Texas Relays - Saturday Preview

By John Sullivan for DyeStat

Girls Triple Jump

Agoura, CA jr Tara Davis is back to defend her title.  She hit 40-11.5 to win here, and then all-time US#22 42-8.25 at the World Youth Championships last summer.  She’ll be looking to add to her long jump gold from Friday and recently jumped 41-5.75 US#1.  Lake Ridge fr Jasmine Moore is off to an excellent start to her high school career with a 40-8 US#3 in the books and silver here behind Davis in the long jump.  Burges jr Arielle Mack took TX 5A silver last year and is the US#11 returner at 40-6 and jumped 40-1.25 at Chandler(AZ) two weeks ago.

Girls Shot Put

Valley Christian, CA sr Elena Bruckner is the star attraction, taking the discus title on Friday and leading the season’s shot war by 5-feet with 53-5 US#1, just fractions off her 2015 all-time US#8 PR.  Nelson sr Leilyn Miles has a season-best 46-6 US#5 to go with last year’s Texas Meet of Champions and USATF National Junior Olympic titles.

Girls 100

Horn jr Kaylor Harris led Friday’s qualifying, clocking 11.53w (+4.8) to move to US#2 all-conditions.  Next quickest was Alvin soph Kynnedy Flannel who won her heat in 11.73w (+2.6).

Girls 100 Hurdles

Arlington Seguin sr Tonea Marshall, the TX 5A champ and LSU signee, scorched the track in Friday’s heats in 13.26 (+1.9) to move to US#11 all-time.  Nansemond River, VA sr Brandee’ Johnson was next best in 13.87w (+3.2) and then won the 300 hurdles in 40.87, US#15 all-time.

Girls 4x100

DeSoto, which clocked US#1 45.12 at an earlier home meet, led Saturday morning’s chilly qualifying round in 46.49.  Cedar Hill (46.86) and Nansemond River, VA (46.94) also dipped under 47-seconds setting up a great final.

Girls 4x200

Nansemond River, VA moved to US#6 with the quickest heat time of 1:38.23.  Cypress Springs was next at 1:38.64 and has 1:36.87 US#1 credentials from earlier in the season.

Girls 4x400

The name of the game on Friday was – just qualify baby!  DeSoto did just that, clocking 3:50.39 to lead the way.  McKinney Boyd running with TX 6A 400/800 champ Aaliyah Miller was next best at 3:50.72 while Hightower qualified with a heat winning 3:52.33, well off last week’s 3:40.82 US#1 at Rice.

Boys Shot Put

The Woodlands jr Adrian “Tripp” Piperi produced a big PR to strike discus gold on Friday with US#1 203-4.  He’s even better in the shot, earning TX 6A and then World Youth Games titles last year as a sophomore.  This year he’s bumped his PR to 69-1 at Oak Ridge (2/20), then 70-1 at College Park (3/5), then 70-3 at Jesuit-Sheaner (3/19), then 70-5.5 at Rice (3/25) – each then  US#1.  Meanwhile on the West Coast, Anaheim Esperanza, CA jr Bronson Osborn was also off to a quick start, hitting 70-0 (2/27) and then 70-4.5 (3/19) each time taking the US lead from Piperi.  

They meet in the ring in Austin and it will be thrilling!

USA All-Time High School Junior-class Shot Put List over 70-feet

1.  75-10.25     Nick Vena, NJ, 2011

2.  74-10.50     Arnold Campbell, LA, 1984

3.  71-03.50     Michael Carter, TX, 1979

4.  71-01.50     Kevin Bookout, OK, 2001

5.  70-05.50     Adrian Piperi, TX, 2016

6.  70-04.50     Bronson Osborn, CA, 2016

Boys 100

Atascocita sr Jace Comick led qualifying in 10.46w (+2.7).  Clear Brook sr Brandon Taylor had the fastest wind-legal qualifier in 10.50 (+1.6), clocked 10.38w (+4.3) at Texas Southern and is the US#6 returner with a 10.40 last year for State 6A bronze.  This field will all be close.

Boys 110 Hurdles

Canyon sr Norman Grimes was the only one under 14 in Friday’s heats affected by rainy weather, clocking 13.99w (+2.7) to move to US#7 nd then claimed 300 hurdle gold in US#1 36.33 later that night.  Flour Bluff sr Clay Thompson has an earlier US#6 13.98 and he qulaified 2nd in his heat to McAllen sr Josh McGowen whose earlier 14.01 is US#9.

Boys 4x100

Chilly weather in the 40s put a damper on Saturday morning’s heats.  DeSoto, with an earlier US#12 41.30, led the charge here in 41.75.  Next fastest were Mansfield Legacy in 41.84 and Lancaster in 41.90.  The finals will be warmer which should “heat” things up.

Boys 4x200

Arlington Martin sped 1:26.52 to top the Friday heats, anchored by 400 standout sr Keshun Martin (TX 6A champ in 45.75).  Mansfield Legacy (1:27.19) and Lancasster (1:27.34) were next just as they were in the 4x100 heats.

Boys 4x400

Arlington Martin also topped Friday’s 4x400 heats, clocking 3:16.66 with Keshun Reed on the 4th leg.  Arlington Bowie was the next fastest qualifier (3:18.35) followed by Strake Jesuit (3:18.40.

Boys Triple Jump

Boswell jr Jalen Seals is the leading entrant with 49-6.5 mark (US#2 all conditions).  His mainchallengers include McKinney sr Rickey Fantroy, the US#7 returner with 48-8.25 to earn State 5A silver in 2015, and Permian sr Dexter Neboh with a season-best 48-7.5 (US#7 all-conditions).