightly on the third lap allowing Canyon's Ryan Fernandez and Salado's Luke Anderson back into the race. Entering the final lap the trio was separated by less than a second. On the back stretch, Anderson made a small move to get in front of Fernandez but could not challenge Sanchez. Down the home stretch, Fernandez reclaimed his second-place position but was unable to run down Sanchez.
Sanchez finished in a State meet record time of 4:13.08 and it gave him a second gold medal to match his one from the 3200m earlier in the day. Fernandez took the silver medal in 4:13.55 while Anderson went home with the bronze after a time of 4:13.97.
