Marble Falls, Burnet track athletes perform well at district
CAPTION: Marble Falls sophomore Madison Cuplin is on her way to winning one of her four gold medals from the District 24-4A meet April 2-3 at Jarrell High School. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography
Several Burnet and Marble Falls high school track and field athletes are advancing to the District 23 and 24-4A area meet thanks to finishing in the top four of their events at the District 24-4A meet.
The meet was conducted April 2-3 at Jarrell High School. The top four in each event advanced to the District 23 and 24-4A area meet, which is Wednesday, April 9, at Jarrell High School.
No Burnet County male athlete had a better district meet than Burnet senior middle-distance runner Victor Aviles, who took triple gold in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters. He won the 800 meters in 1 minute and 58.65 seconds, the 1,600 meters in 4:22.36, and the 3,200 meters in 10:02.40.
And no Burnet County female athlete had a better district meet than sophomore Madison Cuplin, who won gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters and in the long jump and triple jump.
Cuplin finished the 100 meters in 12.57 seconds and the 200 meters in 25.53 seconds and had a leap of 37 feet and 3 inches in the triple jump and 18-3 in the long jump.
The running events were incredibly competitive, Lady Mustngs head coach Brenda Gonzalez said.
“In two incredibly tight races, Madison came out on top — twice,” she said. “Winning gold in both the 100 and 200 takes more than just natural talent, which she has plenty of. It’s her commitment to putting in the work, her competitive spirit and her love for the sport that really sets her apart. Maddie runs with both speed and heart. She trains with purpose, competes with joy and always aims to get better.”
As for her wins in the horizontal jumps, Gonzalez said the Lady Mustang stuck with the plan.
“In the triple jump, she accomplished that goal by leading the competition from the start and not needing to jump in the finals,” she said. “In the long jump, she also led the entire way but chose to take some jumps in the finals to extend her lead (and landed with) yet another 18-foot jump this season. She’s in great rhythm as she continues through the season. Overall, it’s been great to see her hard work pay off. She’s having fun, and I’m proud to watch her succeed.”
Other Marble Falls area qualifiers include sophomore Anthony Griffin, who took silver in the 110-meter hurdles in 16.52 seconds, freshman Graham Goggans, who won silver in the 400 meters in 51.97 seconds and bronze in the 800 meters in 2:01.65, senior Derek Gonzalez, who was fourth in the 100 meters in 11.38, and senior Tyler Hamblin advanced in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.
“Anytime you advance to a final in an event like the 100, it’s going to be close and (Derek Gonzalez) knew that,” Mustangs head coach Austin Silva said. “He’s been in plenty of these races over his career. I just told him the ones that advance will be the ones that focus on themselves and their race, not the others next to them. And he did that. It was really just great execution from the experienced senior.”
Griffin has simply been sensational this season, and Silva credited hurdles coach Humberto Garza for the results.
“At the end of last year we looked at areas we needed to improve in as a staff and hurdlers was one of them,” he said. “Coach Garza did a great job of identifying Anthony’s potential last spring and developing him. Anthony’s done a great job as well, committing to the event and continuing to have success.”
Gonzalez, who coached Goggans in cross country, noted his fearlessness is apparent on the track.
“Graham, as a freshman, is really holding his own out there,” she said. “He’s competing against mostly seasoned veterans and performing well. The 400 was probably the easier of the two races, but the 800 was a real battle. He finished strong and got in — we’re proud of that. The 800 was less about time and more about strategy, and he executed it well.”
Silva echoed those sentiments.
“Incredible performance by Graham to advance in the 400 and 800 as a freshman,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a freshman competing at the varsity level with as much confidence as Graham has in himself and his ability, and I absolutely love it.”
Hamblin had advanced in the 3,200 meters on the first day by finishing third in 10:03.29, edging Salado senior Luke Anderson, who was fourth in 10:03.31.
“Tyler probably had his best overall race of the season from start to finish,” said Gonzalez, who serves as the program’s middle-distance coach. “It was a slower race overall due to the wind and/or strategy, but competitively, it was one of the best. The top five athletes were neck and neck all the way to the finish. Tyler is a true competitor, and he definitely earned his spot at the area meet against some tough competition. It was a great finish, and I’m excited that we get to do it all over again next week at area.”
But it was his finish in the 1,600 meters that had his coaches sweating. He was fourth in the ultra competitive race by clocking 4:28.40. The fifth-place finisher, Georgetown Gateway senior Max Rodriquez, was done in 4:28.41.
