Clifton boys track & field team places second at Area meet, Lady Cubs finishes fourth as Clifton qualifies 17 athletes for Class 3A, Region III Championship meet
Continuing to take it to the next level every time they step on the track, the Clifton boys and girls track teams made their presence known at the District 17 and 18-3A Area Track and Field Championships April 21 at Eustace High School.
The Clifton boys finished in a tie for second in the overall team standings with Whitney by scoring 94 points behind area champion Malakoff with 104 points. In the process, the Cubs qualified nine athletes to compete in 10 events at the Class 3A, Region III Championships to be held April 28-29 at Midway High School in Hewitt.
“We were extremely pleased with the way the athletes competed at the area track meet,” Clifton boys track head coach Mario Villalpando said. “Finishing second overall in the team total is a great accomplishment. A majority of our athletes are peaking at the right time of the season, and they ran their fastest times this past Friday. These track meets bring a little more pressure with having to place in the top four to advance, but the athletes stepped up to the challenge.”
Likewise, the Lady Cubs will be sending eight athletes to compete in nine events at the regional meet after finishing in fourth place at area in the team standings with 72 points behind area champion Malakoff with a commanding 141 points, runner-up Grandview with 90 and third place West with 83.
“We had a great day,” Clifton girls track head coach Ryan Hunt said. “We had season best times and marks in pretty much every event and that is what you hope for when you get to this point in the year. It’s exciting to watch them perform their best when it counts the most. We are looking forward to the regional meet this week in Waco.”
Clifton boys advancing to the regional meet include A.J. Lingo in long jump, triple jump, 200-meter dash, 4×200-meter relay and 4×400-meter relay; Clay Kennedy in the 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs; Ray Ochoa in the 400-meter dash and 4×400-meter relay; Westen Urbanovsky in the 4×200-meter and 4×400-meter relays; Peyten Urbanovsky in the 800-meter run; Riley Finney in discus; Jesus Lopez in the 4×400-meter relay, Levi Knox and Camdyn Mobley in the 4×200-meter relay
Lady Cubs advancing to the regional meet include Evy Kennedy in the 1660-meter and 3200-meter runs; Lenora Busby in shot put; Brianna Gonzalez in the 100-meter hurdles; Alexa Lane in pole vault, 4×200-meter and 4×400-meter relays; Kate Humphreys in discuss and 4×100-meter relay; as well as Camy Barsh, Brylee Heim and Carley Caniford teaming up in the 4×100-meter, 4×200-meter and 4×400-meter relays.
Advancing To Area: Competing in the District 17-3A Championships, Clifton boys win team title, Lady Cubs take third place
Led by senior AJ Lingo winning three silver medals in the 200-meter dash, long jump and triple jump, the Clifton Cubs convincingly won the overall team championship with 196 points, followed by runner-up West with 110 and third place Whitney with 107. The Cubs will be sending 15 athletes to compete in 16 events as all three relay teams advanced to the District 17/18-3A Area Championships to be held April 21 at Eustace High School.
“The Junior Varsity and Varsity team both had a great showing at the district track meet,” Clifton boys track head coach Mario Villalpando said. “It is always a great meet when the teams are able to both come home with the team championship, and is even more special when they can do that at the district track meet.”
In the relay events, the Cubs won the gold in the 4×400-meter relay – run by junior Jesus Lopez, Lingo, senior Westen Urbanovsky and sophomore Ray Ochoa – grabbed the silver medal in the 4×200-meter relay – manned by junior Levi Knox, senior Westen Urbnaovsky, junior Camdyn Mobley and Lingo – and the bronze in the 4×100-meter relay — behind senior Larrett Thomas, Mobley, Knox and Ochoa.
Individual medalists for the Clifton boys in the running events include, Westen Urbanovsky claimed the bronze in the 200-meter dash and finished fourth in triple jump, Ochoa captured the gold medal in the 400-meter run, Lopez took the bronze in the 400-meter dash, senior Peyten Urbanovsky claimed the silver medal in the 800-meter run, and sophomore Brody Baggett took the bronze in the 100-meter hurdles while earning a trip to area with a fourth place finish in the 110-meter hurdles.
Junior Clay Kennedy won the gold medal and freshman teammate Brayden Stone took the silver in both the 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs, while junior Jorge Devora finished fourth in the 1600 to earn a trip to Area.
In the field events, the Cub medalists included Devora capturing a silver medal in high jump, Ochoa took the silver medal in pole vault, followed by Thomas claiming the bronze and freshman Judd New finishing fourth to advance to area. Junior Riley Finney finished fourth in discus and senior Makail Brandenberger placed fourth in shot put earned a trip to area.
“This result is a testament to all the hard work that the athlete’s have put in this season,” Villalpando said. “We are looking forward to watching the sixteen athletes that advanced to the area track meet perform in two weeks.”
With all three relays teams advancing to the Area Championships, the Lady Cubs placed third as a team with 114 points behind district champion Grandview with 145 points and runner-up West with 134 points as the Lady Cubs will be sending 11 athletes to compete in 10 events at area.
“Extremely pleased and proud of the effort from our girls at the district meet,” Clifton girls track head coach Ryan Hunt said. “We had some really good performances in the field events and the 3200 on Monday and it carried over to the running on Wednesday. We will have a lot of individuals and all three relays moving forward and that’s exciting. We are going to get back to work and hope to continue the improvement.”
In the relay events, the Lady Cubs – manned by senior Carley Caniford, sophomore Brylee Heim, freshman Alexa Lane and sophomore Camryn Barsh – took the gold medal in the 4-400-meter relay, as well as the 4×200-meter relay – run by Lane, Barsh, Heim and Caniford, while the 4×100-meter relay – junior Kate Humphreys, Barsh, Heim and Caniford – finished fourth to advance.
Individual medalists in the running events for the Lady Cubs include freshman Evelyn Kennedy claiming the bronze in the 3200-meter run, and junior Brianna Gonzalez taking the silver medal in the 100-meter hurdles, while Lane finished fourth in the 200-meter dash to earn a trip to area.
In the field events, Lady Cub medalists included Humphreys capturing the gold medal in discus, Lane taking the silver in pole vault, sophomore Lenora Busby winning the silver in shot put, while sophomore Taryn Busby finished fourth in shot put and junior Reagan Thomas placed fourth in triple jump to advance to area.
Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS
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