Several Marble Falls track and field athletes advance to area

Several Marble Falls track and field athletes advance to area Jennifer Fierro Special To The Highlander Tue, 04/09/2024 - 02:34 Image

• Marble Falls freshman Madison Cuplin takes gold in the long jump and triple jump in the Class 24-4A meet. Photos by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography
• Marble Falls junior Kylie Roberts wears the gold medal to symbolize being the District 24-4A champion in the shot put, while Burnet senior Kyleigh Mott earns the silver medal, and Marble Falls senior Lexie Edwards takes the bronze. All three advance to the District 23 and 24-4A area meet April 10.
• Marble Falls senior Cameron Graham leaps for gold in the triple jump at the District 24-4A meet April 2.

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Many Marble Falls High School track-and- field runners joined their field-event teammates in advancing to the District 23 and 24-4A area meet by finishing in the top four of their events at the District 24-4A meet April 2 and 4.

Junior Tyler Hamblin added the silver med - al in the 1,600 meters to the silver he captured in the 3,200 meters. He fin - ished the 1,600 meters in 4 minutes and 23.71 seconds and the 3,200 meters in 9:47.14. Team - mate Nick Dahl, a senior, took bronze in the 1,600 meters in 4:26.06 and sil - ver in the 800 meters in 1:59.62.

Burnet junior Victor Aviles, who is the Class 4A defending 800-meter state champion, won all three races in 1:57.80, 4:22.17 and 9:46.47, respectively.

"I think Tyler, Victor and also Nick absolutely bring out the best in each other,” Marble Falls head coach Austin Silva said. "I think they've all gotten the better of each other at some point this sea - son. Nick and Tyler have the upmost confidence in themselves and fully ex - pected to finish top four in their events. Tyler in the 3,200 and 1,600. Nick in the 800, 1600 and 4x4. Proud of them for exe - cuting and look forward to watching them next week." Senior Dax Murphy earned the bronze medal in the 400 meters in 51.81 seconds.

"Dax didn't run his best race in the finals, fall - ing behind early," Silva said. "With 150 meters to go, he had a lot of work to do. But Dax is a com - petitor, and it showed as he battled back with a top four finish. Between pre - lims and finals, he learned a lot and I am confident that experience will help him at area." Freshman Madison Cuplin won double gold in the triple jump with a leap of 35 feet and 1.5 inches and the long jump with a mark of 17-7.5. She took silver in the 100 meters in 12.66 seconds and helped the 400-me - ter and 800-meter relays finish fourth and third, respectively.

"She finished prelims only 4 hundredths (of a second) behind first place (Jarrell junior Kaydyn Edwards at 12.53 sec - onds) and was eager to do better in the finals," the coach said. “Although she wasn't very happy, we reminded her at this level top four is really all that

matters because it ensures you get another opportu- nity. Regardless, we are very proud of Maddie for making it to area in five different events as a fresh - man. That's an incredi - ble accomplishment that shouldn't be overlooked." Cuplin's commitment to the sport is why she is having success her first year on the varsity.

“Although Maddie is just a freshman, she does track just about yearround," Silva said. "So she is always training and competing. From Junior Olympics to indoor meets to competing against our upperclassmen at prac tice, these are things that have helped prepare her

for meets like district and beyond.”

The Lady Mustangs’ 800-meter relay team of Nashla Crott, Ava Carter, Sadie Harris and Cuplin took bronze in 1:48.37, and the 400-meter relay team of Crott, Carter, Ke - nadie Cotton and Cuplin finished fourth in 50.85 seconds.

“The relays are al- ways very competitive at the district level," the coach said. "I am very proud of our girls for exe - cuting their exchanges in the 4x1 and 4x2 and fin - ishing in the top four. Go - ing in, we knew it would come down to exchanges; it always does at champi -

onship meets."

The Mustangs’ 1,600-meter relay team of Isaac Larranaga, Jett Mar- tich, Dahl and Murphy earned bronze in 3:33.20.

“The boys had a rough start,” the coach said. “Al- though they finished with a big (personal record) of 44.37 seconds, they missed area in the 4x1 by 5 hundredths of a sec - ond. Which was a tough pill to swallow. Then we dropped the stick in the 4x2."

Three throwers also advanced. They are se - niors Lexie Edwards and Jeremiah Bales and ju - nior Kylie Roberts. Rob - erts won the discus with a toss of 112 feet and 1 inch and the shot put with a heave of 33-6. Edwards took bronze in the shot put with a throw of 29-11, and Bales won silver with a throw of 42-11.

"We are very proud of Kylie, Lexie and Jeremi - ah for advancing to area," Silva said. "Throwing) coach (Richard) Scales has done a tremendous job with our throwers since he’s been here. They executed and got the job done. Excited to watch them next week at area." Senior Cameron Gra - ham won the triple jump with a leap of 42-9. "Very impressed by Cam's performance in triple jump," Silva said. "Coach (and dad Jamie) Graham always knew he had the ability to perform like he did; it was just a matter of getting him to hit his mark, which he did, and it paid off.”

Senior Sadie Harris is the silver medalist in the high jump with a flop of 4-8.

"Very proud of Sadie and really just the mental fortitude she displayed,” Silva said. "The pressure of championship meets like district can very eas ily cause you to underper- form, which we saw from several. Sadie understood what she needed to do and executed." The area meet is Wednesday, April 10, at Lago Vista High School.

Jennifer Fierro publishes reports about area youth athletic events on her website TexasChalk-Talk.com. To send her a note, email fierrojenni fer@yahoo.com.