• SITE
• HOMES
• MOTORS
• CAREERS
• STUFF

AUSTIN – Runge’s Ninfa Rios waited a year for another chance to win a gold medal and she made the wait worthwhile.

Rios made her second appearance at the UIL Track and Field Championships a memorable one by winning the Class 1A girls 300-meter hurdles.

Rios captured the Advocate-area’s only gold medal on a muggy Saturday at Mike A. Myers Stadium, but the area medal haul included five silvers and four bronzes.

Memorial’s Justin Campbell finished fourth in the boys Class 5A discus and missed becoming the school’s first medal winner by 4 inches. Dylan Riedesel also competed in the boys pole vault for the Vipers.

Rios finished second in the 300 hurdles last year but led from start to finish this year before winning in a time of 46.32 seconds, which was actually slower than last year’s time of 45.93.

“I was confident, determined, stronger – ready to get it, ready to get it,” said Rios, who will attend Texas A&M-Kingsville on a track and field scholarship. “I ran on my grass field again. I ran mostly over-distance and I was working on speed and form. Mostly my 800s, like 10 times, really working on endurance.”

Rios charged to the lead at the start, cleared every hurdle and held off a late charge from Vega’s Michelle Fangman, who was second in a time of 46.76.

“I heard the girl next to me gaining on me so I had to push it,”Rios said. “I was really focused and ready to win.”

Edna’s Rocky Vaclavik was determined to get a medal in the boys Class 2A 300 hurdles after finishing fifth in the 110 hurdles.

Vaclavik got off to a good start and finished a close second to Hamilton James Ratliff (38.24), in a time of 38.55.

“I just kept my head down. I knew the wind was blowing in a little bit,” Vaclavik said. “When I hit the 200 mark, I knew I was in front. I got a little tired and that guy caught up to me.”

Lyndsay Markert and Angie Herron brought silver medals back to Refugio. Markert finished second in the girls Class 2A discus (123 feet) and Herron was second in the girls Class 2A shot put (40-1.25).

“The wind was really bad and it was kind of nerve racking,” Markert said. “I had to change my throws because of the wind to take off some height.”

“I threw well, but I could have thrown better,” Herron added. “I just wasn’t having a good day. At the beginning, I was nervous. I got myself to settle down, but I guess not as good as I was supposed to.”

Schulenburg’s Allison McNeal added a silver medal in the Class 2A high jump to the gold she won last year and the silver she won in 2006. McNeal cleared 5-6 on her third attempt before being eliminated at 5-7.

“I’ve been struggling. I’ve had some problems with my legs,”said McNeal, who will attend Nebraska on a volleyball scholarship. “I just came out and tried as hard as I could, but it just didn’t go my way.”

The Louise girls brought their 400 and 800 relay teamss to the meet after winning the Region IV-1A team title. Shelby Kotulek, Amber Bain, Kelsi Kutac and Kierra Thornton finished second in the 800 relay (1:46.43) and third in the 400 relay (49.72) to help the Lady Hornets finish sixth in the Class 1A team standings with 29 points.

“We just came here to compete as hard as we could and let God take it from there,” Louise coach Bryan Branch said. “The girls trained hard and were really focused. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Van Vleck’s boys 400 relay finished third (42.75) to help the Leopards finish seventh in the Class 2A standings with 30 points and Weimar’s boys 1,600 relay finished third (3:22.55) and the Wildcats finished ninth in the Class 2A standings with 16 points.

Yorktown’s Ethan Wagner finished third in the boys Class 2A 1,600 (4:33.78) despite running with a severe case of shin splits. Wagner concluded his high school career with his second medal at the state meet, after winning the gold in the 3,200 last year.

Campbell, a senior who will play football and participate in track and field at Trinity University, had a personal-best throw of 179-9 in his final attempt. But the bronze medal went to Stephen Saeanz of Rio Grande City, who threw 180-01, and Serville Dandridge threw 180-03 to claim the silver medal.

“I really picked it up in the finals,” Campbell said. “My last three throws were pretty good. I’m pleased I threw my best.”

Riedesel, a junior, cleared 15 feet at the Region IV-5A meet, but after clearing 13-6 on his second try and 14 feet on his third attempt, went out at 14-6.

“I learned a lot of things,”Riedesel said. “I had way too many run throws and I let my nerves get to me a little bit.”