The high school track season has concluded, and it is time to hand out some awards. This is my third year putting together the team and there are a couple of rules. The first rule is that athletes can only be chosen for one individual event, and schools can only be chosen for one relay. The second rule is that selections will be based upon best results, consistency, and performance in the post season.
Before going over the top individual boys in each event I wanted to congratulate the four team champions that come from the San Antonio area: Holy Cross (TAPPS 4A), Fredericksburg Heritage (TAPPS 1A), Cornerstone Christian (T-CAL 3A) and Gloria Deo Academy (TAIAO Div. I). For each event I will list my choice along with a little information and others that were considered.
100m - Tate Taylor (Harlan)
We start out with the easiest choice of any event. When you set a national record like Tate Taylor did en route to winning the UIL 6A title in 9.92 the choice is obvious. I thought about getting cute and picking him as the 200m representative since he was also the State champion in that event running 20.14. If you have not seen Taylor run in person you have one more year to watch him and it is worth the price of admission. It just sounds different when he motors down the track.
Others: Deven Langston (Steele), George Stenberg (Fredericksburg), Andrew Wright (Lutheran), Devin Gills (Brennan), Rayshun Hurt (Reagan)
200m - Andrew Wright (The Lutheran School)
Andrew Wright runs at a small private school, but that has not prevented him from becoming one of the most prolific runners in the area over the last three seasons. He swept the TAPPS 3A titles in the 100m, 200m and 400m for a second straight year. It is hard to choose which event is his best since he has season bests of 10.47, 21.11 and 47.37, respectively. I slotted him here because it is where he fits best.
Others: Tate Taylor (Harlan), Joshua Hoover (Saint Mary's Hall), Nolan Waida (Wimberley), Clifton McBride (Brennan)
400m - Jamarri Bowie (Boerne Champion)
When I look back at my preseason stats, I had Jamarri Bowie as a potentially strong 100m runner. However, as the season progressed it became clear that he was a quarter-miler. He just kept getting better and better throughout the championship season winning the District meet in 48.50, then the Area meet in 48.16 and the Regional meet in 48.04 before taking third at the UIL 5A meet in 47.43.
Others: Andrew Wright (Lutheran), Maverick James (Steele), Israel Wray (Steele), Kagan Hill (TMI)
800m - Caleb Dehart (Boerne Champion)
The half-mile was one of the toughest decisions for me with no clear-cut selection. I ended going with Caleb Dehart over a few other strong options. Dehart was consistent throughout the season easily going under two minutes all year long. He also came back from finishing third at the Regional meet in 2024 to qualify for the UIL 5A State meet this year and take fourth place with a personal best time of 1:53.95.
Others: Ben Tealer (Brandeis), Donovan Dixon (Devine), Channing Schaeffer (Antonian), Wolfgang Thoener (Brennan)
1600m - Gavin Chapa (Reagan)
San Antonio is blessed with so many great distance runners, but knew my picks had to be Gavin Chapa in the 1600m and Zachary Miller in the 3200m because of their consistent level of running throughout the season. Chapa was the Regional champion in the 1600m over Miller running a time of 4:08.37. Earlier in the season, he won the Texas Relays in his personal best time of 4:07.82. The State meet did not turn out how he wanted, but it was still an amazing season.
Others: Zachary Miller (Brennan), Wells Peterson (TMI), John Boland (Antonian), Michael Repper-Molina (Johnson)
3200m - Zachary Miller (Brennan)
Zac Miller gets the nod in the 2-mile since he defeated Gavin Chapa for the Regional title. Miller ran faster than 9:04 on four occasions throughout the season including his best time of 9:01.95 when he lost to Chapa at the Area meet. He was nearly as good in the 1600m and had a season best of 4:09.48.
Others: Gavin Chapa (Reagan), Wells Peterson (TMI), Adrian Rule (San Antonio Christian), Charlie Houck (Boerne Champion)
110mh - Ja'Dan Keiler (Taft)
Ja'Dan Keiler was awesome in both hurdle events, and it is unfortunate that he did not get to run at the UIL 6A State meet despite qualifying in both the 110mh and 300mh. He had a season best of 13.66 in the 110mh when he finished third at the Texas Relays and he ran a pair of 13.7s at the Regional meet. He was just as good in the 300mh running a season best of 36.60 when he finished second at the Texas Relays.
Others: Aiden Martinez (Great Hearts Monte Vista), Jack Hollimon (Alamo Heights), Jake Grullon (O'Connor), Max Bacon (Alamo Heights), Jordan Clay (Madison)
300mh - Aiden Martinez (Great Hearts Monte Vista)
Aiden Martinez did not sit on the laurels of his junior season but came back with an ever better senior year. He took home UIL 3A State titles in both the 110mh and 300mh. He broke 14s in the 110mh on four occasions and took the State title with a wind-aided time of 13.68. In the 300mh, he took the Regional title in 37.02 and then won State in his personal best time of 36.82.
