Statebound

Wind slowed down but didn’t stop four RHS runners from advancing to the UIL Class 3A State Track and Field championships next week.

Fourteen-mile-per-hour winds at Panther Stadium in Hewitt kicked into gear just as the RHS boys sprint relay team went up against their newfound rivals at Crockett High School in the finals last Saturday.

Running half a second slower than their preliminary time on Friday the Tigers qualified for state with a time of 43.18 behind the Bulldogs who ran a 42.60.

“Nobody could run in that wind. I think every team ran the slowest time they’ve seen in a while,” said Lewis Edmonson, Rockdale High School boys track coach. “(The race) pretty much went how it looked on paper with us and Crockett as the top two teams.”

In the Friday prelims, Qua-Shawn Crawford, Kesean Raven, Will Storey and Cam’Ron Valdez ran the top time in their heat with a 42.78 while the Bulldogs ran a 42.02 in the second heat. This pitted the two against each other on Saturday. Both will compete at the state meet May 10 at Mike A. Meyers Stadium in Austin at 5:30 p.m., after the 1A and 3A girls races.

“Region II is pretty strong. Jefferson won their region with a time of 42.02 and Dallas Madison was right behind them with a 42.25,” Edmonson said. “We just have to zero in on everything that needs work. We’ll really work on handoff techniques and do a lot of speed work over the practices leading up to the meet.”

4x200-METER – The same group also ran in the 4x200-meter relay where they finished third in the finals after Crockett’s Joseph Porter caught RHS at the finish line to take second place.

The Tigers finished the race with a time of 1:30.32 behind the Bulldogs time of 1:30.13 and champion Winnie East Chambers 1:29.38

200-METER – Storey qualified for the finals in the 200-meter dash, finishing seventh with a 22.97. He didn’t run in the finals after deciding it wasn’t worth risking injury since he had already qualified for state in the sprint relay.

400-METER – Mackenzie Musto also competed in the 400-meter dash with a personal record of 64.10 to place 11th.

“Musto is one of the hardest working athletes I’ve had the opportunity to work with, ” said Brian Thomas, RHS girls track coach. “She had a tremendous season.”

SHOT PUT – Ty May-berry made it to the finals in the shot put and finished ninth, throwing a personal best of 46’11.

“Ty did great,” said coach Meredith Caffey. “Especially after making it here from a fourth place finish in district.”

This was the first trip to regionals for all six Rock-dale athletes.