Texas Relays 2009

Austin, TX

Articles

Athlete of the Week-Distance ALEX ALDACO Apr 7, 2009

Craig Lutz did not come into the Texas Relays as the consensus favorite but the defending champion ran away from a very strong field to win in 9:03. Chelsey came in as one of the favorites and not only won both the 1600/3200 but did it with #1 National times.

Texas Relays: Whitt becomes first HS vaulter over 18 feet in 6 years MileSplit Staff Apr 3, 2009

At the Texas Relays on Friday, Norman North (OK) senior Jack Whitt became the first high school pole vaulter to clear a height over 18 feet in the event since Tommy Skipper set the current national record of 18'3" in 2003. Whitt cleared a US #5 all-time height of 18'0.25" is the first of many US #1 performances expected to be produced in the 82nd annual meet held in Austin, Texas. Both 4x800 meter relay races were won in fast times as the Long Beach Poly girls of California have made the trip out from the West Coast this weekend to take on the best relay schools from the Lonestar State. They had a strong start to their meet in taking the 4x800 meter relay in a US #1 time of 9:07.95. Their time also established a new meet record. The boys' 4x800 nearly had a new US leader as well as the Woodlands boys of Texas are now ranked #2 in the country after their 7:46.06 victory today. Plano East senior Toddrick Allen cleared 7 feet for the first time two weeks ago at the Texas Southern Relays to join a handful of others in the country over the height. Allen went an inch higher this weekend with a US #2 clearance of 7'1". Allen led a deep high competition with five athletes clearing 6'9". Rachel Fisher, a senior at Allen High School competing unattached at the Texas Relays, went over a US #3 height of 13 feet in the pole vault.  Fisher was an AAU Junior Olympics national champion and USATF Junior Olympics national runner-up in the pole vault last summer. 3:52.32 was not fast enough to make the finals of the girls 4x400 meter relay as nine other teams ran faster to make for a tightly bunched finals to look forward to led by fastest qualifiers Houston Lamar (TX) at 3:48.21 and Long Beach Poly (CA) at 3:49.11. The DeSoto (TX) boys were the fastest 4x400 qualifiers in a US #3 time of 3:16.78. Greenhill School (TX) sophomore Chelsey Sveinsson threw down an impressive time in the 3200 meter run as she dueled it out with previous US leader Sarah Andrews, a junior at The Woodlans (TX) High School. Sveinsson, who opened the season last week with a US #3 4:51.58 1600, stepped up to the 3200 to clock a US #1 time of 10:12.11. Andrews claimed second place in a four second improvement from her previous US #1 time at 10:21.35 as the top two finishers shattered by the facility (10:25.33) and meet (10:32.35) meet record. A sophomore won the boys 3200 as well as Craig Lutz of Marcus clocked in at 9:03.99 as the state of Texas now has four of the top six performers nationally in the 3200 meter run. More to come from Austin... Texas Relays - Live Results