Marble Falls track teams finish third at Daybreak Rotary Mustang Relays
JENNIFER FIERRO-PICAYUNE STAFF
MARBLE FALLS — The Marble Falls High School boys and girls track-and-field teams hosted the annual Daybreak Rotary Mustang Relays that drew 14 schools March 28.
The boys varsity and junior varsity teams each finished third in the team standings with 84 and 83 points, respectively. The girls varsity and junior varsity squads also finished third with 80 and 78 points each.
Marble Falls head coach Kyle Futrell said the most important aspect of the team scores came down to one thing.
“By and large, we ran well,” he said. “We were consistent.”
In the boys varsity division, Keith Jerome was second in the 100 meters in 11.59 seconds, while Cody Skipper was third in the 400 meters in 54.32.
“KJ ran pretty well,” Futrell said. “Cody is a hard worker. He’s always in the mix.”
Jordan Wright finished second in the 1,600 meters in 4:38.58. Wright and Cody Skipper were third and fourth in the 800 meters in 2:06.24 and 2:06.77.
“In the 1,600 (meters), Jordan ran within a second of his personal record,” the coach said.
The challenge for the relays right now is finding runners who are healthy enough to compete, he said.
Still, the Mustangs challenged in the 4×100 meters, finishing in 44.90 and were a second behind Fredericksburg, which won the event. Marble Falls was second in the 4×200 meters in 1:34.57 and sixth in the 4×400 meters in 3:39.09.
Rey Baltazar won both the shot put and discus with throws of 53 feet 10.5 inches and 152-9. He’ll compete in the Texas Relays on March 30.
Carson Bowen competed in the long jump and triple jump without practicing much, Futrell said. He leapt 21-1 in the long jump for fourth and marked 41-3.75 in the triple jump for third.
“That was the surprise of the day,” Futrell said. “He said he went out without a formal practice. But we do a standing long jump every day in offseason.”
Jèsus Perez was third in the pole vault by clearing 11-6. Aidin Parnell continues to give tremendous effort, no matter what he’s asked to do, Futrell said.
As for the boys junior varsity, the Mustangs solid performances from D’Anthony Wall in the 3,200 meters, who was third in 11:06.08 and Jason Lenior in the 300 hurdles in 44.42.
“Jason never ran the hurdles before this year,” the coach said. “He found his niche there.”
The Mustangs’ 4×100 relay team won gold in 46.43, was third in the 4×200 relay in 1:38.04, and second in the 4×400 relay in 3:44.33.
As for the girls varsity team, junior Sarah Stripling won the 800 meters in 2:27.42.
“She’s been real consistent,” the coach said.
Futrell noted Shelby Jordan has been a solid contributor to the relay teams.
“She keeps running well,” he said.
The Lady Mustangs 4×400 relay team placed first in 4:13.33, while the 4×100 relay team was third in 51.38.
“(The result of the 4×400) is evidence of a long, hard day,” the coach said. “We didn’t run as fast. Our handoffs are really good. The 4×100 is right at where we’d been running. We feel real comfortable.”
Sarah Lewis and Natalie Schulz went first and second in the 300 hurdles in 47.26 and 48.11, both new personal bests.
Schulz was second in the long jump at 16-3 and was seventh in the triple jump at 34-4.5.
“She’s improved,” Futrell said. “She’s such a competitor. I know she wants to jump a little further in the triple jump.”
In the junior varsity division, Nydia Castro was first in the 3,200 meters in 12:50.50. Blanca Fonseca was second in the 100 hurdles in 17.18, while Siobhan Patterson was second in the 300 hurdles in 52.07.
The Mustangs will compete in the District 25-4A Meet at Leander Vandegrift, 700 McNeil Drive in Austin, April 10-11.
jfierro@thepicayune.com
