Marble Falls Faith girls track wins 13th title, Flames finish third

CAPTION: The 2023 Faith Academy of Marble Falls Lady Flames track-and-field team adds another district title to the program’s history. Courtesy photo

The Faith Academy of Marble Falls track-and-field teams finished in the top three of the boys and girls District 3-3A meet of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools April 17.

The Lady Flames capture their third consecutive district crown, not counting the 2020 pandemic year when stay-at-home orders were issued and the season was canceled, and 13th overall in program history. The Flames “were a solid” third in the team standings, head coach Steve McCannon said.

The regional meet is Thursday, April 27. at Texas State University.

“We were able to qualify in the events we were supposed to,” McCannon said. “With injuries and other issues, we’re a smaller team. It was a competitive district meet. Eleven teams had athletes. The team mentality is what got us over the top. There were a lot of points scored.”

Kara Kwan and Faith Murphy led the Lady Flames.

Kwan earned at least four medals: long jump, triple jump and as a member of the 400-meter relay, 800-meter relay, .

“It was a good all-around day for her,” the coach said. “We got her qualified in all of her events.”

After spending the weekend competing at the Mount SAC Relays in Los Angeles, Murphy returned in time to be the individual district champion in the 400, 800 and 1,600 meters.

“We’re proud of all she’s done to represent Faith Academy,” McCannon said.

Faith senior Brock Davis earned silver in the boys 200 meters and high jump, was fourth in the triple jump and helped the 1,600-meter relay team earn bronze to advance to regionals. Other relay team members include Beau Steele, Asher Apel and William Eppler.

They also had runners qualify for the regional meet in the distance races: Steele in the 800 meters, Eppler in the 800 and 1,600 meters, and Jett Murphy in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.

“William and Beau went one and two in the 800,” McCannon said. “We’re looking good in those events to get those guys to state.”

While not every Faith athlete qualified for regionals, the coach gave them some comfort.

“It’s OK to feel disappointed because you have a goal and an expectation,” he said. “That comes from unmet expectations. A lot of athletes confuse work ethic and drive. We’re willing to get uncomfortable. We all have to be ready. You have to want the baton.”

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CAPTION: The Faith Academy of Marble Falls boys track and field team with their coaches after receiving their medals. Courtesy photo

RESULTS

District 3-3A meet at Faith Academy April 17

BOYS, third overall in the team standings with 109 points (top four advance to the regional meet)

100 — 10, Noah Frederick, 12.84 (new personal record); 400 — 2, Brock Davis, 53.76 (new personal record); 800 — 1, William Eppler, 2:05.09 (new personal record), 2, Beau Steele, 2:08.33 (new personal record); 1,600 — 1, Jett Murphy, 4:48.55 (new personal record), 4, Eppler, 5:20.89; 3,200 — 1, Murphy, 10:07.52 (new personal record); 300 hurdles — 6, Nathan Tarver, 49.33 (new personal record); 4×100 — 5, Faith Academy (Asher Apel, Luke Ehrig, Will Lewis, Brock Davis), 47.82; 4×200 — 6, Faith Academy (Asher Apel, David Tatum, Will Lewis, Frederick), 1:43.76; 4×400 — 3, Faith Academy (Steele, Apel, Eppler, Davis), 3:42.22; discus — 9, Ehrig, 94-7; high jump — 2, Davis, 5-10, 4, Judah Phillips, 5-4; pole vault — 5, Nathan Tarver, 9-6; long jump — 6, Apel, 18-7; triple jump — 4, Davis, 38-9 (new personal record), 6, Lewis, 36-9.5

GIRLS, first overall in the team standings with 161 points (top four advance to the regional meet)

200 — 2, Haley Kruger, 28.78 (new personal record), 3, Charlee Ehrig, 28.82 (new personal record), 9, Natalie Weems, 31.08 (new personal record); 400 — 1, Faith Murphy, 57.46, 4, Kruger, 1:06.03, 5, Carly Owens, 1:06.74; 800 — 1, Murphy, 2:13.93, 4, Claire Poage, 2:42.38 (new personal record); 1,600 — 1, Murphy, 5:21.93, 7, Poage, 6:37.04, 9, Audri Poage, 6:53.13; 3,200 — 7, A. Poage, 15:15.31; 300 hurdles — 5, Hannidy Shipley, 56.45; 4×100 — 3, Faith Academy (Ehrig, Kara Kwan, Anabelle Merlick, Haley Kruger), 54.21; 4×200 — 3, Faith Academy (Shipley, Kwan, Merlick, Ehrig), 1:53.30; 4×400 — 2, Faith Academy (Merlick, Elleson Lehmberg, C. Poage), 4:36.39; shot put — 2, Morgan Weems, 35-7 (new personal record), 10, Natalie Weems, 26-2.5 (new personal record); discus — 2, M. Weems, 106-01 (new personal record); high jump — 3, Shipley, 4-8, 10, Carly Owens, 4-2; pole vault — 2, Kaitlyn Wood, 7-6, 2, C. Poage, 7-6, 6, A. Poage, 5-6; long jump — 3, Kwan, 15-6.5; triple jump — 1, Kwan, 31-7.25;