BIG-TIME PERFORMANCES AT WEST RUSK | Area meet has athletes from seven ETBlitz-area programs

NEW LONDON – Some of the East Texas region’s best athletes – not just “3A” athletes, but athletes, period – gathered here at West Rusk High School on Thursday for the UIL 15-16 3A Area Meet, a precursor to the Region II meet at Whitehouse High School next Friday and Saturday.

And the ETBlitz.com area was well-represented. In fact, everybody – West Rusk, Sabine, Tatum, Troup, Arp, Gladewater, White Oak – all of those 3A programs had athletes there, and several of them will go on to compete at regionals next week for the opportunity to compete on the state’s biggest stage, the state track meet at the University of Texas in Austin on May 2, 3, and 4.

So, let’s run down regional qualifiers by school, shall we? And since they were the host team, we’ll start with the West Rusk Raiders.

WEST RUSK

For the Raiders, Brailen Mauldin will go to regionals in the 110 meter hurdles. Mauldin was second (15.97 seconds) and just missed out in the 300 meter hurdles (he was fifth, 43.80 seconds).

Judson Dotson is headed to regionals in the 200 meter dash and the long jump. Dotson took third (22.42 seconds, a personal record) in the 200, and third in the long jump (20 feet, 7.75 inches, a personal record).

David Molina will join him. Molina finished fourth in the 400 meter run (53.65 seconds).

The team of Brayden Wheat, Mauldin, Jase Reasoner and Dotson will run in the 800 meter relay at regionals after finishing third at area (1 minute, 31.32 seconds).

And the mile relay team of Paulin Martinez, Max Carillo, Xander Mason and Molina will also head to regionals, finishing fourth at area (3:35.60).

Kason Reed was second in both the shot put (50 feet, 5 inches) and the discus (149 feet, 2.75 inches, a personal record), and is off to regionals.

For the Lady Raiders, Bella Mata won the 300 meter hurdles and set a personal record with a time of 48.58 seconds, a great run.

Lakendra “Keke” Murphy set a PR and qualified for regionals in the 200 meter dash (25.86 seconds), a third-place finish.

Sophia Lacy also set a PR and was second as a qualifier for the 800 meter run (2 minutes, 33.19 seconds).

Siriyah Lacy was third, set a PR and of course, qualified for regionals in the 100 meter hurdles (17.41 seconds).

The team of Murphy, Kamyah Lacy, Mata and Chloe Petty was second in the 400 meter relay (49.66 seconds), and second, as well in the 800 relay (1:44.66).

Gabby Coleman was third in the shot put (33 feet, 5.75 inches).

Petty was third in the high jump (4 feet, 10 inches) and fourth in the long jump (15 feet, 11.75 inches, a PR).

West Rusk athletes who competed but missed out on going to regionals in some events were Montrell Giddings and Brayden Wheat in the 100 meter dash (even though Giddings hit a PR with 11.25 seconds); Martinez in the 800 meter run (a PR with 2:10.18); Mauldin in the 300 meter hurdles, as mentioned; Luis Sanchez in the shot; Molina in the pole vault; Laina Hayes in the 800 meter run and in the two-mile run (although she did PR, in 2:37.57, in the 800 and 12:59.96 in the two-mile); Lacy in the mile run; the team of Jada Meroney, Natalia Mata, Zoey Smires and Hayes in the mile relay; Kara King in the pole vault; Murphy in the long jump; and Bella Mata in the triple jump.

SABINE

Sarah Roberts won the 400 meter run for the Lady Cardinals and set a new PR in the process (59.36 seconds), which means she set a new school record, as well.

Emma Logan set a new PR and qualified for regionals with a third-place finish in the 800 meter run (2:34.20).

Sadie Loftis was second in the mile run to qualify for regionals (5:53.15), and was joined by Logan in that event, finishing fourth (5:57.58).

Loftis also qualified for regionals with a second-place finish in the two-mile run (12:34.24), another PR.