“He eased up a little too soon and almost didn’t make it, but we’re glad he pulled through,” Gonzalez said. “Like in the 3,200, it was another competitive race featuring athletes from Salado, Burnet and Marble Falls, and even a Gateway runner trying to play spoiler. But Tyler dug deep and got it at the end. We’re proud of him for earning another week in both of his races.”
Though she didn’t advance in the 100-meter hurdles, junior Kelsey Cude made her coach proud. She finished seventh in 19.09 seconds
Gonzalez pointed out that Cude had a false start a year ago and was disqualified from competing in the race.
“Kelsey came into this season with a mission — and she delivered,” the coach said. “Advancing to the finals with a personal best is a huge accomplishment and a testament to her hard work, determination and growth. She raced with confidence and finished her season on a high note. Her progress this year sets the stage for an even stronger senior campaign as she continues to refine her technique and sharpen her execution. We’re incredibly proud of how far she’s come.”
Burnet sophomore Hector Vega was third in the 400 meters in 52.38 seconds and Burnet senior Isaias Zarate came in fourth in 53.01 seconds. Teammate Cason O’Hair, a junior, was third in the 300-meter hurdles in 43.18.
In the girls races, Burnet senior Brooklynn Daniel took fourth in the 200 meters in 26.83 seconds, while junior Asah Roy was fourth in the 800 meters in 2:29.38. Junior Wrigley Mulhollan finished third in the 100-meter hurdles in 16.84 and Daniel was fourth in 17.15.
The Lady Dawgs’ 800-meter and 1,600-meter relays also advanced thanks to finishing third in 1:48.58 and 4:06.58, respectively. The runners are Daniel, Cali Eason, Brogan Fox and Brianne Smith, Adriana Briggs and Camryn Courtney,
Both boys 400-meter relay teams advanced. The Bulldogs team, which included Matthew Williams, Brody Danson, Braxton Ringstaff and Clay Lamb, earned bronze in 43.57 seconds, while the Mustangs team of sophomore Kaden Langbein, juniors Gregory Lemon and Joaquin Aguilar, and Derek Gonzalez was fourth in 44.11.
The Mustangs advancing was especially gratifying for Silva.
“I can’t help but mention and include our 4×100 relay that advanced because of a (disqualification on a) bad handoff on the first exchange,” Silva said. “These four were on the outside looking in all season but they stayed together and when it mattered most, they executed and advanced. Incredibly proud of them.”
Gonzalez said few words can describe how she felt watching her nephew, Derek, perform well at the district meet.
“(It) was a special moment for me to witness as both his coach and his aunt,” she said. “Watching him anchor the 4×100 relay into the area round was just the cherry on top. Overall, we’re incredibly excited for all of our athletes advancing to the next round.”
In the field events, Marble Falls senior thrower Kylie Roberts took double gold with heave of 34-1 in the shot put and a throw of 116-11 in the discus.
“Kylie dominated her events,” Gonzalez said. “Her throws continue to improve, and she is consistently performing at a high level when it matters most. She’s out there executing, having fun and competing at her best. It’s been exciting to watch her success, and I’m looking forward to seeing what she does in the next round.”
Junior Aguilar was fourth in the long jump with a leap of 20-8.
“Joaquin is one of the most athletic guys in our program,” Silva said. “He’s a multi-sport kid so we’ve always been very cautious with his workload. The last thing you want to do is over train someone like that, which is why he has only ever been in running events until now. Now that he’s adapted to the workload and gotten stronger, we felt like we could add horizontal jumps to his plate and I’m glad we did. Proud of his performance and excited to see him at area.”
Jamie Graham serves as the program’s horizontal jumps coach and praised Aguilar and Cuplin.
“Both Maddie and Joaquin are very fast and explosive but are still smooth and controlled, which translates well to jumping because you have to combine all those elements and also be able to execute the technique to be good at the horizontal jumps,” he said. “They are both great kids and work hard, which makes it very easy to coach them. I don’t have to worry about them showing up or about their effort, which allows us to focus on their technique. I believe they can improve on their jumps from district and are peaking at the right time.”
Salado won the girls varsity division with 219 points followed by Jarrell with 83, Burnet scored 75, Gateway had 69, Marble Falls finished with 67, Lampasas earned 60, and Taylor had 38.
