Sean Stanaland and Wiley Gaskins notch UIL 1A boys 800m and 1,600m wins
UIL Track and Field State Championships
UIL 1A Boys 800m
Sean Stanaland used every inch of his tall frame for a strong kick to win the 1A Boys 800. With just the final straightaway in sight, the Jayton sophomore pulled away from the defending state champion to take the win with a final time of 1:56.85.
A strong pace was set for the field as Gonzalez went out at 55.89 through 400. If it weren't for the kick of Stanaland, perhaps the Sulphur Bluff senior would've defended his state title from 2023. However, he had to settle for second with a time of 1:57.48
Wiley Gaskins ran his race from start to finish. The senior out of Ackerly Sands finished the first lap in third and remained steady through the next 400 meters to take the final podium spot. He added the bronze medal to his gold from the 3200 in the morning.
UIL 1A Boys 1600m
After winning the 3200 and securing third in the 800, Wiley Gaskins closed out his high school strong with one final accolade. The Ackerly Sands senior won the Class A boys mile with a time of 4:30.51. Entering the final lap, he was in fourth but made a move to the front with about 300 meters to go.
Christian Gonzalez from Sulphur Bluff was the leader throughout the race and responded to the move made by Gaskins. The two went stride-for-stride with each other up until about 150 meters to go when Gaskins turned on the jets to pull away.
Comstock's Sebastian Talamantez used a huge kick in the final 100 meters to close what was about a five meter gap between him and Gonzales to finish second. Gonzales rounded out the podium with a bronze medal finish.
