Lion track and field teams excel as preseason ends

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

With little more than two weeks remaining until the District Track and Field Meet, the Varsity and Junior Varsity Lions continue to offer stiff competition to teams across the state. Last weekend the teams traveled to Llano to compete in the Jacket Relays, and brought home nearly-identical second place team finishes, with the

Varsity Lions scoring 122 points, and the JV Lions stacking up 122.5.

In the Varsity division, both speed and distance runners proved their mettle, as Lions gave strong performances almost across the board on the track.

Sprinter Chad Randle outclassed his opponents in the 100-meter dash, completing his race in 11.58 to earn first place.

On the other end of the spectrum, the 1,600-meter relay team consisting of Randle, Nate Moore, Mack O”Niell and David Dinh placed first with a total time of 3:36.5.

Bobby Dinh struck silver in the 400-meter run, completing the course in 54.3, just over one second ahead of teammate Robert Uhr, who placed fifth.

The Dinh brothers and Uhr also scored high for the Lions in the 800-meter run. D. Dinh finished second with a time of 2:02.4. Uhr was third at 2:06.0, with B. Dinh hot on his heels in 2:07.1 in fifth.

Moore and O”Neill finished third and sixth respectively in the 1,600-meter run. Moore, in third, clocked at time of 4:30.4, while O”Neill finished in 4:41.8.

The Lions” longest-distance runner, Noah Tunningley, placed fourth in the 3,200-meter run, with a final time of 10:35.

In the 400-meter relay, the team of Joseph Bell, Kendall Till, Landon Rivera and Randle marked a third-place finish with a time of 45.4.

Bell and Kyle Medina also competed in the hurdles for the Lions.

Bell earned second in the 110-meter hurdles with a course time of 16.2, while Medina clinched third in the 300-meter hurdles in 44.0.

Although they didn”t strike gold, the Lions were successful on the field, as well.

Jordan Huckaby placed second in the shot put with a mark of 43″02″. Teammate Joe Bosquez was right behind Huckaby, placing third with a 43″00″ throw.

Bell and Huckaby earned points for the Lions in the discus, as well. Bell placed second with a 138″00 throw, while Huckaby brought in sixth with a 123″7″ mark.

Rivera placed fourth in the pole vault at 11″06″ and Bell earned fifth in the long jump at 18″01″.

Similarly grouped for competition, the JV Lions also gave a strong performance at the Jacket Relays, racking up a total 122.5 team points and finishing second overall.

In the distance events, the JV Lions dominated completely, finishing first in all three races, with at least two out of the top three finishers across the board.

Khalil Karl won the 3,200-meter run, posting a final time of 11:08. Teammates Eli Spring and Joe Anchondo rounded out the top three, finishing second and third respectively in 11:22 and 11:28.

Spring placed first in the 1,600-meter run, offering a final time of 5:03.0. Anchondo was ten seconds behind, in third place at 5:13.1.

Samuel Post struck gold in the 800-meter run, finishing in 2:07.6. Xavier Espinosa finished second in 2:11.2.

The 1,600-meter Relay team comprised of Post, Espinosa, Zane Bertram and R. Uhr logged a fifth place finish in 3:54.7.

Sprinter Sebastiaen Lamas placed fourth in the 100-meter with a time of 12.2 seconds, while Chris Jackson earned second in the 200-meter at 23.8 second.

Post placed second in the 400-meter run at 54.7.

On the field, Lamas and Brandon Pleasant both fared well in the long jump. Lamas placed second, with a distance of 16″11″, and Pleasant earned fifth with a mark of 16″.

The Lions competed in the Canyon Cougar Relays on April 1, and will be training for the District Meet at Elgin High School on Friday and Saturday, April 14-15.