Mile race features big-name runners
Perhaps the most star-studded event of the Texas Relays will be the Jerry Thompson Mile, scheduled for 3:40 p.m.
Olympic silver medalist Leo Manzano will participate. But there’s more. New Braunfels Canyon senior and Texas signee Sam Worley will join Southlake Carroll senior and Oregon signee Reed Brown in the invitational race as well. And Alex Rogers, a UT sophomore and Worley’s former high school teammate, are in too.
Worley won last fall’s Class 6A cross-country state title and was second in the Nike Cross Nationals. He won last year’s Class 6A 1,600meter run at the state track and field meet with a time of 4:04.59, setting an area record. He finished second to Brown in the state 3,200.
Drive for 5: In the 1-lap races, lane 5 is the place to be; it’s generally regarded as the most favorable lane in terms of handling the curves. Consequently, entries with the fastest seed or qualifying times usually are awarded the path in the middle of Myers Stadium’s nine-lane track.
Five being fine was illustrated Friday in the preliminaries of the men’s and women’s 400-meter relays.
In six women’s prelims, lane 5 entries won five times, led by LSU’s 43.25 clocking. The sixth lane five prelim entry, Houston, placed second in its heat to qualify for the finals.
In seven men’s prelims, the winners came from lane 5 five times, led by LSU’s 39.23. The two who didn’t win were USC, which didn’t run, and Florida State, which dropped the baton on the final exchange.
Swoopes soars in discus: Whitewright senior Zada Swoopes picked up a win in the girls discus competition Friday. With a throw of 158 feet, 10 inches, she beat Shadow Creek junior Hailey Pollard by over 7 feet.
Swoopes is the younger sister of former Texas quarterback Tyrone Swoopes. Swoopes participated in Texas’ pro day Tuesday and is trying to get into the NFL as a tight end.
Zada Swoopes has shined on her brother’s campus before. In 2015, she won a Class 3A title in the discus at Myers Stadium. That spring, she also went 1 for 3 for Whitewright at the McCombs Field-hosted state softball tournament. She has signed to play basketball at West Texas A&M.
Old hat for Sooner: Among the competitors in the college section B pole vault was Oklahoma sophomore Meagan Gray, who made her sixth appearance at the Relays. Gray was a three-time medalist at Hays High, winning gold her senior year. She competed at the Relays all four years of high school and both years so far at OU.
Gray placed fifth at 13 feet, 7.75 inches. Her personal record of 13-9 was set when she was a senior at Hays.
Etc.: Among the featured events Saturday is the 3,200-meter relay for high schools. Emi McCollum leads a Vandegrift team that includes Vanessa Budde, Jordan Mathis and Erin Donahue. McCollum also will compete in the 1,600 relay and distance medley relay . ... The UT track and field team will recognize its seniors Saturday . ... Among the dignitaries who will attend the meet Saturday is Bevo XV . ... The Longhorn Network will televise the final day of the Relays from 1:30-5:30 p.m. Contact Rick Cantu at 512-445-3953. Twitter: @Rickyprep