STATE TRACK! | Who’s going, when they compete, how you can watch, tickets, all you need to know

There’s no bigger event in high school track and field in the U.S. than the University Interscholastic League State Track & Field Championships, held each May at the University of Texas in Austin.

This year, that’s this week – Thursday through Saturday at UT’s Mike A. Myers Stadium.

Several athletes from the ETBlitz.com area – the way it worked out, all of them from either Class 3A or Class 4A – are competing on Thursday, and while there is inclement weather in the forecast, we can’t prevent that, obviously. We can, however, give you guys the schedule, and whatever adjustments the UIL makes is what they make.

The 3,200 meter, or two-mile, run is set to begin Thursday at 9 a.m., as are field events. Running event finals are set for 5 p.m.

Here are the state qualifiers from the ETBlitz area, the schools they represent, and the events in which they’ll compete, with the corresponding times, then afterward, meet information, including tickets, parking, etc.

9 a.m.: Kilgore’s Jacory Walton, 4A boys high jump

9 a.m.: Troup’s Trae Davis, 3A boys long jump

Troup’s Trae Davis (above) will represent the Tigers in the long jump, the 200 meter dash, and two relays. (Photo by MITCH LUCAS – ETBLITZ.COM)

9 a.m.: White Oak’s Kyler Priest, 3A boys pole vault

10:30 a.m.: Kilgore’s Braydon Nelson, 4A boys shot put

11 a.m.: Sabine’s Sam Black, 3A boys discus

11:30 a.m.: Tatum’s Cayden Tatum, 3A boys high jump

2 p.m.: Sabine’s Sam Black, 3A boys shot put

2 p.m.: West Rusk’s Kason Reed, 3A boys shot put

3 p.m.: Kilgore’s Braydon Nelson, 4A boys discus

Kilgore’s Braydon Nelson (above) watches as his final throw in the Region III shot put in Bullard lands on the turf. Nelson is in the 4A shot put and the 4A discus on Thursday at the state meet. (Photo by MITCH LUCAS – ETBLITZ.COM)

5 p.m.: Gladewater’s Jerrica Gilmore, Paytin Thompson, Kyla Lincoln, Hadassah Balcorta, Peyton Hunter, 3A girls 400 meter relay

5 p.m.: Troup’s Noble Kendrick, Caden Clayburn, Bryce Wallum, Trae Davis, Brett Wells, Jaylon Williams, 3A boys 400 meter relay

6:05 p.m.: Gladewater’s Peyton Hunter, 3A girls 100 meter dash

6:25 p.m.: West Rusk’s Chloe Petty, Isabella Mata, Kamyah Lacy, Lakendra “Keke” Murphy, Natalia Mata, Irelind Hunt, Kimora Pryor, Zoey Smires, 3A girls 800 meter relay

6:25 p.m.: Gladewater’s Balcorta, Gilmore, Hunter, Thompson, Lincoln, 3A girls 800 meter relay

6:25 p.m.: Troup’s Kendrick, Claburn, Wallum, Davis, Wells, Williams, 3A boys 800 meter relay

6:45 p.m.: Sabine’s Sarah Roberts, 3A girls 400 meter run

7:30 p.m.: Gladewater’s Thompson, 3A girls 200 meter dash

7:30 p.m.: Gladewater’s Davis, 3A boys 200 meter dash

Anyone going staying for the entire weekend, or interested: classifications 2A and 5A, and wheelchair events, are slated for Friday, and 1A and 6A events are Saturday.

All of the UIL state track and field events are held at UT’s Mike A. Myers Stadium, located at  707 Clyde Littlefield Dr., Austin TX 78705.

Single session tickets are $15 each; day tickets are $25, and allow come-and-go. The single session tickets, now, don’t allow come-and-go, and that’s the difference.

Here’s the link to purchase: UIL Track and Field State Championships | University of Texas – Athletics (evenue.net).

Children 2 & up do require a ticket.

Spectator parking will be located at East Campus Garage at 1200 E Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Austin, TX 78702. There is a charge to park. Go to this link (Parkmobile | Parking Made Simple (clickandpark.com)) and select “Mike A. Myers Track and Soccer Stadium.”

The stadium does have a clear-bag policy in place. According to the UIL track and field site, all bags larger than the 4 ½ by 6 ½ size – purses and diaper bags included – must be clear plastic, no larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches. And they list this website as a guideline: TexasSports.com/clearbag.

Just FYI, especially with poor weather possibly expected Thursday: umbrellas aren’t allowed in the stadium, and neither are strollers or backpacks.

You can see all the guidelines for yourself, and more, here at the UIL spectator information link: Track & Field State Meet Spectator Information.

The NFHS Network (High School Sports Online – Stream Live & On Demand (nfhsnetwork.com)) is the UIL’s official streaming partner for the state track and field meet, and has been for years. There is a subscription fee, and there’s a disclaimer that “not all field events will be streamed in their entirety if more than three events are happening simultaneously.”

So if you’re not going and you DO elect to watch on the NFHS Network site, be warned that they could cut away, although that’s not normally the case. The NFHS Network does have apps available on smart TVs and on iPhones, etc.