First summer track meet earns solid marks
MARBLE FALLS — When Smoking Wings of Eagles coach Anthony Torns decided to create the Hill Country Summer Track Series, he had two objectives.
The first was to help athletes develop a love for running and to improve themselves mentally, physically and emotionally.
The second was to help Court Appointed Special Advocates for the Highland Lakes and the Marble Falls High School cross country team. So when more than 40 athletes participated in the first track meet at Pony Stadium on June 11, Torns said the goals were met.
“Everything went well,” he said. “It was a nice group of kids we had come out.”
Five athletes came from Austin, Lampasas sent 20, and Fredericksburg had at least five. The rest were members of the Highland Lakes Track Club coached by Torns and Steven McCannon.
“We sent a lot of younger, newer kids that hadn’t run,” McCannon said.
The high school division had one heat, Torns said, but athletes ages 12 and younger had several.
The events included the 1,600-meter run, 800 meters, the 60-meter dash, 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 400 meters, the 1,600-meter relay, the long jump and the shot put that drew five throwers.
At least 18 athletes competed in the long jump.
“It was pretty good at the end of the meet,” Torns said.
Among them was Brock Foster of Burnet, a 2010 national long-jump champion at the national meet in San Diego last summer.
Foster moved up to the youth boys division (13 and 14 years old) this year and marked 19 feet 2 inches at the meet.
The most interesting event was the 1,600-meter relay because of the way organizers designed it.
Athletes chose their three relay members, Torns said. Gender and age weren’t factored into the choice, he said.
“They got out and ran,” he said. “It was fun.”
The top six athletes in each event and top six jumpers in each age division received a ribbon.
In addition, several athletes 19 and older also competed, Torns said. Instead of dividing them into the Masters (30 and older) division and a open (19-29 division), they competed against each other.
“We didn’t have a large number,” Torns said. “There was one head in each race. And we had two heats in the 100 and 200.”
Three more meets are scheduled for June 25, July 2 and 16, all at Pony Stadium, 1511 Pony Circle Drive.
After the last meet finishes, Torns said donations will be made to CASA and to the cross country program.
“For our first time doing it, it got a good response,” he said. “In the future, we’ll get a larger turnout.”