HIGH SCHOOL TRACK AND FIELD: Fouts, Goodley win titles to help Rankin boys finish second at state meet

AUSTIN Harrison Fouts of Rankin won the Class 1A Boys Pole Vault after being the only competitor to clear 13 feet.

Fouts, a junior, cleared each height on his first attempt before missing a 13-6 to close out the competition. He was one of two Red Devils to earn a gold medal as De’Shon Goodley won the 200 meter race with a new state record of 22 seconds even.

Goodley, Justin Rodriguez, Ben Rios and Baret Jackson earned a silver medal by finishing second in the 800-meter relay team with a time of 1:29.95, setting a new school record. Rodriguez also finished fifth in the 300-meter hurdles (40.96) and sixth in the long jump (20-3.5). Rios also finished eighth in the triple jump (40-4.5). David Bunger of Rankin was sixth in the 800 (2:09.04) and all that was enough to help the Red Devils finish in second place as a team with 40 points. Paducah won the Class 1A boys title with 56 points.

Balmorhea’s Emmanuel Serna was ninth (11:17.47) in the 3,200 meters. Buena Vista’s Cole Brauchi was sixth in the shot put (44 feet, 8.75 inches) and Van Horn’s Elijah Gaines did not clear 5-10 in the high jump.

Buena Vista’s Mariana Sanchez finished third in the Class 1A Girls 3,200, finishing in 11 minutes, 55.87 seconds. Sanchez also finished fifth in the Class 1A Girls 1,600 (5:42.71).

The Lady Longhorns team of Melissa Esquivel, Fernanda Malagon, Kiara Corona and Melanie Malagon also finished eighth (4:23.98) in the 1600-meter relay.

Rankin’s Emily Bunger placed fifth in the Class 1A Girls Discus throw (114-6) and Iraan’s Madison Harvey secured a sixth place finish in the Class 1A Girls 100-meter Hurdles (17.86). Van Horn’s Jaymie Sanchez placed eighth in the Class 1A Girls 400 meters (1:04.20).

Midland Lee’s Leah Acosta was the lone Class 6A athlete from the Permian Basin competing and finished sixth in the discus with a best throw of 140 feet.