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Cypress Ranch senior Branndon Marion, left, clears a hurdle in the 300-meter hurdles event at the May 14 state championships. He placed second with a time of 37.07.
The Cypress Springs girls turned in another strong performance at the UIL state track and field meet last week, finishing second in the team standings for their third consecutive top-three showing. The Panthers scored 60 points, leaving them trailing only DeSoto (79).
They were second in 2014, too, and third last year.
“To be state runners-up in a state as competitive as Texas is great,” coach Ruqayya Gibson said in a release. “This was a really tough state meet as we scored 60 points and still got second. For years, I’ve been trying to get a team to score 60 points at state because 50 to 66 points usually wins.
“In my opinion, we learned what it truly means to be champions this year. They may not be state champions but they are my champions and I will remember this group, this team, this year and this experience forever.”
Senior Samiyah Samuels paced Cy Springs with a gutsy effort.
Despite injuring her leg in the 100-meter dash, she closed her high school career with a bronze medal in the long jump (19 feet, ½ inch).
“It was tough,” Samuels said. “I was nervous because I’ve never had an injury like this before, (but) I knew I couldn’t end my senior year without giving it my best shot. I will always remember this award because it was painful mentally and physically. I had to work through it to win a medal.”
The Cy Ranch girls earned six points to tie for 26th, and the Cy Woods girls were 31st.
On the boys side, Cy Ranch was Cy-Fair ISD’s highest team finisher, checking in tied for 24th with eight points.
Cy-Fair ISD teams left with nine medals.
Cy Ranch senior Branndon Marion was second in the boys 300 hurdles (37.07 seconds) and sophomore teammate Kaitlyn Banas was third in the girls pole vault (12-6); Jersey Village junior Morgan Stewart took third in the 800 (2:10.58); and Cy Falls senior Tyler Guillory was third in the 110 hurdles (14.05).
For Cy Springs, Rachel Hall, Essance Sample, Sierra Smith and Samuels were second in the 400 relay (45.31), Ariah Mack, Smith, Erica Cormier Jordan and Nikesha Keith was second in the 1,600 relay (3:43.06), and Mack, Tiffany Mack, Hall and Sample were third in the 800 relay (1:36.88).
Smith added a bronze medal in the 200 (24.01). Crusaders rolling
The Strake Jesuit baseball team is accustomed to making history.
In the midst of the deepest postseason run since joining the University Interscholastic League 12 years ago, the Crusaders have a chance to take it a step further. Strake Jesuit will face Lamar in a Class 6A-Region III quarterfinal series this week.
All three games will be at Premier Baseball, 20230 Cypress Rosehill Road in Tomball, with Game 1 at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 19; Game 2 at 5 p.m. Friday, May 20; and Game 3, if necessary, at noon Saturday, May 21.
“We’re pretty excited,” said Strake Jesuit head baseball coach Raul Garcia-Rameau. “Every round gets a little tougher, but we’re happy to still be playing.”
Strake Jesuit, the District 19-6A runner-up, has been on a roll during the postseason, sweeping a pair of games against Milby and Cy Creek in the bidistrict and area rounds.
Last week’s series against Cy Creek, the fourth-place team from powerful District 17-6A, should have been suspenseful but it wasn’t.
In Game 1, senior designated hitter Zach Zubia, a Tulane University signee, went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and drove in three runs. Senior ace Kevin Graff was in total command on the mound, scattering two hits and striking out four while going the distance.
It was more of the same in Game 2, a 5-1 victory for the Crusaders. Junior pitcher Mitchell Black tossed a complete game, giving up only three hits. Senior catcher Nick Tanner delivered two hits and junior left fielder William James added a clutch triple.
Strake Jesuit (25-4-2) should get more of a test from Lamar (22-9-1), which won both games against Cy-Fair 2-0 and 4-1 to advance to the third round.
“Lamar’s pitching is incredible,” Garcia-Rameau said.
“It’ll be their pitching against our hitting and may the best team win.” Jason McDaniel is a freelance writer who can be reached at jasonrmcdaniel@ outlook.com.