Danni Ruiz (L) is the incoming star and Taytum Goodman (R) is the exiting legend and the put on a show
UIL Track and Field State Championships
UIL 1A Race Videos - UIL 1A Articles - UIL 1A Post Race Interviews - Photos - Results
1A Girls 800m
Taytum Goodman a senior from Earth Springlake had the fastest time out of regionals with a time of 2:21.47 and was the reigning gold medalist. Danni Ruiz a freshman from Menard had the second fastest time out of regionals with a time of 2:22.72.
It was a clean start with Goodman making up the stagger pretty quickly and taking the lead with Ruiz and Hailee Garmer a senior from Roby was making thing interesting.
Goodman at the bell lap crossed first with a time of 1:04.32. Garner crossed second and Ruiz crossed in third place and those two were making a battle for second and third, but not so fast. Ruiz was not ready to concede and wasn't letting Goodman get comfortable with her lead.
Ruiz took her shot and tried to pass her on the curve running on the outside.
They were neck and neck coming down the homestretch, and had everyone thinking, who was going to take this title?
What happened, was the fastest UIL 1A girls 800m race ever!
Ruiz turned on the jets and took the gold and the win with a time of 2:12.44 also breaking the UIL 1A state meet record by 4 seconds. Goodman faded at the line and earned a silver with the time of 2:14.88, but also broke her own record from last year and Garmer rounded out your top three with a time of 2:17.70.
This was the second title of the day for Ruiz who previously captured the 400m win in 57.87.
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1A Girls 1600m
In lane six was Jace Chisum a sophomore from Jayton with the 2nd fastest time out of regionals. In lane seven was the silver medalist from 2023 was Lilly Benson a junior from Roby and lane nine was Taytum Goodman a senior from Earth Springlake came in with the fastest time of 5:16.49 and also your defending 1A girls champ.
In typical fashion, Goodman took off with an early lead and set the pace for the rest of the field. Goodman and Chisum separated themselves from the rest of the pack and on the homestretch the field really started to spread out.
Goodman crossed first with Chisum hot on her heels not wanting to let Goodman get too far ahead. With two laps remaining not much had changed. Goodman was still in the lead followed by Chisum with Benson hanging onto third.
Goodman and Chisum were way ahead of the rest and continued to build their lead, Chisum looked to be keeping stride with Goodman.
No one was prepared for what happened next. At the bell lap, Goodman looked like she was shot out of a rocket and bulleted down the homestretch to distance herself from Chisum and the rest of the field.
Hoping to break her own record from last year, she came down the homestretch with the crowd on their feet. She did it and in grand fashion. Crossing the finish line, she collapsed on the track not moving, the crowd gasped wondering if she was ok and then she popped up letting us all know it as all good.
Goodman won her last UIL gold medal and fourth in the 1,600m with a time of 5:03.60, breaking her last year's mark by 1.3 seconds and getting the new state record in the 1600. Chisum finished in second place with a time of 5:16.13 and Benson finished in third place with a time of 5:21.03.