Cale Brown won the 100 meter hurdles in 16.03 seconds, a school record. And Kaitlynn Sanchez also qualified, setting a new PR with a fourth-place finish (17.47 seconds).

The mile relay team of Kooper Bogenschutz, Ella Roberts, Lillian Odle and Sarah Roberts took gold (4:12.38), and is off to Whitehouse for regionals next week.

Bogenschutz won gold in the pole vault (9 feet, 6 inches).

For the Cardinals, regional qualifiers included Luke Kirkindoll, who finished third in the 400 meter run (53.38 seconds, a PR).

Clayne Simmons was third in the 110 meter hurdles (16.21 seconds).

The team of Terry Vanden, Garridon Edwards, Bryce Pobuda and Kirkindoll won that event (3:33.66).

Sam Black did his usual thing and won both the shot put and the discus. Black is looking for a return trip to the state meet. He won the shot with a best of 54 feet, 4.5 inches, and the discus with a best of 162 feet, 1.4 inches, and that discus throw was a PR.

He’ll be joined at regionals by Jonah Brewer in the shot – Brewer finished third with a PR of 46 feet, 5 inches.

Hudson McNatt is headed to Whitehouse in the high jump after finishing third at area, a best of 6 feet, 2 inches.

Sabine performances that were good but didn’t make regionals: Ella Roberts was sixth in the 400 meter run; Sadie Loftis was seventh in the 800 meter run; Logan was seventh in the two-mile; the team of Bogenschutz, Brown, Roberts and Roberts was sixth in the 400 relay; Sanchez set a PR (31 feet, .5 inches) but was seventh in the shot put; Presley Johnson was eighth in the discus but set a PR (68 feet, 5 inches); Autumn Rhodes just missed qualifying with a PR and a fifth-place finish in the high jump (4 feet, 8 inches); Edwards set a PR (54.64) but finished fifth in the boys 400 meter run; Preston Swords set a PR (17.71 seconds) but was seventh in the 110 meter hurdles; the team of Landry Laird, Kirkindoll, Jesus Duran and Cason Patterson missed out in the 400 meter relay; the team of Sparks, McNatt, Laird, and Vanden also missed qualifying in the 800 meter relay; Dawson Brooks set a PR (133 feet, 8 ½ inches), but finished sixth in discus; Bryce Pobuda was sixth in the high jump, but set a PR (6 feet, even); and Hayden Hayes was eighth in the pole vault, but set a new PR (10 feet).

GLADEWATER

Peyton Hunter won the girls 100 meter dash and set a new PR in doing so: 11.99 seconds. She also was second with a PR in the long jump (16 feet, 7 ½ inches) and third in the triple jump ( 34 feet, 4 ¾ inches).

Her teammate, Paytin Thompson, finished second and set a new PR in the 200 meter dash (25.79 seconds).

Hadassah Balcorta was third in the 400 meter run (1 minute, 02.89 seconds).

Hydie Collins was fourth in the 300 meter hurdles (50.34 seconds).

The team of Jerrica Gilmore, Thompson, Kyla Lincoln, and Hunter won the 400 meter relay (48.86 seconds), and the team of Balcorta, Gilmore, Thompson and Hunter won the 800 meter relay (1:43.30).

The mile relay team of Hayden Mumphrey, Collins, Balcorta and Adyson Evans also qualified for regionals with a third-place finish (4:23.44).

Karlee Moses was third in the shot put (34 feet, 11.75 inches, a PR).

Reagan Verner was fourth in discus (94 feet, 10 inches, a PR).

For the Bears, Kingston Sheffield won the triple jump (43 feet, 10 ½ inches) and finished fourth in the long jump (20 feet, 4 inches).

