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 girls in each event I wanted to congratulate the three team champions that come from the San Antonio area: Randolph (fourth straight UIL 3A title), Cornerstone (T-CAL 3A) and Seguin Lifegate Christian (T-CAL 2A). For each event I will list my choice along with a little information and others that were considered.
100m - Daisha Shular (Seguin)
After a down season last year, Daisha Shular came back with vengeance for her senior season and was spectacular. She was the UIL 5A State Champion in the 200m, but was more consistent throughout the season in the 100m and picked up her second State runner-up finish this year with a time of 11.38. She won the 200m title in a huge personal best time of 23.54.
Others: Taylor Nunez (Randolph), Darinasia Taylor (Judson), Rylee Higginbotham (John Paul II), Keandra Johnson (Falls City)
200m - Kinlee Lawlis (Bandera)
The San Antonio area is blessed with many girls who are outstanding sprinters and long jumpers. Kinlee Lawlis is one of those and edges out some of the best athletes in the area. She had a great UIL 4A State meet performance taking runner-up honors in the 200m in a time of 23.94 and added a fourth-place finish in the long jump as well as anchoring the third place 4x200m relay team. Only Lawlis, Taylor Nunez and Daisha Shular broke 12s in the 100m and 24s in the 200m this year.
Others: Taylor Nunez (Randolph), Daisha Shular (Seguin), Kenley Wiatrek (Falls City), Darinasia Taylor (Judson)
400m - Caila Lyons (Brennan)
Heading into the State meet weekend there were three or four athletes that could have won this award, but none had a huge performance. Nonetheless, Caila Lyons deserves the honor. She did not lose a single 400m race during the season until the State meet and can point to her third-place finish in the 800m (2:09.02) earlier in the day as the reason why she did not run her best. She was the UIL 6A Region IV champion in the 400m in her personal best time of 54.70.
Others: Jenesis Cordero (Judson), Shyniece Davis (Jay), Emerson Cochran (Navarro), Jayla Flemons (Clark)
800m - Mia Perez (Smithson Valley)
Mia Perez capped off a brilliant career with the UIL 5A State title in the 800m setting a City record in the process, 2:07.60. She was extremely consistent throughout the season never running slower than 2:10.84 which was her time when winning the Area meet. She was one of the top milers in the State as well and finished fifth in the State and ran a season best time of 4:47.18 at the Texas Relays. In addition, she ran anchor leg on a Regional champion 4x400m team.
Others: Caila Lyons (Brennan), Sophia Bendet (Randolph), Micaela Villarreal (Antonian), Savanah Moya (New Braunfels)
1600m - Sophia Bendet (Randolph)
Sophia Bendet was a machine the last few years at the UIL 3A level winning a pair of cross country State titles and three titles in both the 800m and 1600m. She won the Texas A&M Bluebonnet Invitational (4:44.49) and the Texas Relays (4:44.98) and dominated the State meet with a winning performance of 4:54.68. She won the 800m in 2:09.10. In a real treat, Bendet ran against Mia Perez in the 800m at the TTFCA Meet of Champions and won in 2:06.24 while Perez ran 2:07.01.
Others: Mia Perez (Smithson Valley), Savanah Moya (New Braunfels), Kailyn Brunson (Brennan), Aubrey Milam (Randolph)
3200m - Lilly Koenig (Smithson Valley)
Lilly Koenig was a 21-minute 5K runner who ran the 400m and 800m as a sophomore and transformed into one of the top distance runners in the State as a junior. After finishing 10th at the UIL 5A Cross Country meet, she just kept getting better during the track season. She finished with a runner-up finish in the 3200m running 10:31.62 after breaking 11 minutes to win both the District and Regional titles. She also finished fourth in the State in the 800m and had a season best of 2:11.24.
Others: Aubrey Milam (Randolph), Isabella Porter (Johnson), Kassia Kozarski (Steele), Brady Solansky (Smithson Valley)
100mh - Syenna Lara (Warren)
It was a close competition in the hurdles this year, but Syenna Lara was the most consistent of a strong group of UIL 5A and 6A girls. She always ran her best in the finals and broke 15s in all but one race. She ran her fastest time of the season at the UIL 6A State meet with her 14.07 performance. She also qualified for the State meet in the 300mh and had a season best of 43.04 to finish second at the Regional meet.
Others: Shyla Boydstun (Pieper), Adisen Magill (Poth), Brianna Hall (First Baptist Academy), Madisyn Jackson (O'Connor), Mya Robinson (Taft)
300mh - Aubrey Avey (Canyon Lake)
Aubrey Avey had some of the best performances of the season in the 300mh. She was the first girl to break 44s during the season when she won the Pleasanton Brush Country Relays in 43.73 on March 6. She ran her season best to win the District meet in 43.03. She broke 44s to win the Area title and then ran a pair of 44s races to take the Regional crown before finishing fifth at the UIL 4A State meet in 43.79.