Lampasas won the boys varsity division with 153 points. Salado scored 144.5 points, Burnet earned 111, Jarrell had 102, Marble Falls scored 56, Gateway had 33.5, and Taylor finished with 20.
Liberty Hill Legacy Ranch won the girls junior varsity division with 240 points and the boys junior varsity division with 180.5 points.
The Burnet Lady Dawgs scored 122. No one else scored 100 points.
The Salado boys junior varsity earned 116 points, Jarrell scored 112, Burnet had 96.5, Lampasas earned 60, Marble Falls had 51, and Taylor finished with 4.
Gonzalez summed up the feelings of the Marble Falls staff.
“I’m extremely proud of our team’s performance,” she said. “The athletes showed up with great energy, gave it their all, and truly competed. Some advanced to finals, and others wrapped up their seasons with personal bests, which is a huge win in itself. We’re not done yet, though. We have nine athletes moving on to area next week: two girls and seven boys. It’s exciting to see their hard work paying off, and I’m looking forward to watching them continue to compete at a high level.”
Prather took silver in the triple jump with a mark of 41-1, while junior Nathan Torres earned bronze in the discus with a toss of 122-3 and fourth in the shot put with a mark of 41-6. Daniel advanced in the high jump by clearing 5-0 good enough for bronze.
The area meet begins with the 3,200 meters at 9 a.m., field events at 10:30 a.m., and the running events at 3:30 p.m. All events are finals.
CAPTION: Burnet senior Victor Aviles wears his three gold medals representing his District 24-4A championships in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography
RESULTS
District 24-4A meet in Jarrell
BOYS
Varsity (top four advance to area)
100 – 4, Derek Gonzalez (Marble Falls), 11.38; 200 – 5, Derek Gonzalez (Marble Falls), 23.45, 6, David Prather (Burnet), 23.48; 400 – 2, Graham Goggans (Marble Falls), 51.97, 3, Hector Vega (Burnet), 52.38, 5, Isaias Zarate (Burnet), 53.01; 800 – 1, Victor Aviles (Burnet), 1:58.65, 3, Graham Goggans (Marble Falls), 2:01.65, 6, Isaias Zarate (Burnet), 2:04.34, 8, Josvanny Ramirez (Burnet), 2:10.31; 1,600 – 1, Victor Aviles (Burnet), 4:22.36, 4, Tyler Hamblin (Marble Falls), 4:28.40, 9, Clark Yanez (Burnet), 4:55.98, 10, Gustavo Vega (Burnet), 5:02.65; 3,200 – 1, Victor Aviles (Burnet), 10:02.40, 3, Tyler Hamblin (Marble Falls), 10:03.29, 9, Clark Yanez (Burnet), 10:54.53, 10, Owen Martin (Marble Falls), 11:13.46; 110 hurdles – 2, Anthony Griffin (Marble Falls), 16.52; 300 hurdles – 3, Cason O’Hair (Burnet), 43.18, 6, Anthony Griffin (Marble Falls), 44.68; 4×100 – 3, Burnet (Matthew Williams, Brody Danson, Braxton Ringstaff, Clay Lamb), 43.57; 4, Marble Falls (Kaden Langbein, Gregory Lemon, Joaquin Aguilar, Derek Gonzalez), 44.11; 4×200 – 3, Burnet (Matthew Williams, Brody Danson, Lyndon Harycki, Clay Lamb), 1:32.83, 6, Marble Falls (Jett Martich, Branson Bunting, Gregory Lemon, Joaquin Aguilar), 1:37.90; 4×400 – 2, Burnet (Isaias Zarate, Hector Vega, Josvanny Ramirez, Charles Edwards), 3:32.38, 6, Marble Falls (Gage Coleman, Jett Martich, Gregory