AUSTIN Several Permian Basin athletes brought back medals after competing at the UIL State Track and Field Championships Friday and Saturday at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Monahans freshman Hope Santiago took home three different medals in the wheelchair category, earning gold in the 100 meters (20.71 seconds), silver in the shot put (15 feet, 1/4 inches) and bronze in the 400 meters (1 minute, 21.04 seconds.
The Buena Vista 1,600-meter relay team of Bryam Caballero, Luis Rodriguez, Valentino Martinez and Candelario Gardea won the Class 1A state title with a time of 3 minutes, 27.44 seconds. The Longhorns edged out runners-up Eden by two-tenths of a second to earn the gold medal.
Caballero nearly got a second medal, finishing fourth in the 800 meters.
Rankin senior Calen Fouts won the Class 1A boys pole vault competition with a mark of 14 feet, nine inches.
Andrews senior Jacob Mechler defended his gold medal in the Class 4A boys discus with a throw of 185-1, with teammate, junior Paxton Hair, taking silver at 175-8.
A trio of sophomores won bronze medals in their respective events.
Macy Watts of Monahans finished with a height of 11-9 in the Class 4A girls pole vault.
Fort Stockton’s Pedro Vasquez finished third in the 400 meters (48.81) and Greenwood’s Trey Cross finished third in the boys long jump (22-1.75).
Cross also finished eighth in the triple jump and Andrews junior Jonathan Ramirez finished seventh in the same race as Vasquez.
Presidio’s Daniela Valenzuela took home the silver medal with a jump of 37 feet, 10 1/2 inches in the Class 3A girls triple jump.
In Class 2A, Iraan senior Colbi Maurer won a bronze medal in the girls pole vault after clearing 10-6, while Wink senior Wade Halterman finished third in the 110 meter hurdles (14.55).
OTHER LOCAL RESULTS: In the wheelchair category, Joseph Alfaro of Andrews finished eighth in the 100 meters, seventh in the 400, and fourth in the shot put. Teammate Wyatt Liming finished sixth in the shot put as well.
In Class 1A, Titan Quigg of Rankin finished ninth in the 110 meter hurdles while Balmorhea freshman Salma Mondragon was seventh in the girls 100 meters.
In Class 2A, Wink junior Jonnah Smith finished seventh in the 800 meters and in Class 3A, Kermit’s Orlando Juarez finished ninth long jump.
Presidio’s 1,600-meter finished fourth.
Peyton Adams of Monahans finished sixth in the Class 4A boys high jump while Kailey Martinez was fifth in the Class 4A girls high jump.
Maci Irons of Monahans finished sixth in the Class 4A girls shot put and the Andrews 1,600-meter relay team finished sixth.
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