Others: Ja'Dan Keiler (Taft), Jack Holliman (Alamo Heights), Max Bacon (Alamo Heights), Cash Lancaster (Pieper), Hayden Hoskins (TMI), Caiden Rodriguez (Brandeis)
Shot Put - Aiden Reed (Poth)
For most of the year I thought Aiden Reed had a better chance to be a State champion in the discus rather than the shot put. He threw 56-7 early in the season and went 57-5 to finish as the runner-up at the Region meet. For the second year in a row, he peaked at the State meet and this time he brought home the gold medal with a throw of 59-7.75 to win the UIL 3A Boys. He also had a season best throw of 176-0 in the discus.
Others: Jackson Kerth (Tivy), Jordan Pinones (East Central), Josue Lerma (Holy Cross), Blake Stehling (Boerne Champion)
Discus - Josiah Green (Judson)
Josiah Green began the season throwing both the shot put and discus but eventually settled on just throwing the discus and it turned out to be a great choice. Starting on March 6, he threw over 160-feet at six consecutive meets and his improvement nearly got him a UIL 6A State title. He threw 179-11 at the Region meet and then 179-5 at the State meet to finish in third overall.
Others: Gibson Conard (Medina Valley), Aiden Reed (Poth), Larson Dziuk (Poth), Josue Lerma (Holy Cross)
High Jump - Christian Dupree (Clemens)
Christian Dupree battled back from an injury and was not able to compete until March 19, but he cleared at least 6-6 in every meet. He won the UIL 6A Area meet with a clearance of 6-10 and was one of three locals to qualify for the State meet in the event where he finished in sixth place.
Others: Michael Inweh (Sotomayor), Noah Marquez (Medina Valley), Justin McKinney (Davenport), William Holton (East Central)
Long Jump - Nolan Waida (Wimberley)
Nolan Waida had a storybook season leading Wimberley all the way to a UIL 4A Runner-Up finish at the State meet. Individually, he scored in the long jump, triple jump and 200m at the meet. He posted the best long jump of the season in the area with his 24-0 mark at his home invitational on March 26. He jumped 23-5.75 at the Region meet and finished third, but advanced as the Wild Card.
Others: Joshua Hoover (Saint Mary's Hall), Donnell Williams (Steele), Markeis Dixon (Lanier), Kahdyn Freeman (Pieper)
Triple Jump - John Williams III (Steele)
John Williams III moved to San Antonio from North Dakota before his senior year of high school and he made the most of it. He set a new City record in the triple jump at Heroes Stadium when he won the UIL 6A Regional title with his mark of 50-9.25. He went over 48-feet at seven meets and over 49-feet at four meets. He finished third at the State meet with a jump of 48-6.5.
Others: Ethan Palmer (Pieper), Josiah Wentrcek (Castle Hills), Nolan Waida (Wimberley), Chauncey James (Churchill), Kahdyn Freeman (Pieper)
Pole Vault - Thomas Bucks (Johnson)
It was a tough call going with Thomas Bucks over Jace Bennett (Utopia), but Bucks' consistency throughout the season was most impressive. He started the season by clearing 16-8 at the NEISD 9 meet and he went at least 16-feet in five meets including the Area, Regional and State meets. He finished fourth at the UIL 6A meet despite clearing the same height as the three finishers in front of him, 16-6.
Others: Jace Bennet (Utopia), Barrett Thornhill (New Braunfels Christian Academy), Charlie Hanle (Wimberley), Luke Nichols (Clemens)
4x100m Relay - Harlan
The Harlan relay team of G'Ivori Graham, Anthony Durojaiye, Aiden Aleman and Tate Taylor proved to be the best when it mattered the most. They won the UIL 6A Region IV title with a time of 41.02 and then ran their fastest time of the season at the State meet despite less than perfect handoffs. They clocked a time of 40.53 to finish in sixth place.
Others: Steele, Alamo Heights, Marion, Brennan
4x200m Relay - Holy Cross
The Crusaders did not have the fastest time of the season, but winning a TAPPS 4A State title was a critical difference maker. The squad of Austin Abrego, Vincent Osorio, Julian Salas and Louis Lopez helped propel Holy Cross to a team title. They ran 1:30.12 at the State meet and had a season best of 1:29.47.
Others: Randolph, Wimberley, Wagner, Brennan, Judson
4x400m Relay - Wimberley
The relay team of Dane Dugger, Ethanalley, Bryson Anderson and Nolan Waida was outstanding all season long. At the Regional meet, they knocked off top-ranked Austin LBJ and then they ran one of the races of the UIL 4A State track meet. Midway through the final they were in sixth place, then Anderson moved them up one spot and Waida rolled through a 46.47 final lap to push the team into second place.
Others: Judson, Johnson, Randolph, Holy Cross