Faith track athletes advance to regionals
Faith Academy of Marble Falls freshman Alisha Williams placed fourth in the discus at the District 2-2A meet to advance to regionals. Courtesy photo
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
SAN ANTONIO — The Faith Academy girls track-and-field team finished third at the District 2-2A meet April 10 with 115 points.
That ended an eight-year reign of winning the district team championship. Faith competes in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.
Head coach Steve McCannon said the Lady Flames had to contend with windy conditions.
“I knew this was going to be a close meet and competitive,” he said. “We have the largest district in the state, and 12 teams scored points. We had our chances to win the meet but just could not get it done.”
Austin Hill Country and Boerne Geneva School shared the overall team championship with 123 points each
Sophie McCannon, the coach’s daughter, continued to dominate the distance races, taking gold in the 1,600 meters and the 3,200 meters.
“Sophie had no problems in her races and took it easy,” her father said. “Sophie is confident and runs tactical races. Sophie is motivated and ready.”
Juliette Fisher qualified for regionals in all five of her events.
“Over the years, we have had several five-event athletes, and Juliette is up there with some of our best,” the coach said. “She is the only senior at this point going forward, so we look to send her out on top.”
The 800-meter relay and 1,600-meter relay teams finished second, even while suffering through bad handoffs.
“We will clean that up for region,” McCannon said. “Two of our runners have only been in track for one month. We will be ready at region and take dead aim at winning both of those. If we win those, we win region.”
The boys team also had some regional qualifiers. The 400-meter relay team of Jonathan Bryer, Asa Ortiz, Daniel Penner and Johnathan Reyes was second in 47.91 seconds.
“We had been ranked for three weeks,” boys head coach Russ Roberts said. “We ended up in lane four of the slow heat.”
The other challenge was adjusting to the sharp curves at the track at Antonian College Prep. Faith is used to a more oval shape such as the track at Pony Stadium on the Marble Falls Middle School campus.
“(The Antonian College Prep) track is tight and narrow with tight curves,” Roberts said. “All the speed purportedly was in Heat 2. We ran as well as we could.”
Roberts said his heart sank when he saw the team’s time. But when he saw the second heat, he knew his Flames ran fast enough to advance.
McCannon summed up the viewpoint of Faith track.
“The sign of a good program is having a chance to win even when you don’t have your complete team or don’t have your best stuff,” he said. “I believe in the theory of Jim Valvano: survive and advance. We did that, and we have a shot at region.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com
RESULTS: Boys (top four advance to the regional meet) — 200: 7, Asa Ortiz, 24.89; 800: 9, Tristan Wilson, 2:23 (personal best); 4×100 relay: 2, Faith (Bryer, Ortiz, Daniel Penner, Johnathan Reyes), 47.91; high jump: 5, Jonnathan Bryer, 5-0; shot put: 4, Bryer, 34-11; Magnum Burcham, 32-7½ (personal best); discus: 6, Bryer, 92-1½
Girls (top four advance to the regional meet) — 100: 4, Gabby Sordelet, 13.51; 200: 2, Rachel Ormsby, 28.33; 400: 5, Christina Lykken, 1:07.17; 800: 6, Christina Lykken, 2:43.65; 1,600: 1, Sophie McCannon, 5:46; 3,200: 1, Sophie McCannon, 12:21; 4×100 relay: 1, Faith (Sierra Brinkley, Rachel Ormsby, Gabby Sordelet, Juliette Fisher), 54.62; 4×200 relay: 2, Faith (Sierra Brinkley , Rachel Orsmby, Gabby Sordelet, Juliette Fisher), 1:55.71; 4×400 relay: 2, Faith (Sierra Brinkley, Juliette Fisher, Christina Lykken, Sophie McCannon), 4:33.01; shot put: 6, Alisha Williams, 27-½ ; discus: 4, Alisha Williams, 78-02; triple jump: 2, Juliette Fisher, 31-10¾; pole vault: 5, Sierra Brinkley, 7-0; high jump: 2, Hailey Shipley, 4-8; 4, Juliette Fisher, 4-4
UP NEXT: April 24, TAPPS regional meet at Halletsville Brahma Memorial Stadium, 1331 Fourth St. in Halletsville