UIL State: Local 1A athletes collect six medals on Saturday morning

AUSTIN — Adrian Rosales broke free from the pack in the final straightaway of the 3,200-meter run.

The Booker freshman charged ahead to earn a spot on the podium with a bronze medal performance in the Class 1A boys portion of the UIL state track and field meet.

Rosales was in fourth place heading into the final lap and rounded the final corner neck-and-neck both with bronze medalist Ryker Haivala from Cumby Miller Grove and fourth-place finisher Griff Reel from Guthrie.

At that point, Rosales made his move and overtook the pair to finish strong with a time of 10 minutes, 13.25 seconds, en route to the first state medal of his high school career.

"I didn't expect myself to run like this," Rosales said. "It was my last race of the year, so I had to go hard."

Rosales' goal was to finish faster than Reel, who had defeated Booker's first-year varsity runner at the Region I-1A meet last month. He passed the Guthrie freshman down the home stretch and succeeded in surpassing his state meet expectations.

Rosales is slated to get back to the track Saturday night to race in the 1,600, in which he hopes to surprise himself once again.

Silverton's Francis jumps to silver

Brenna Francis finished second in the Class 1A girls long jump with a distance of 17 feet, 1.25 inches.

The Lady Owls' sophomore entered the event as the second seed and backed that up with her performance in the Austin sun. She finished more than a couple of inches behind gold medalist Kaegen James of Mertzon Irion County (17-3.50).

"I didn't PR, but I did what I needed to do to get on the podium," Francis said.

Francis also placed seventh in the triple jump in the afternoon with a distance of 34-1.5.

Byrd finds 1A pole vault podium once again

Wildorado's Makenna Byrd began her second trip to the Class 1A state track and field meet with a silver medal win in the girls pole vault Saturday morning.

The junior competed for the first time this season at the district meet and ascended up the state leaderboard. Still not 100 percent healthy, Byrd converted her first four attempts and jumped a top height of 10 feet to finish second behind Lenorah Grady senior Sydney Gonzales (10-10).

"This year means a lot more," Byrd said. "It's taken a lot to get here just because I've been injured all year. This year has been a very humbling experience for sure knowing that it can be ripped away from me so fast. Getting here and working so hard to be here is awesome."

Byrd won four medals at last year's state meet, with a bronze in the pole vault and the 1,600 relay, while nabbing a pair of golds in the 100 and 300 hurdles. She will hit the track Saturday night and attempt to defend her title in the 100 hurdles.

Claude wild card Holland takes high jump silver

Five high jumpers had qualified ahead of Claude junior Andi Holland with a taller height heading into the state meet.

None of that mattered Saturday morning inside Mike A. Myers Stadium.

The Region I-1A girls pole vault wild card set a new personal record when she pushed senior gold medal winner Caina Sneed of Tilden McMullen County to a final height of 5-3. Sneed defeated Holland because the Lady Mustang junior had missed more attempts at previous heights.

"It feels amazing, unreal," Holland said. "I was just thinking, I'm here I might as well win a medal."

Other Panhandle results

► Miami senior Elizabeth Gorecki finished ninth in the 1A girls discus with a long throw of 99-6.

► Nazareth junior Caroline Myrick placed eighth in the 1A girls long jump (15-11.5).

► Valley junior Adrian Valdes finished behind Bryant in the 1A boys long jump in eighth place with a jump of 20-4.25.

► Valley junior Gunnar Bowles finished fourth in the 1A boys discus (142-8) with Follett senior Ethan Gregory coming in right behind him in fifth (137-8).

► Miami sophomore Mercedes Hartwig came in seventh (4-10) in the 1A girls high jump behind Holland.

► The Texas Panhandle Region I-1A boys high jump duo of Groom senior Damon Kuehler (7th, 5-10) and Miami sophomore Haiden Thompson (8th, 5-10) capped of their 2022 seasons with a solid performance.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For full track and field results, visit www.amarillo.com/sports.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: UIL State: Local 1A athletes collect five medals on Saturday morning