Performances by Gladewater athletes that just missed regional spots: Julius (JT) Maddox was fifth in the 100 meter dash, a PR (11.22 seconds); the relay team of Erik Little, Sheffield, Kyron Wilson and Maddox was seventh in the 400; the team of Little, Wilson, Khalil Sheffield and Kingston Sheffield was sixth in the 800; Gilmore was sixth but set a new PR (26.55) in the girls 200 meter dash; Collins was eight but set a new PR (19.05) in the 110 meter hurdles; Verner was sixth but set a new PR (31 feet, 4 ¾ inches) in the shot put; Evans was seventh but set a new PR in the high jump (4 feet, 6 inches); Thompson was sixth, but PR’d in the long jump (15 feet, 5 inches); Mumphrey was sixth, but PR’d in the triple jump (32 feet, 7 ¾ inches).

WHITE OAK

Jaxsen Ludlow won the 400 meter run and set a new PR with a 52.11-second time.

Kyler Priest won the pole vault (14 feet), and teammate Trevor Sizemore was second (13 feet, 6 inches), a new PR. Tyson McKinney also qualified in that event, finishing fourth (12 feet, 6 inches).

Teammate Logan Ladwig qualified for regionals with a fourth-place finish in the 100 meter dash (11.20 seconds).

Scotty Breitenberg was fourth in the 300 meter hurdles (43.77 seconds).

The team of Ladwig, Kyler Williams, Sizemore and Ludlow was second in the 800 meter relay (3 minutes, 34.64 seconds).

Lucas Frazier was third in the discus with a new PR (141 feet, 6 inches).

Addison Milligan was fourth for White Oak in the girls 400 meter run, a PR of 1:03.08.

Ally Tatum was third in the mile run (5:54. 17), a new PR, and also third (12:48.11, another new PR) in the two-mile run.

Addison Saccoccio was second in the 300 meter hurdles (48.72, another new PR).

The team of Milligan, Addison Clinkscales, Kylie Caraway, and Saccoccio was second in the mile relay (4:19.07).

Bella Baker was second in the discus (100 feet, 10 inches).

Clinkscales was second in the high jump (5 feet).

Johanna Pennington was second and Lizzy Still, third (nine feet for both) in the pole vault.

White Oak performances that just missed out on making regionals: Ladwig was sixth in the 200 meter dash (22.98 seconds, a new PR); Williams was seventh in the 400 meter run (55.35 seconds, also a new PR); Jackson Steele was seventh in the 800 meter run (new PR, 2:11.91); Logan Langewisch set a new PR and was seventh in the mile run (5:12.04); Cooper Tucker (11:16.97) and Langewisch (11:56.75) were sixth and seventh, respectively, and PR’d in the two-mile run; Breitenberg was eighth and PR’d (18.04) in the 110 meter hurdles; Caden Durham was fifth (42 feet, 2 ½ inches) and PR’d in the shot put; Kylie Caraway was seventh and PR’d in the girls 200 meter dash (27.34 seconds); Londyn Bodovsky was eighth and PR’d in the 800 meter run (2:43.29); was seventh and PR’d in the mile run (6:06.74); and eighth and PR’d in the two-mile (13:59.85); Kylie Dugger was eighth and PR’d in the 300 meter hurdles (52.85 seconds); the team of Pennington, Milligan, Clinkscales and Londyn Baker in the 400 meter relay; the team of Saccoccio, Caraway, Clinkscales and Baker in the 800 relay; and Londyn Baker in the pole vault (8 feet, a new PR).

TATUM

Cayden Tatum – appropriately named – won the high jump for the Eagles (6 feet, 4 inches).

Victor Cantellano was second in the mile run (4 minutes, 50.67 seconds) and third in the two-mile (10:26.02).

Carson Gonzalez was second in the 400 meter run (52.77 seconds).

Kam Beaty was second and set a new PR (42.67 seconds) in the 300 meter hurdles.

For the Lady Eagles, Kaysen Foster was second in the 100 meter hurdles (16.34 seconds) and fourth in the high jump (4 feet, 10 inches). She also qualified in the triple jump with a fourth-place finish (33 feet, 3 ¾ inches).

Akeira Oden qualified as a fourth-place finisher in the two-mile run with a new PR (12:55.89).

