CompleteTexas Relays Race Recap/ Video

(Scroll Down to See Video Highlights)

Quotes from Texassports.com:

• Duncan Phillips, anchor for A&M Consolidated (High School Boys Spring Medley Relay)
  We were pretty confident coming into this race, so it feels good to pull off the win. We ran the race we knew we were capable of running, and we are very happy with our finish.
• John Buck, anchor for Cinco Ranch (High School Boys 4x800 Relay)
  It is awe-inspiring to come to Texas Relays and run in an event like this. It is cool to run in front of so many people. This is definitely the biggest win we have had as a relay team.
• Samantha Means, McKinney North (High School Girls 3,200 Meters)
  This time was my personal record, so I am really happy with the race. I have always wanted to win at Texas Relays since I have known about them. My goal was to win the last lap, rather than winning all eight, and I was able to do that.
• Matt Daniels, Arlington (High School Boys 3200 Meters)
  I feel good about winning, but I looked at my time and realized it was not one of my best. This was my worst time I have ever run here at Texas Relays, but my first time to win.
• Vicki Walker, anchor for A&M Consolidated (High School Girls Sprint Medley Relay)
  It feels amazing to win and break the meet record. This was my first time running the 800m this year, but it is my fourth year at Texas Relays and my first time to win. I was just trying to hold the pace as long as I could. My teammates are amazing and I am so proud of them.
• Brandon Chiumin, Dripping Springs (High School Boys 2,000m Steeplechase)
  The steeplechase is a fun race, so I felt good to begin with. It is not something I really train for, but it is such a fun race to run. Overall, I feel very good about that run.
• Victor Weirich, Fredericksburg (High School Boys Pole Vault)
  I have been competing here at the Texas Relays for four years and I have slowly progressed. It feels good to finally win. This is definitely one of the best performances of my high school career; it is awesome.
• Brooke Upshaw, anchor for Southlake Carroll (High School Girls Distance Medley Relay)
  We love coming here to Texas Relays. It definitely means a lot for us to win. During the third lap I just really made my move and turned it up a notch to win
• Duncan Phillips,, anchor for A&M Consolidated (High School Boys Distance Medley Relay)
  I am glad I could hold everybody off because when I got the baton, our team was not in the position we wanted to be in. It felt really good to pull up and win.
• Whitney Prevost, anchor for Texas City (Division II High School Boys 4x200 Relay)
  This was my first time to win anything at Texas Relays. It means a lot to win at Texas Relays and we were able to run our best time by half a second. My teammates really did a great job.
• Codera Jenkins, Dickinson (Division II High School Boys 110m Hurdles)
  I knew I had lane six beside me and he was really pushing me. I just wanted to give it my best. I was looking to the side for him and trying to see where he was. But I kept my focus on the race and pulled through in the end.
• Boys II 4x400m Relay - SPLITS: Cy Falls - 49.2, 48.1, 9.3, 46.8; Arl. Bowie - 49.1, 48.2, 49.7, 47.1
• Boys I 4x200m Relay - Giddings breaks its own meet record, set in the prelims. Splits - 22.2, 22.0, 21.3, 22.1. BII4x200 - Texas City wins its first Relays 4x200 title. Splits - 21.5, 21.6, 22.3, 20.5 (Prevost).
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Race Summaries

