Crowned: RGV athletes shine during Region IV-5A/6A track and field championships
The RGV’s best 5A and 6A track and field athletes took their talents to Heroes Stadium in San Antonio this past weekend, each with the same goal in mind – punching their ticket to state.
By the meet’s end, the RGV’s competitors had captured 11 individual titles and one team championship, while seven other athletes secured state bids with top 2 finishes in their respective events.
The two-day meet’s biggest winner was McAllen High’s girls track team, with the Bulldogs edging Smithson Valley for the Region IV-5A team championship. McAllen High finished the meet with 77 points, with the Rangers coming in second with 76 points.
Leading the charge for the Bulldogs were big performances from their 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams, along with strong individual outings by juniors Dariana Luna, Dana Rojas Vazquez and senior Lauryn Menchaca.
The Bulldogs relay teams earned a pair of silver medals to secure 36 points for their team, while Luna nabbed 16 points for her team with a first-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles and a bronze medal in the 300-meter hurdles.
Rojas Vazquez nabbed 10 points for her team with her best showing coming during the 1,600-meter run, winning the bronze medal during the 5A girls race. Her third place finish during the race earned her the Class 5A wildcard spot in the event during the state meet.
Menchaca rounded out McHi’s dominant day with a third-place finish during the 5A girls shot put, recording a mark 127-11 for the bronze.
In Class 6A, the RGV came away with seven regional titles, with four coming from Harlingen High and three from Edinburg North.
Cougars’ distance runner San Juanita Leal was the RGV’s lone athlete to win three gold medals during the two-day competition, capturing regional titles during the 6A girls 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.
Meanwhile, Harlingen High seniors Faith Franklin and Jazmine Thompson each captured a pair of regional titles of their own, with Franklin dominating on the track and Thompson in the ring.
Franklin, a Vanderbilt signee, came away with championships in the 200- and 400-meter dash, including a regional meet record of 53.15 during the 400.
Thompson, a Wake Forest signee, swept the 6A girls throwing events with ease, winning the discus with a mark of 155 feet, 10 inches and the shot put with a throw of 45-10.75.
Four other athletes captured individual district titles during the weekend’s meet. Roma’s Diego Rodriguez established himself as the fastest in Region IV-5A by winning the boys 100-meter dash. He added a second state berth during the 200-meter dash, finishing second in the event.
Sharyland Pioneer’s Angel Rodriguez also nabbed a pair of state bids in Class 5A, winning the boys 400-meter dash, while also coming in second during the boys long jump.
Rio Grande City’s Dante Barrera and PSJA Southwest’s Marcela Trevino made it a sweep of the 5A discus, with Barrera winning the Region IV-5A boys title and Trevino earning the 5A girls crown.
Other state meet qualifiers included PSJA Memorial’s Diego Pina (5A boys 800-meter run), Edinburg Vela’s Kristopher Perez (5A boys shot put), Edinburg Vela’s Zia Casas (5A girls 200-meter dash), Edcouch-Elsa Kaely Trantham (5A girls shot put) and Sharyland High’s Callie Keith (5A girls high jump.
All of the Valley’s state qualifiers will be back in action in two weeks during the UIL state track and field championships. Day 1 of the competition begins Thursday with Class 3A and 4A athletes, followed by 2A and 5A athletes on Friday and 1A and 6A athletes on Saturday.
The state meet is set to take place at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.