The mile relay team of Aundrea Bradley, Aaliyah Portley, Caitlyn Jones and Jayda Jones was fourth (4:23.99).

Finishes for Tatum that missed out on regionals were Portley, seventh in the girls 400 meter run; Jones, fifth in the girls 800 meter run; Oden, fifth but with a PR in the girls mile run (5:58.62); Foster in the 300 meter hurdles (sixth, but with a new PR of 51.39 seconds); the 400 meter relay team of Jones, Portley, Bradley and Taylor Parker); Alyssa Foster and Hadley Dunnavant, who were fifth and sixth, respectively, in discus; Kamdyn Scott, sixth in high jump; Angel Rivera, sixth but with a new PR (2:11.70) in the boys 800 meter run; Gabriel Cantellano, sixth in the mile run, and fifth but with a new PR (11:04.67) in the two-mile run; Faustino Sandoval in the two-mile run; the team of Qwardai’ Peoples, Luke Sigler, Micah Thomas and Cole Watson in the 400 meter relay; the team of Sigler, Beaty, Peoples and Carson Gonzalez in the mile relay; and Taylor Rutherford in the shot put.

TROUP

Caden Claburn won the boys 100 meter dash in a blistering 10.83 seconds, a new PR.

And teammate Trae Davis, on his way to Kansas State to play wide receiver, took the 200 meter dash (22.03 seconds). He also won the long jump (22 feet, 3 inches), and teammate Bryce Wallum was second (21 feet, 4 ¾ inches, a new PR).

Keshaun Kendrick won the 110 meter hurdles (16.35 seconds) with a new PR.

The team of Brett Wells, Claburn, Wallum and Davis won the 400 meter relay (42.59 seconds) and the 800 meter relay (1 minute, 29.78 seconds).

A.J Dewberry was fourth in the discus, and set a new PR (137 feet, 6 ½ inches).

Riley Blackmon was third in the pole vault (13 feet, even).

For the Lady Tigers, Hannah Cearley won the discus (102 feet, ½ inch, a new PR).

Emory Cover won the high jump (5 feet, 1 inch), the triple jump (35 feet, 7 inches, a new PR), and was fourth in the 200 meter dash (26.08 seconds, a new PR).

The team of Ja’Keira Davis, Cover, Zaquirah Jordan and Shiloh Sluder was third in the 800 meter relay (1:49.18).

Bailey Gipson was fourth in the pole vault (8 feet, 6 inches).

Performances by Troup athletes at area that were good, but didn’t make regionals: Billy Borja was fifth in the 110 meter hurdles and sixth in the 300 hurdles, but set a PR in that one (43.97 seconds); the team of Wells, Jaylon Williams, Wallum and Kendrick was eighth in the mile relay; Christopher Calley was fifth but PR’d (134 feet, 9 ¾ inches) in the discus; Keenan Foster was seventh in the high jump; Zach Burris was seventh in the pole vault; Davis was fifth, and Williams was sixth but PR’d (41 feet, 11 inches) in the triple jump; Audree Hinkle was fifth in the 100 meter hurdles; and the team of Cassie Murry, Sluder, Jordan and Cover was fifth in the 400 meter relay.

ARP

Landry Langley was third for the Lady Tigers in discus (98 feet, 5 inches, a new PR).

Ty Bardsley was fourth for the Arp boys, and PR’d, in the 800 meter run (2 minutes, 9.92 seconds).

They were Arp’s only two regional qualifers.

Other performances at area for the Tigers: the team of Madelyn Birdsong, Alana Benefield, Aubrey Poole and Kennedy Richter was seventh in the 800 meter relay; the same team was fifth in the mile relay; Zeshaun Reed was fifth and narrowly missed qualifying in the 200 meter dash, a new PR of 22.79 seconds; Bardsley in the mile run (5:37.61); Zane Borque in the 110 meter hurdles (sixth in 17.45 seconds) and in the 300 meter hurdles (seventh in 44.88 seconds); and Zyon Washington, seventh in the discus.