Pandemic doesn’t slow down Marble Falls phenom Bailey Goggans
Marble Falls High School senior Bailey Goggans ran the fastest 800 meters on Texas soil for high school girls during a meet at Faith Academy of Marble Falls on July 7. Courtesy photo
Extended time off didn’t affect Marble Falls High School senior runner Bailey Goggans.
The Lady Mustang won the girls 17-and-under 800 meters at the Track Is Back meet July 7 at Faith Academy of Marble Falls. She crossed the finish line in 2 minutes 4.93 seconds, the third-fastest time by a Texas high school girl in history and the fastest time on Texas soil. The other two girls’ times were recorded outside of the state.
Goggans, who is the two-time Class 5A state champion in the 800 meters, also set a new personal best, breaking her old record of 2:06.61 set at the 2019 Music City Distance Carnival in Nashville, Tennessee.
“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it, especially during this time,” she said about the feat. “That was pretty exciting.”
The two 800-meter runners ahead of Goggans, according to Texas Track and Field Coaches Association, are:
- Aaliyah Miller of McKinney Boyd High School, who finished in 2:02.96 at the 2016 USA Track and Field Junior Championships in Sacramento, California;
- and Raevyn Rogers of Houston Kinkaid High School, who clocked 2:03.32 at the 2013 World Youth Championships in Athletics meet in Donetsk, Ukraine.
Miller now competes for Baylor University, and after a standout career at the University of Oregon, Rogers is running professionally.
In January and February, Goggans was running indoor meets outside of school and planned to compete for Marble Falls in the spring, but the University Interscholastic League canceled the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was really looking forward to the track meets,” Goggans said. “I miss running on the big platforms in Texas.”
Those big platforms include the state meet and the Texas Relays, both at Mike Myers Stadium at the University of Texas at Austin.
Though the season was canceled, Goggans has been working out almost every day, focusing on improving speed, sprinting mechanics, and long runs.
“A variety of everything,” she said.
Goggans plans to compete at the Music City Distance Carnival in Nashville on August 15, hoping to finish in 2:02.5 to automatically qualify for the 2021 Olympic Trials.
“That’s a big meet,” she said. “That’s what I’m shooting for. I’m going to give it my best shot and see if I can make the trials. As long as I (record a new personal best), I’ll be happy.”