3A REGIONAL TRACK QUALIFIERS | Gladewater’s Paytin/Peyton Connection, qualifiers from all seven 3A programs in the ETB coverage area
Track athletes from District 16-3A – from Gladewater, Sabine, White Oak, Troup, Arp, West Rusk, and Tatum – journeyed to Eustace on Thursday for the area meet, with hopes of moving on to regionals, and continuing the dream of making this year’s UIL state track meet at Austin next month.
For many, that dream continues.
The top four finishers in each event do go on to regionals next weekend, and they don’t have to go far: it’s the 3A, Region II meet at Whitehouse next Friday and Saturday.
Boys regional qualifiers
Here are the boys who advanced from area to regionals from those schools above, all in the ETBlitz.com coverage area, who will compete next week in Whitehouse. The UIL state track meet, by the way, is on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin on May 1-3.
100 meter dash: Da’Carryon Hollie of Troup (10.90 seconds) won the event, and White Oak’s Logan Ladwig (11.13) was second. Another Troup Tiger, Noble Kendrick, is also headed to regionals, having finished fourth at area Thursday (11.43 seconds).
200 meter dash: West Rusk’s Judson Dotson has shown everyone all school year what a great athlete he is. In case they weren’t paying attention, he did it again with a second-place finish in this event at Eustace on Thursday in 21.94 seconds. Troup’s Caden Claburn was third (22.01 seconds) and Sabine’s Terry Vanden (22.91) was fourth.
400 meter run: Tatum’s Quadrai Peoples was second in this one (49.62 seconds) and Jaxson Ludlow of White Oak, third (49.83). Sabine’s Vanden was fourth (41.26 seconds).
800 meter run: Anthony Soto of the Roughnecks finished in 2 minutes, 4.42 seconds, a third-place finish.
1600, 3200 meter runs: Tatum’s Victor Cantellano finished fourth in both the 1,600 meter, or mile, run (4:35.75) and the 3,200, or two-mile, run (9:53.26), qualifying for regionals in both.
110 meter hurdles: Preston Swords of Sabine got it done here, finishing second (15.33 seconds) to qualify, and Troup’s James Pierce was third (15.41 seconds).
300 meter hurdles: Brailen Mauldin, another West Rusk Raider, won this event (39.22 seconds) and Pierce was second (40.27).
400 meter relay: Three ETBlitz.com-area teams qualified here – Troup (42.41 seconds) won the event; Tatum (42.64) was second, and West Rusk (43.15) was fourth.
800 meter relay: Troup’s Tigers won this one, too, in 1:27.99. West Rusk (1:29.50) was second, and White Oak (1:30.65) was fourth (For the record, Edgewood was third).
1600 meter (mile) relay: The Raiders took the mile relay in 3:26.18. White Oak was second (3:27.32).
High jump: Two Tatum Eagles qualified here: Cayden Tatum was second (6 feet, 4 inches), and Jordan Chambers was fourth (6 feet, even).
Long jump: Luke Sigler, also of Tatum, was second (22 feet, 3 ¼ inches), Troup’s Bryce Wallum, third (21 feet, 11 ½ inches), and Gladewater’s Kingston Sheffield was fourth (21 feet, 5 ¼ inches).
Triple jump: It was Sheffield’s turn in this one, as he won the event (45 feet, 9 ½ inches). Pierce of Troup was second (45 feet, ¼ inch), Arp’s Demarcus Wade, third (44 feet, 7 inches), and Kaynan Lacy of West Rusk was fourth (42 feet, 8 inches).
Pole vault: Kyler Priest of White Oak was back here, and won, with a best of 15 feet. Troup’s Riley Blackmon came in second (14 feet, 9 inches), and White Oak’s Trevor Sizemore, third (14 feet, 6 inches).
Discus: Sam Black of Sabine was on the state stage last year in discus and shot, and looks to do it again this year. He’s off to a great start. He won them both at area. He took discus in 181 feet, 3 inches, 28 feet better than second place. Second was still very good, and that was Troup’s A.J. Dewberry (153 feet, 8 inches). Arp’s Zyon Washington was third (148 feet, 7 inches).
Shot put: Black won shot with a best of 56 feet, 5 ¾ inches. Sabine teammate Jonah Brenner was second (44 feet, 10 ¼ inches), and White Oak’s Caden Durham was third (44 feet, 3 inches).
Girls regional qualifiers
Here are the girls who advanced from the area meet regionals at Whitehouse next weekend.
100 meter dash: The first of a few events where we’d see Gladewater’s Peyton Hunter qualify for regionals, and she won this event with a time of 12.21 seconds. West Rusk’s Kamyah Lacy was third (12.91 seconds).
200 meter dash: Paytin Thompson of Gladewater scored the win here (25.31 seconds), with Sabine’s Sarah Roberts second (25.72) and White Oak’s Ryann Long third (26.47).
400 meter run: Roberts took her turn, winning one for Sabine in 56.63 seconds. West Rusk’s Jada Maroney was third (1: 01.85).
1,600 meter run, 3,200 meter run: West Rusk’s Adelaide Murphy won ‘em both, taking the mile run in 5:21.58, and the two-mile in 11:35.87. Tatum’s Akeira Oden was third in the mile run (5:29.84), and third in the two-mile, as well (11:54.49).
100 meter hurdles: Tatum’s Kaysen Foster was third (16.44 seconds).
300 meter hurdles: Gladewater’s Hydie Collins (47.64) won it, and Addison Saccoccio of White Oak was second (48.03).
400 meter, 800 meter relays: Gladewater’s relay team, so strong last year, won both this one (47.79) and the 800 (1:42.64). West Rusk was second in the 400 (49.76) and in the 800 (1:45.33). White Oak also qualified in the 800 with a fourth-place finish (1:47.37).
1600 meter relay: Sabine finished second here (4:05.22).
High jump: Troup’s Emory Cover took this one with a 5-feet-2 best. Tatum’s Foster was fourth (5 feet, even).
Long jump: Hunter, who was also a part of Gladewater’s relay teams, was back again here with a second-place finish (17 feet, ¼ inch) to qualify for regionals. Her teammate, Paytin Thompson, also qualified with a fourth-place finish (16 feet, 8 ¾ inches).
Pole vault: Lizzy Still of White Oak got in, finishing second (10 feet, 6 inches).
Discus: Tatum’s Hadley Dunnavant won (116 feet, 6 inches); Arp’s Landry Langley was third (109 feet, 8 inches) and Troup’s Hannah Cearley, fourth (109 feet, 8 inches, as well).
Shot put: Two qualifiers from the ETBlitz.com area: West Rusk’s Gabby Coleman (38 feet, ¾ inch), who won the event, and Gladewater’s Karlee Moses (35 feet, 1 ¾ inch), who finished second).
