Cypress Springs girls win 3rd straight regional title
Cypress Springs girls coach Ruqayya Gibson has made a habit of collecting regional track and field championships.
The Lady Panthers won their third consecutive Region III-6A title Saturday with 100 points at Clear Creek ISD’s Challenger Columbia Stadium. This latest feat is the sweetest only because it gives Cypress Springs the best chance at the only thing it hasn’t won — a state championship.
“Even though we won the other ones, there were things we didn’t execute right,” Gibson said. “Last year, our 4x2(00) didn’t get out (to state). This one really gives us a great shot at the state title. We got everything we competed in today out.”
Most important, the Lady Panthers are sending all three relay teams to the state meet May 12-14 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.
The 400-meter relay team of Sierra Smith, Essance Sample, Samiyah Samuels and Rachel Hall took first at 45.35 seconds.
Hall, Sample, Samuels and Tiffany Mack won the 800 relay at 1 minute and 36. 83 seconds, which edged Hightower’s 1:36.92.
Hightower’s team of Birexus Hawkins, Tyler Rose, Jyria Smith and Evette Blanks evened the score in the 1600 relay with a winning mark of 3:38.84, which also is the top time in the nation. Cypress Springs’ team of Erica Cormier-Jordan, Ariah Mack, Nikesha Keith and Smith still turned in a state-qualifying time of 3:39.95 to claim second place.
Cypress Springs also has state qualifiers in the long jump (Samuels at 20 feet, ½ inches), the 200-meter dash (Smith, 24.15), 400 (Keith, 54.77) and 100 (Samuels, 11.836).
So, the chance of jousting with the likes of DeSoto for the state championship is alive and well. Cypress Springs finished second two years ago — also the last time the Lady Panthers sent all three relay teams to Austin. Last year, they were third.
“Myfirst two years here, we pretty much struggled,” Gibson said. “Samiyah’s sophomore year was the first year we broke into the top 10 at state. So, it’s been a gradual process since then with us getting better and better. So, I really think that that group of seniors is going to lead us to our first state championship.”
The Woodlands sweeps Region II
The Woodlands made its presence felt at the Region II-6A championship at Baylor University’s Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium in Waco.
The Woodlands girls won the meet with 93 points, while the boys took first with 55 points.
One of the most notable names is defending state champion Adrian Piperi. He won both the shot put (67 feet, 4½ inches) and the discus (188-11).
Manvel repeats in Region III
Manvel made it back-toback Region III-6A boys titles with 79 points Satur- day. The defending Class 6A state champions had to persevere with their 1,600-meter relay not qualifying for Saturday’s finals. The Mavericks more than made up for it with the 400 relay of Caleb Jolivette, Reggie Hemphill, Jaren Colbert and D’Eriq King (40.56, first) and the 800 relay of Jolivette, Hemphill, Colbert and Daniel Ford (1:24.49, first).