What a day for the Arabian track program! Not only did they capture the overall team championship, but also broke two school relay records in the process. Devine topped second place Pearsall by 49 points while Kristina Moralez, Neenah Guerrero, Avery Cruz, and Aaliyah Terrazas set school records in both the 4x100m and 4x200m relays.
“When you go into the morning of area as a coach you get a little nervous,” said a more-relaxed, post-meet Coach Lon Cozby. “I guess as a Devine track athlete you just show up and set personal bests.”
Nineteen Arabians competed at the meet, which says a lot about their effort at District just a couple of weeks ago, while 15 continue their quest to compete at State.
According to Cozby, this whole track season has been about the process of improvement and for each to lay it all on the line when it matters most.
The Arabians did just that.
Throughout the year, Cozby has repeatedly emphasized to the kids that he wants them to be their best at area and regionals. Obviously, that message was heard loud and clear.
“Sometimes you say things hoping they will listen and sometimes they go out and exceed all expectations,” said Cozby. “In every event each athlete either set a PR or was a few inches or milliseconds off.”
Twelve Arabians won gold medals in their respective events, with several setting their all-time personal best in the process.
Individual accomplishments lead to the achievement of greater team goals.
Cozby wrapped up his recap of the day’s events by saying, “Even though track is supposedly an individual sport, the last I checked the Arabians won the Area TEAM Championship!”
Out with the old…
Out with the old, in with the new as far as the two new school records are concerned.
Former Arabians now holding the second-fastest 4x100m time is the 2019 squad consisting of Alissa Stehle, Chasity Reyes, Dana Aaron, and Aaliyah Terrazas who ran a 50.79. Terrazas actually remains as she is a member of this year’s record setting team.
The former 4x200m record holders were Macie York, Dana Aaron, Caroline Anderson, and Andrea Gomez. That group posted a 1:47.45 in 2016.
“We knew the girls were going to run a fast time, but TWO school records! C’mon that just doesn’t happen,” Cozby said about the Moralez-Guerrero-Cruz-Terrazas foursome. “Those girls are just crazy fast and super competitive. We had a bad handoff on the 4x100m and the girls were upset they finished second place…until they heard their time. Immediately after they told me, “Cozby, we got this, we’ll show you in the 4×2!”
The girls followed through on their threat in a big way.
“I didn’t know they were going to run four-seconds faster and win by 80 meters, along with setting another record!” said an astonished Cozby.
Golden moments
Several Arabians placed first overall in their respective events, with some taking gold medals in multiple events.
Senior Brianna Bowyer coming off her own school-record performance in Pole Vault won gold in all three of her events taking Pole Vault (9’0”), 800m Run (2:29.32), and 1600m Run (5:53). Bri’s 30 points led the Arabian team.
As mentioned, Kristina Moralez, Neenah Guerrero, Avery Cruz, Aaliyah Terrazas smashed second place Carrizo Springs by nearly six seconds in their school record 4x200m Relay gold-medal performance. Those six seconds actually seemed more like a minute in real time as this “race” was over before it really began.
Neenah went on to win gold in Long Jump (16’5”) while Avery won Triple Jump (34’1”).
Kennedy Duncan earned gold in the 300m Hurdles (49.63), Analea Brooks won Discus (116’5”), and Brooke Schott won Shot Put (33’6”).
Silver bullets
Kristina, Neenah, Avery, and Aaliyah earned silver medals in the 4x100m Relay finishing only 19-hundredths of a second behind first place Uvalde. That photo-finish silver medal winning effort was the only runner-up effort of the day for the Arabians, but it also put those four at the top of the school record book in this event.
It’s not often a school-record performance does not result in a golden performance, but this has been an unusual year for sure.
Bronze metal
Bronze medal winners included Moralez, Rylee Esquibel, Mckyenzie Flores, and Megan Runyan in the 4x400m Relay, Cruz in the 200m Dash, and Bailey Oropeza in the 100m Hurdles.
Go fourth
Fourth place finishers in each event advanced to Regional as well. Repeat qualifiers include Guerrero (200m Dash), Terrazas (Long Jump), and Oropeza (High Jump) while two additional Arabians who made the cut were Mackenzie Schneider (Triple Jump) and Angelina Rios (400m Dash).
Team rankings
1st Devine 174, 2nd Pearsall 125, 3rd Uvalde 114, 4th Carrizo Springs 69, 5th Hondo 51, Tie 6th Somerset, YWLA, Crystal City 28, 9th Fox Tech 2, Brooks Academy 1.
Point leaders
1st Kianna Kebbi-Pearsall 42, 2nd Brianna Bowyer-Devine 39, Tie 3rd Avery Cruz-Devine, Neenah Guerrero-Devine, Alex Luna-Uvalde 25, 6th Ariana Reyes-Uvalde 18, Tie 7th Abby Kone-Uvalde, Meghan Huerta-Crystal City, Sarah Windrow-Hondo 16, 10th Esmeralda Gonzalez-Pearsall 15.
Arabians
4x100m Relay—2nd Kristina Moralez, Neenah Guerrero, Avery Cruz, Aaliyah Terrazas 50.43, 4x200m Relay—1st Moralez, Guerrero, Cruz, Terrazas 1.46.88 4x400m Relay—3rd Moralez, Rylee Esquibel, Mckyenzie Flores, Megan Runyan 4.23.27 100m Dash—6th Kaylee Romano 14.06, 7th Jackie Schreck 14.55 200m Dash—3rd Cruz 1st 26.62, 4th Guerrero 27.12 400m Dash—4th Angelina Rios 1:06.12, 5th Esquibel 1:07.61, 6th Flores 1:07.68 800m Run—1st Brianna Bowyer 2:29.32, 8th Rios 2:59.19 1600m Run—1st Bowyer 5:53 100m Hurdles—3rd Bailey Oropeza 17.49, 6th Kennedy Duncan 17.86, 8th Darian Alvarez 18.51 300m Hurdles—1st Duncan 49.63, 6th Oropeza 53.85 Long Jump—1st Guerrero, 16’5”, 4th Terrazas 15’6½”, 5th Moralez 15’4” Triple Jump—1st Cruz 34’1”, 4th Mackenzie Schneider 32’8½”, 5th Guerrero 31’9½” Shot Put—1st Brooke Schott 33’6 ½”, 6th Mckayla Schnautz 31’2”, 8th Khali Key 27’6½” Discus—1st Analea Brooks 116’5”, 6th Schott 88’8” High Jump—4th Bailey Oropeza 4’6”, Tie 5th Sabrina Lindsay, Esquibel 4’4” Pole Vault—1st Bowyer 9’0”.
By Jerel Beaty
Staff Writer