Others: Syenna Lara (Warren), Madisyn Jackson (O'Connor), Klarrisa Frain (Cole), Kendall Fallon (Davenport)
Shot Put - Sophia Grinstead (Bracken Christian)
Sophia Grinstead has been one of the top throwers in the area her entire career and capped it off with two more TAPPS 2A State titles in both the shot put and discus. The shot put is her stronger event and she heaved the implement 47-0 at her District meet. She won the State title with her shortest mark of the season, 39-4. However, she threw it at least 42-10 at four other meets during the season.
Others: Cyani Ingram (Madison), Madison Wright (Fredericksburg), Laura Sierra (St. Anthony's), Dakota San Miguel (Dilley)
Discus - Jera Salters (Johnson)
Jera Salters edges out a few of her closest competitors this year. She posted the best discus throw in San Antonio with her toss of 140-3 to clinch a spot at the UIL 6A State meet. Her three best performances of the season came the District, Area and Regional meets. She is also an excellent shot putter throwing 39-1.25 this year.
Others: Sophia Grinstead (Bracken Christian), Peyton Wilson (Canyon), Annabelle Jehl (Medina Valley), Reese Sagebiel (Fredericksburg)
High Jump - Jubilee Felder (San Antonio Patriots)
Jubilee Felder was the Texas Home School State Champion last year with a clearance of 5-2, but she made a big jump (literally) this year. She cleared at least 5-8 at four consecutive meets during the season including a 5-9 performance at the Charlie Dobbs Relays and a 5-8 clearance at the Texas Relays where she finished second. She closed out her career winning both the Homeschool and TAIAO titles clearing 5-7 at both meets.
Others: Peyton Keller (Stockdale), Caroline Peterson (Pieper), Brianna Hall (First Baptist Academy), Sloane Paugh (Floresville)
Long Jump - Taylor Nunez (Randolph)
If you are clicking on this article, you are probably wondering where is Taylor Nunez? I don't blame the reader for that because she easily could have been picked for the 100m or 200m, but when she cleared 21-0 in the long jump at the Region IV-3A meet I had to put her in the long jump spot. During the championship season Nunez jumped over 20-feet at every meet and she won her fourth straight UIL 3A State title with a leap of 20-9.5. She also won her fourth straight gold medals in the 100m (11.22) and 200m (22.76) and ended her career with a UIL record 16 gold medals.
Others: Kinlee Lawlis (Bandera), Rachel Nwankwo (Clark), Alaina Fugate (New Braunfels), Mia Stewart (Madison)
Triple Jump - Rachel Nwankwo (Clark)
Rachel Nwankwo showed consistent improvement throughout the season culminating in the Region IV-6A title when she jumped 39-1.25. She posted her second best mark of the season at the State meet, 38-9.5. She was also a State qualifier in the long jump and had her best performance of the season at the State meet jumping 18-9.25 to finish in seventh place.
Others: Addie Schoessow (Fredericksburg), Adisen Magill (Poth), Annaliese Beninato (Antonian), Avianna Miller (Smithson Valley)
Pole Vault - Kaitlyn Rackley (Marion)
San Antonio is always loaded with top girl pole vaulters and there were six girls who cleared at least 12-feet this year. Kaitlyn Rackley cleared 12-5.5 to win at the Texas Relays and cleared 12-6 to win her Area meet. After a little hiccup at the Regional meet where she only cleared 10-0, she bounced back to take the silver medal at the UIL 4A State meet after clearing 12-0.
Others: Zoe Breitsprecher (La Vernia), Sofia Mitschke (Smithson Valley), Cassidy Henderson (Canyon), Kourtni Geyer (Devine)
4x100m Relay - Falls City
Falls City had a pair of excellent relay teams this year in both the 4x100m and 4x200m. Each squad finished in third place at the UIL 2A State meet. The 4x100m group of Claire Laskowski, Kenley Wiatrek, Kailer Crawford and Keandra Johson finished in a time of 48.14. The podium finish sets them apart from the rest of the teams.
Others: Judson, Pieper, Steele, Canyon Lake
4x200m Relay - Bandera
The Bandera 4x200m relay team was one that I wrote about a lot during the season. The quartet of Merry Robinson, Milesia Casas, Sydney Moore and Kinlee Lawlis did not have the fastest time of the season, that belongs to Steele, but they performed at a high level all season long. At the UIL 4A State meet they finished in third place with a time of 1:39.95.
Others: Steele, Falls City, Brandeis, Reagan
4x400m Relay - Randolph
It can only be classified as the perfect story book finish. The Randolph girls were not favored to win the UIL 3A State title, but they would not be denied. Jaela Smith and Sophia Bendet ran the first two legs in 1:55.51 and were leading. Grace Kistler ran a solid leg of 59.50, but they dropped into second place heading into the final leg. Taylor Nunez ran a sublime final lap covering the 400m in 52.72, including a gutsy final 50m where she gave up the lead and regained it at the finish. The only runner who had a faster split was Brooke Lloyd (Summer Creek), the UIL 6A State Champion. Their overall time of 3:47.72 was the fastest in San Antonio for the entire season.
Others: Smithson Valley, Judson, Davenport, Brennan