Lemon, Graham Goggans), 3:38.86; discus – 3, Nathan Torres (Burnet), 122-3, 7, Shane Ikonen (Burnet), 107-4, 8, Tyler Leverett (Marble Falls), 103-7, 9, Noah Luckie (Marble Falls), 94-2; high jump – 6, David Prather (Burnet), 5-6; long jump – 4, Joaquin Aguilar (Marble Falls), 20-8, 5, David Prather (Burnet), 20-6, 6, Matthew Williams (Burnet), 20-5; triple jump – 2, David Prather (Burnet), 41-1, 6, Matthew Williams (Burnet), 38-1; pole vault – 7, Rhett Eaton (Burnet), 11-0; shot put – 4, Nathan Torres (Burnet), 41-6, 6, Tyler Leverett (Marble Falls), 39-5, 8, Noah Luckie (Marble Falls), 37-1.5
Junior varsity
100 – 7, Adler Goehring (Burnet), 12.10; 200 – 3, Calan Syphrett (Burnet), 23.90, 7, Adler Goehring (Burnet), 24.84, 8, Landon Campbell (Marble Falls), 24.94; 400 – 2, Miguel Valdez (Burnet), 55.07; 800 – 3, Logan Hargraves (Marble Falls), 2:10.69, 4, Andrew Resendez (Burnet), 2:13.80; 1,600 – 3, Logan Hargraves (Marble Falls), 5:02.19, 4, Adan Carreon (Burnet), 5:02.27, 6, Austin Moore (Burnet), 5:08.10, 7, Andrew Resendez (Burnet), 5:10.74; 3,200 – 5, Adan Carreon (Burnet), 11:25.08, 7, Austin Moore (Burnet), 11:53.41; 110 hurdles – 3, Addison Proctor (Burnet), 17.66, 5, Zackary Reynolds (Marble Falls), 17.86; 300 hurdles – 2, Hunter Bailey (Burnet), 45.58, 4, Zackary Reynolds (Marble Falls), 46.56, 5, Addison Proctor (Burnet), 46.69; 4×100 – 4, Burnet (Bryan Johnson, Tyler Barrios, Austin Evans, Wesley Thiel), 45.43, 7, Marble Falls (Brody Graham, Landon Campbell, Calden Calvert, Gladen Smith), 47.08; 4×200 – 4, Burnet (Bryan Johnson, Tyler Barrios, Austin Evans, Calan Syphrett), 1:36.97, 7, Marble Falls (Landon Campbell, Calden Calvert, Jace Williams, Leroy Roach), 1:47.47; 4×400 – 2, Burnet (Bryan Johnson, Thomas Butler, Austin Evans, Miguel Valdez), 3:45.15, 6, Marble Falls (Jace Williams, Carlos Alvarez, Ryan Vasquez, Logan Hargraves), 3:57.63; discus – 5, Andres Hernandez (Burnet), 106-1, 8, Mason Roberts (Burnet), 101-4; high jump – 1, Carlos Alvarez (Marble Falls), 5-10, 3, Rayden Skinner (Marble Falls), 5-6, 3, Landon Campbell (Marble Falls), 5-6, 4, Bryan Johnson (Burnet), 5-6; long jump – 2, Thomas Butler (Burnet), 18-7, 5, Bentley Trejo (Marble Falls), 17-9, 6, Austin Evans (Burnet), 17-8, 8, Tyler Barrios (Burnet), 17-7.5, 9, Jalen Rogiers (Marble Falls), 17-7, 10, Leroy Roach (Marble Falls), 17-1; triple jump – 6, Michael Dowles (Burnet), 36-8, 7, Jalen Rogiers (Marble Falls), 36-5.5, 10, Bentley Trejo (Marble Falls), 33-3; pole vault – 2, Gladen Smith (Marble Falls), 10-6, 4, Mason Watson (Burnet), 9-6, 5, Remington Bailey (Burnet), 9-0; shot put – 4, Mason Calhoun (Burnet), 36-3, 9, Mason Roberts (Burnet), 33-3.5
GIRLS
Varsity (top four advance to area)