• Boys Sprint Medley Relay Heat 1: A great race by the A&M Consolidated team. They kept Duncan Phillips close enough to take control of the race late in a fantastic time of 3:26.36. Duncan Phillips closed in 1:51.xx passing a solid 800m in his own right Jason Perez. SEE VIDEO AT BOTTOM.
• Grls Sprint Medley Relay Heat 2: A great race by the A&M Consolidated team to set a new meet record in a blazing 3:55.7. There anchor ran from well behind to run away with it late in 2:13.XX Video Coming
• Boys 3200m: Matt Daniels ran away with it late but had to hold off a game Kevin Schwab (OK). It was a little hot and windy as the pack went through in a comfortable even pace led by Habben Berhane early. Taylor Ray and Matt Daniels continued to push the pace up front from the 800m on. Brandon Birdsong held on to the lead pack along with Kevin Schwab. With about 1000m to go Daniels and Schwab separated and made it a 2 man race. Matt surged hard late in the race but could not shake Schwab. Matt wins in a solid 9:17 over Schwabs 9:20. A late charging Armando Saldivar came out of way back and earned 3rd place in 9:26
• Girls 3200m: This one was a 2 girl race from the start. Kinsey Farren did most of the work up front leading with Samantha right on her shoulder. As in the boys race the splits were vary even except for the occasional surge. In the last 400m Samantha really surged and broke the race open for a PR of 10:47. Betsy Jimenez charged late and hard to take 2nd in 10:49. These girls will meet again for the 4A title in May. Kinsey Farren was in front most of the race and ran a quick 10:49.
• Girls DMR: Southlake Carroll girls DMR team jumped out to an early 2 second lead on the 1200 leg as Tara Upshaw (9) led off with a 3:43.5 going (71.4,74.9,77.7). A&M Consolidated got a strong 1200 leg from Victoria Walker (12) in 3:45.1.On the 400 leg Nicole Johnson ran a 57.9 to hold onto the lead holding off a late charging Andee Josserand. Andee ran a fast 56.4. The 800 leg was much the same with Briana Johnson going out in 64.1 and than running a 76.3. She could not hold off a great leg by Jessica Jones ran a 2:15. Jessica took the lead and put the baton into Kendall Hood's hands with a 2 second lead over X-C champ Brooke Upshaw. Kendall led for the first 2 laps going (72.1,79.6). Brooke patiently waited until lap 3 holding off a late charging Betsy Jimenez who ran the fastest 1600m split of them all coming way off the pace in to claim 2nd. Final: SLC 12:13- Hereford 12:16.
• Boys DMR: This was a great race with alot of talent on the track. Highland Park's Reily Janson got things off to a fast start with a 61 first lap followed closely by Dusty Langwell (A&M Consolidated) and John Buck (Cinco Ranch). Dusty took the lead at the the 500 meter park and pushed the pace going through 800m at 2:06 with Buck right on his shoulder and Reily a step behind. They separated themselves from the group by 900m. At 1000m John made his move and surged ahead for the lead coming through 1200m at 3:09.5 with Langwell a couple of steps behind. The  400m keep the same order as Cinco lead with a 52 split. The 800m leg was a good one as Cinco's Zac Flowers went through the first lap in 59 with the lead. Tyler Barnes from Boerne got the baton in 5th place 6 seconds behind the leader. Tyler began to make up ground quickly running the first lap in 54 and taking the 3rd place position. Tyler passed Flowers with about 50m to go and gave Boerne the lead with a 1:54 leg followed by Cinco as Zac had a split of 2:01. Lorin Wilson got the baton with the lead and went out in a quick 60.1. The second lap had Duncan pass both Lorin Wilson and Joe Sauvageau. Duncan got a split of 2:05 to Sauvageau's 2:07. After that it was all Duncan as he controlled the race and cruised on in running a 4:19 split. Colby closed on Duncan througout the race and ran a 4:17 split. Joe held on  for 3rd with a 4:29 split. A&M won in 10:25.3 over Southlake's 10:26.9.
• Girls 1600m: Loren Hodges (Paradise) went out to an early lead with Nicole Mericle (The Woodlands John Cooper). They passed the 400m mark in 73.4 followed closely by Catherine Loden (White Oak) in 74. Hodges continued to lead through 800m with a split of 2:28.5 with Mercile in 2:29. Betsy Jimenez Samantha Means, and Loden all came through in 2:30. At 1200m The pack of 5 increased to 6 as Kinsey Farren joined the group and pushed the pace. The pack went through at 3:46. Nicole Mericle mad the fist move with 300m to go going by Jimenez and Hodges to take the lead. With 200m to go Hodges took the lead again with Jimenez and Mericle right on her heels.   With 100m to go Betsy made a move on the outside shoulder of Hodges to try to secure the victory with the 2 running stride for stride. It was not decided until the last stride as Loren earned the victory 4:55.45-4:55.73. Nicole Mericle and Catherine Loden also dipped under 5 running 4:58.47 and 4:58.57 respectively.
• Boys 1600m: In maybe one of the best races of the day as 9 runners broke 4:20. Blake Shaw (Cypress Falls) opened it up with a 62 first lap with Brandon Cooper, Osvaldo Gonzales, and Jay Wilson right on pace. The 2nd lap saw ALOT of surging as everyone was trying to get position. Taylor Ray, Osvaldo Gonxales, Jared McNeil all shared the lead at one point or another, They went through 800m at 2:10. Matt Daniels made a strong move at 950m as he stretched out the group. Chris Harkins covered the surge immediately.  At the 1100m mark Jared McNeil made a huge surge to take the lead through the 1200m in 3:13. Matt Daniels and Chris Harkins went through in 3:14. With 200m to go Jay Wilson made a move and took the lead followed by Daniels and Harkins. Matt held off Harkins as he took the victory in 4:15.3-4:15.5.