State track notebook: Jackson, Noyola hang with state's best

AUSTIN — Neither left the UIL State Track and Field Championships with the hardware they desired.

But they left Austin with their heads held high.

Harlingen’s Tyler Jackson and Harlingen South’s Zariah Noyola came up short in their bid to win a state championship but they finished strong.

Jackson ended up tied for fourth in the boys’ pole vault with Humble Kingwood’s Greg Lupton. Both cleared 15-0.

New Caney’s Seth Arnold won state gold with a height of 16-0. Amarillo’s Chase Wolfle was second with 15-9 and Spring’s Reese Watson won bronze at 15-6.

Jackson has cleared 15-6 before at District 31-5A meet.

It was the senior Jackson’s first trip to the state meet and head coach Harvey Noyola’s second consecutive qualifier. Ryan McNutt ran last year in the 800.

For Noyola, she’ll get another shot next year.

The Lady Hawks’ junior qualified for state a couple of weeks ago when she broke the Valley record by running a 43.80 in the 300 hurdles in San Antonio to win the Region IV crown.

In Austin on Saturday, Noyola ran a 44.18 to finish in fifth place.

Dallas Sunset’s Lauren Blackburn won the race in 41.08. La Porte’s Consuelo Lindsey was second in 42.00 and Jessica Ejesieme of Garland Rowlett was third with a 42.65.

Region IV runner up Elvira Kristina Gonzalez of Laredo Alexander was fourth with a 43.65.

This was also Noyola’s first trip to the state track meet.

VALENZUELA’S VOYAGE: San Benito hurdler Tina Valenzuela crossed the finish line like she’d won the 100-meter hurdles.

Valenzuela didn’t but she did run her fastest time ever crossing the finish line in 14.37 for sixth place.

Valenzuela’s previous FAT best was a 14.70. The Lady Greyhounds’ senior qualified in the 100 hurdles and the long jump.

Earlier in the day, Valenzuela stumbled to an eighth place finish with a jump of 17-7 ½ on her third attempt.

Valenzuela fouled on three of her six efforts including the first two and the final one.

Valenzuela was one of the best athletes in the Valley for the past four seasons in the long and triple jumps and both the 100 and 300 hurdles.

This was her first trip to Austin. And while she didn’t win a medal, she went out with her best race.

LANIE’S BEST: It took her until her last throw, but San Benito’s Lanie Evans got in a good one.

Competing in her first and only state track and field meet, the San Benito senior popped a throw of 132-1 in the discus to finish fourth.

It wasn’t Evans’ best throw ever but it was best mark this season. She’s got a personal best of 135.

Evans’ first throw barely went 92 feet followed by a 111 and 123-4 for her first three attempts.

On her fourth she fouled followed by a 119-1 before popping the 132 to save fourth.

“I think I finally relaxed on the last throw,” Evans said. “It was my last throw in high school so I just had to let go. And I finally got a good one.”

Evans started throwing when her older brother Mark introduced her to the sport at the age of eight. Mark was an All-American thrower at TAMUK. Lanie is coached at San Benito by her other brother, Mike.

Round Rock’s Rachel Taylor won gold with a throw of 148-5. Region IV foe Syltrina Rowell was second with a throw of 136-4 and Kelly Talore of Amarillo Tascosa won bronze with a 133-2.

MAYBE NEXT YEAR: The Valley’s only Class 3A representatives didn’t fare as expected at the state meet.

La Feria high jumper Tyler Winton came in sixth place clearing 6-2. he tied with three others for the final scoring position.

Wichita Falls Hirschi’s Richard Ross was first clearing 6-7.

In the boys 800-meter run, Rio Hondo’s Tony Jaramillo ran a solid 1:59.73 but still finished in seventh place.

Lytle’s Brandon Lacy won gold with a time of 1:55.35.

Winton is a sophomore and Jaramillo a junior. Both will likely return to Austin next year.

GOING THE DISTANCE: PSJA Memorial’s Gabriela Salazar and Edinburg North’s Luis Serrano were up bright and early on Saturday.

Unfortunately their 8 a.m. scheduled 3,200-meter runs didn’t go as they expected.

Both runners finished in seventh place with Salazar running an 11:24.63.

Plano’s Rachel Johnson won the race with an amazing time of 10:31.53.

Serrano ran a 9:42.83 in his two-mile race. Klein Oak’s Ryan Dohner won with a time of 9:00.15.

Salazar also ran in the 1,600-meter run and came in eight with a time of 5:11.19. Johnson won the mile as well in a time of 4:53.75.

Eladio Jaimez covers track and field for Valley Freedom Newspapers.