Miami’s Anna Hudson won gold in the 100 and 200 meter dash at the Region I-1A meet in Levelland on Saturday. [Bobbie Brown/Texas 1A Fan]
Miami’s Hudson sprints to gold
LEVELLAND— For the second straight year Miami’s Anna Hudson proved to be the fastest girl in Region 1-1A as she captured gold in both the 100 and 200 meter dash. In the 100, the speedy junior got out of the blocks quickly and led the entire race and held off a late push from Nazareth’s Caroline Myrick in posting a 12.62. She then turned around in the 200 meters to blaze a 25.82 which topped her winning time from last year by .28 seconds. Hudson was looking for a third gold but could only grab silver as the Hart sprint relay team surprised Miami to deny gold for Hudson. Miami’s relay team knocked a second and a half off last year’s time but that still couldn’t beat Hart who finished the relay with a 51.39 while Miami had a 51.74 to finish second.
Wildorado’s Bryant, Silverton’s Francis, double up jumps
To no one’s surprise Wildorado’s Dustin Bryant took two golds as the Lubbock Christian signee popped off a 22-10 1/4 in the long jump on Friday, then backed that up Saturday morning with a 44-4 in the triple jump. Bryant was impressive both days as he finished more than a foot longer than second place in the long jump and almost did the same thing in the triple jump. Bryant now heads to Austin in two weeks with his eyes set on pulling off the double jump gold at state as well.
On the girls side Silverton’s Brenna Francis duplicated the efforts of Bryant. Friday, the talented sophomore Lady Owl soared past the seventeen foot mark landing a winning jump of 17-3 1/2 which easily netted her gold. Saturday morning Francis nailed 34-3 in the triple jump to narrowly beat Coulter Reel of Guthrie by one and a quarter inch.
Earth’s Ethridge, Valley’s Beard gut out wins
It’s not unusual for talented track athletes to run multiple races in one day. But Springlake-Earth’s Braxton Ethridge and Valley’s Blake Beard also proved you can be impressive when you run races back to back.
Ethridge has made his mark in the hurdles this year and he did that again in Levelland. Ethridge won the 110-meter hurdles in an impressive 14.72 holding off Paducah’s Deflton Flemons who had a 14.78. The speedy junior then walked the length of the field to compete in the 100 meter dash which was right after the girls 100 meters. Despite no rest, Ethridge clocked a 11.22 to take gold holding off another Paducah sprinter, Jakyen Wright to gain his second gold within minutes of each other. Ethridge wouldn’t stop there as he registered a sub 40 second 300 meter hurdles to add his third gold Saturday afternoon.
Beard was equally impressive. The Valley junior anchored gold for the Patriot 400 meter relay team to kick off the running finals. The standout then anchored a second gold for Valley in the 800 meter relay. That’s when Beard grabbed a quick cup of water, watched the girls 400 meter dash then lined up for the boys 400 meter dash. In a race that was decided by less than eight tenths of second between first and fourth Beard gutted out an impressive second place finish holding off Trace Goodman from Springlake-Earth.
Notable athletes
By this point no one is surprised to hear Taytum Goodman of Springlake-Earth ran away from the competition but the dimunitive sophomore can still get the crowd talking. After a seven second win in the 800 meters, Goodman narrowly missed gold in the 400 meters before lining up for the mile. That’s where Goodman impresses with her stride that never changes for four laps. Using that relentless pace Goodman finished more than 100 meters ahead of second with the back of the pack feeling Goodman approaching as she almost lapped the field.
Guthrie’s Brandon Passman, the Alabama signee, is just as impressive. Passman won the 3200 meter race on Friday going under ten minutes at 9.59. He then won the boys 800 meters before cruising to a 1600 meter win by thirteen seconds in the South Plains heat.
Nazareth’s Caroline Myrick will head to state in three events after finishing up as the runner up to Hudson in the 100 and 200 and grabbing silver in the long jump behind Francis.
The University Interscholastic League Class 1A state track meet is set for Saturday, May 14, at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.
For full results of the Region I-1A track meet, please visit, http://www.spato.us/results/hs2022/levelreg/
Region I-1A Amarillo-area state qualifiers
Boys
1st: Braxton Ethridge, Springlake-Earth, 11.22
1st: Parker Hartman, Valley, 23.34
2nd: Blake Beard, Valley, 51.19
3rd: Trace Goodman, Springlake-Earth, 51.45 (Wildcard)
2nd: Trace Goodman, Springlake-Earth, 2.01.73
2nd: Adrian Rosales, Booker, 4.50.26
3rd: Adrian Rosales, Booker, 10.32.48 (Wildcard)
1st: Braxton Ethridge, Springlake-Earth, 14.72
1st: Braxton Ethridge, Springlake-Earth, 39.63
3rd: Sawyer Francis, Silverton, 40.59 (Wildcard)
1st: Valley, 43.35
1st: Valley, 1.29.28
3rd: Happy, 3.32.31 (Wildcard)
1st: Dustin Bryant, Wildorado, 22-10 1/4
3rd: Adrian Valdes, Valley, 21-5 1/2 (Wildcard)
1st: Dustin Bryant, Wildorado, 44-4
1st: Damon Kuehler, Groom, 6-0
2nd: Haiden Thompson, Miami, 6-0
1st: Ethan Gregory, Follett, 134-7
2nd: Gunnar Bowles, Valley, 134-2
Girls
1st: Anna Hudson, Miami, 12.62
2nd: Caroline Myrick, Nazareth, 12.81
1st: Anna Hudson, Miami, 25.82
2nd: Caroline Myrick, Nazareth, 26.30
2nd: Taytum Goodman, Springlake-Earth, 59.48
3rd: Emily Berry, Happy, 1.00.09 (Wildcard)
1st: Taytum Goodman, Springlake-Earth, 2.19.39
3rd: Bailee Baggerman, Happy, 2.27.80 (Wildcard)
1st: Taytum Goodman, Springlake-Earth, 5.25.50
1st: Makenna Byrd, Wildorado, 16.08
3rd: Giselle Esparza, Wildorado, 49.02 (Wildcard)
1st: Hart, 51.39
2nd: Miami, 51.74
3rd: Valley, 51.95 (Wildcard)
1st: Valley, 1.48.47
2nd: Hart, 1.48.59
2nd: Happy 4.17.86
1st: Brenna Francis, Silverton, 17-3 1/2
2nd: Caroline Myrick, Nazareth, 16-6 1/4
1st: Brenna Francis, Silverton, 34-3
1st: Mercedes Hartwig, Miami, 5-4
2nd: Makenna Byrd, Wildorado, 9-9
2nd: Elizabeth Gorecki, Miami, 98-4