100 – 1, Madison Cuplin (Marble Falls), 12.57; 200 – 1, Madison Cuplin (Marble Falls), 25.53, 4, Brooklynn Daniel (Burnet), 26.83; 400 – 5, Camryn Courtney (Burnet), 1:02.35; 800 – 4, Asah Roy (Burnet), 2:29.38, 7, Journey Denton (Burnet), 2:35.78; 1,600 – 5, Asah Roy (Burnet), 5:45.16, 9, Chloe Ellis (Marble Falls), 6:04.72; 3,200 – 6, Chloe Ellis (Marble Falls), 13:30.70; 100 hurdles – 3, Wrigley Mulhollan (Burnet), 16.84, 4, Brooklynn Daniel (Burnet), 17.15, 5, Brianne Hudgins (Burnet), 18.36. 7, Kelsey Cude (Marble Falls), 19.09; 300 hurdles – 4, Wrigley Mulhollan (Burnet), 48.59, 5, Kalora McDonnel (Burnet), 51.07; 4×100 – 5, Marble Falls (Kenley Virdell, Nashla Crott, Kenadie Cotton, Madison Cuplin), 51.45; 7, Burnet (Lauryn Hocker, Sarah Cullison, Grace Cullison, Cheyenne Adams), 53.02; 4×200 – 3, Burnet (Brooklynn Daniel, Cali Eason, Brogan Fox, Brianne Smith), 1:48.58; 4×400 – 2, Burnet (Adriana Briggs, Cali Eason, Brianne Smith, Camryn Courtney), 4:06.58; discus – 1, Kylie Roberts (Marble Falls), 116-11, 7, Kalani Marks (Burnet), 79-0; high jump – 3, Brooklynn Daniel (Burnet), 5-0, 5, Wrigley Mulhollan (Burnet), 4-10; long jump – 1, Madison Cuplin (Marble Falls), 18-3, 7, Journey Denton (Burnet), 15-5, 8, Nashla Crott (Marble Falls), 14-11; triple jump – 1, Madison Cuplin (Marble Falls), 37-3, 6, Brianne Hudgins (Burnet), 30-8, 7, Sarah Cullison (Burnet), 30-1, 8, Brogan Fox (Burnet), 29-6.5; pole vault – 3, Lacie Lewis (Burnet), 8-6; shot put – 1, Kylie Roberts (Marble Falls), 34-1, 5, Kenley Virdell (Marble Falls), 31-0, 7, Landri Lewis (Burnet), 26-4.5
Junior varsity
100 – 2, Molly Cupitt (Burnet), 13.54, 7, Kayla Delval (Burnet), 14.11; 200 – 3, Molly Cupitt (Burnet), 28.55, 5, Savannah Myers (Burnet), 28.77, 6, Rayleigh Crim (Marble Falls), 29.17, 8, Maycee Floyd (Burnet), 29.41; 400 – 5, Amaria Schmidt (Burnet), 1:10.26; 800 – 5, Brooklyn Dawes (Burnet), 2:39.35; 1,600 – 6, Josie McDavid (Burnet), 6:50.71, 8, Marigny Griffin (Burnet), 7:00.41, 10, Hadalye Hernandez (Marble Falls), 7:07.17; 3,200 – 4, Marigny Griffin (Burnet), 15:45.46, 5, Hadalye Hernandez (Marble Falls), 15:55.54; 100 hurdles – 6, Hayden McCombs (Burnet), 17.89, 7, Addie Milam (Burnet), 19.21; 300 hurdles – 3, Kayleigh Briggs (Burnet), 51.07, 7, Addie Milam (Burnet), 53.76, 8, Hayden McCombs (Burnet), 54.04; 4×100 – 3, Burnet (Kayleigh Burggs, Maycee Floyd, Hayden McCombs, Molly Cupitt), 53.28, 6, Marble Falls (Ruby Carrillo, Jill Cole, Rayleigh Crim, Caydence Bielfeldt), 55.59; 4×200 – 3, Burnet (Adrian Eubank, Savannah Myers, Maycee Floyd, Kayla Delval), 1:55.24, 5, Marble Falls (Ruby Carrillo, Jill Cole, Rayleigh Crim, Caydence Bielfeldt), 1:58.93; 4×400 – 2, Burnet (Kayleigh Briggs, Amaria Schmidt, Addie Milam, Brooklynn Dawes), 4:34.08; 6, Marble Falls (Hailey Duty, Sheila Alcon, Ruby Carrillo, Caydence Bielfeldt), 4:51.82; discus – 1, Payton Brandt (Burnet), 77-0, 5, Ella Hillman (Marble Falls), 66-1, 6, Kate Dykes (Marble Falls), 60-1, 10, Jenna Taylor (Burnet), 55-9; high jump – 1, Brooklynn Dawes (Burnet), 4-10, 4, Kayla Delval (Burnet), 4-6, 4, Paige Jamail (Marble Falls), 4-6; long jump – 1, Hayden McCombs (Burnet), 15-2, 2, Molly Cupitt (Burnet), 15-1.5, 7, Adrian Eubank (Burnet), 14-2; triple jump – 3, Brooklynn Dawes (Burnet), 30-2, 8, Caydence Bielfeldt (Marble Falls), 27-3.25; shot put – 1, Kate Dykes (Marble Falls), 27-0.5, 5, Ella Hillman (Marble Falls), 24-8.5, 8, Payton Brandt (Burnet), 22-11, 10, Jenna Taylor (Burnet), 21-4.5
