After taking part in windy regional track meets this weekend, the area schools are sending eight athletes to the state meet in Austin in three different classifications.
Athletes from Bowie, Nocona, Saint Jo and Gold-Burg will be competing against the best athletes in the state in their events.
For several athletes this year was redemption for last year. Bowie junior Tucker Jones made it to the regional final in last year’s 110 meter hurdles, but unfortunately a tough fall at the beginning of the race did not allow him to finish.
This year Jones barely made it to the final as the last seed, but in the final he put together a clean race. It was close at the finish with the top four finishing within .13 seconds of each other. In the end, it was Jones who finished second, running 15 seconds flat and qualifying for state in the 3A classification.
With everything coming full circle, Jones was appreciative he was able to overcome last year’s failure.
“It shows anything can happen at any given moment,” Jones said. “I wouldn’t be where I am without moments like those.”
Jones dedicated his achievement to the memory of his late friend Colby Price, who died in December in a car wreck.
Another athlete looking for redemption was Nocona’s Graci Brown. The sophomore was only a hair short of qualifying for state last year in the 400 meters as a freshman in 3A. In 2A this year and motivated by last year’s disappointment, she redoubled her commitment to training.
It paid off as she not only qualified in the 400 meters this year, but won it as well as the 800 meter race as well.
Brown also finished second in the long jump and anchored the 4×400 relay team that included Ava Johnson, Ayden Patton and Megyn Meekins to second place to qualify in those events as well. Overall, that performance and several others helped the Lady Indians team finish tied for fourth.
“Last year losing that wildcard by .002 really pushed me this year,” Brown said. “Every time I get in those blocks or just racing that 4×400 for my team, I don’t want that to ever be me again and I won’t let that be me. The training I did this year compared to last year is unlike any other so I am just thankful for that.”
For other athletes in the 1A classification it was a return to state in a way for all three. Saint Jo senior Collin Thomas has qualified for state all four years in cross country. He qualified for the first time last year in track running the 800 meters and was a part of the 4×400 relay team. This year he is heading back by finishing second in both the 800 meters and 1600 meters.
“I am very excited,” Thomas said. “I think I will not be as nervous this year after experiencing it last year. I want to make it in the top three this year so I can get a medal.
He won’t be alone as he is joined by fellow Saint Jo athlete, sophomore Devin Stewart, who finished second in the high jump as he jumped six feet flat. Stewart also will be making a return to state after being a part of last year’s 4×400 relay team that qualified.
“I’m pretty excited,” Stewart said. “I’m not sure last year’s experience will help much. Last year I ran and this year I am in a field event so it will be different. I just hope I can improve on my results from regionals and see what happens.”
The final athlete who qualified is not unfamiliar to the state stage. Gold-Burg sophomore Isaac Renteria has already run in the state cross country meet twice. This year he parlayed his success running long distances in the fall to the spring. Renteria finished first in both the 3200 meter race and was just ahead of Thomas in the 1600 meter race.
“I think my experience at the next level will help me prepare for this competition,” Renteria said. “While I won’t be shocked, I expect that the experience will still be different. However, I am fully aware that I will have to give it my all just to be able to compete.”
The state meet is scheduled for May 11-13 at Mike A. Myers Stadium at the University of Texas in Austin.

Results for all of the athletes from area schools who competed at the regional meet are in the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.