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When the UIL drew a huge backlash for threatening to drop regional track meets, you got some idea of just how many athletes are competing in track -- in the postseason. In overall competition, track and field's participation numbers are staggering.
They indicate that the sport of track is vigorous across the country and thriving in Texas.
The National Federation of State High School Associations report that 548,821 boys took part in outdoor track competition last season across the nation. A total of 447,520 girls were involved in track.
For boys, that places track third behind football (1,108,286 in 11-man play) and basketball (552,935). For girls, basketball leads at 449,450 with track a close second at 447,520.
In Texas, which leads the nation with the number of sports participants, there is a total of 80,463 boys track competitors. Football is still king in the Lone Star State with 161,503 11-man football players, and basketball ranks third at 75,302.
There are 71,235 girls basketball players and 66,182 girls track athletes -- by far the top two sports.
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It's the Killer B's.
Athletes from Brenham, Bryan and Bremond lead 15 of the 17 boys events on the charts for this week's Brazos Valley track and field leaders (see Page B2).
Only A&M Consolidated's 800-meter relay team and Lexington's 110 hurdles leader Clint Hudson broke up the string of Straight-B student-athletes.
The Class 4A Region III and Class A Region IV meets were held at Sam Houston State on Monday and Tuesday, with strong performances by Bremond and Brenham.
Bremond likely will have the strongest Brazos Valley contingent at state.
Bremond sophomore Johnathon White set a regional record in the 800 with a time of 1 minute, 58.16 seconds and was second in the 400 at 50.48. Senior LiDarral Bailey won the 300 hurdles in 39.29 and ran a leg on the Tigers' winning 1,600 relay team, which ran 3:28.14. Bailey also took second in the 110 hurdles (15.16) and second in the long jump (21 feet, 10 3/4 inches).
Brenham's Will Antkowiak set a regional 3,200 record with a time of 9:17.63. Derek Edwards also qualified for state by vastly improving his triple jump best with a leap of 48-1, good for second place.
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The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools held its state track meet at Hart-Patterson Track, site of the UIL's 5A Region II meet. Sometimes the TAPPS competitors compare favorably to the top times posted by athletes in UIL competition.
Allen Academy's Caleb Clanton posted the fifth-fastest time in the Brazos Valley in the 1,600 at 4:40.95. His time of 10:41.51 in the 3,200 is 10th, but in both races, only Class 4A and 5A runners in the area had better times than Clanton.
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Bryan and Consol will be among the last schools to compete at regionals, exactly a week after the UIL state meet was originally scheduled.
Barring scratches from the District 12-5A qualifiers, here are the times and events for regional qualifiers from Bryan and Consol, with their district marks:
Friday
9:30 a.m.
High jump boys -- Ty Spradlin, Bryan, 6-6; Steven Lucas, Consol, 6-4.
Shot put boys -- Jerry Tennell, Bryan, 50-6; Fono Vakalahi, Bryan, 49-5 3/4.
1 p.m.
High jump girls -- Haley Thompson, Consol, 5-4; Jesse Drummond, Consol, 5-2
Shot put girls -- Karla Gilbert, Consol, 38-1.
Running prelims
4:55 p.m.
800 girls -- Keri Wood, Consol, 2:16.32.
800 boys -- Chase Teinert, Consol, 1:59.29; Jesse Hall, Consol, 2:00.12
5:20 p.m.
100 hurdles girls -- Ashley Adeyemi, Consol, 16.04.
6:10 p.m.
800 relay boys -- Consol, 1:29.48.
7:25 p.m.
200 boys -- Tre Odom, Bryan, 22.37.
7:50 p.m.
3,200 girls final -- Morgan Hartmann, Consol, 11:49.18; Chase Mathews, Consol, 11:58.59; Katy Williams, Consol, 11:59.29,
8:20 p.m.
Mile relay boys -- Consol, 3:27.95.
Saturday
8:30 a.m.
Pole vault girls -- Catherine Chenault, Consol, 10-6.
Noon
Pole vault boys -- Michael Piatt, Bryan, 13-0.
Discus boys -- Fono Vakalahi, Bryan, 176-5.
6:10 p.m.
1,600 girls -- Keri Wood, Consol, 5:13.35; Morgan Hartmann, Consol, 5:27.67.
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Other running finalists will be determined by the results of Friday's preliminaries.
Based solely on district results, Vakalahi had the top discus throw. Spradlin had the second-best high jump. Thompson is tied for second in her high jump. Wood is second in the 800.
Runners in the 1,600 and 3,200 should probably take aim on second place as their ticket to state, for The Woodlands' Sarah Andrews is running in both. She ran a personal record of 10:21.34 at the Texas Relays in the 3,200 and set another personal mark of 4:54.64 in the 1,600 at The Woodlands regional qualifiers meet.
