Burnet’s Aviles nabs silver, Marble Falls’ Cuplin takes bronze from state meet

CAPTION: Marble Falls sophomore Madison Cuplin (left) and horizontal jumping coach Jamie Graham. File photo

Two Burnet County athletes will return home with Class 4A state medals thanks to their performances at the state meet May 1.

Burnet middle-distance runner Victor Aviles earned the silver medal in the boys 3,200 meters thanks to clocking 9 minutes 15.96 seconds. He will run the 800 and 1,600 meters when the running events begin at 5 p.m.

Also in the 3,200 meters was Marble Falls High School senior Tyler Hamblin, who was seventh in 9:36.97. Senior thrower Kylie Roberts finished eighth in the discus with a throw of 109 feet.

Llano senior Ciara Hays finished sixth in the Class 3A girls triple jump with a mark of 36 feet and 2 inches on her final attempt. She also had marks of 34-9.25, 34-8.25, 35-8.25, 34-10.25 and a foul.

Marble Falls High School sophomore Madison Cuplin took bronze in the long jump with a leap of 18-6 in her state meet debut.

“I’m real proud of her,” horizontal jumping coach Jamie Graham said, pointing out that mark was on Cuplin’s opening jump.

Her other marks were 16-3.25, 18-0.25, 17-8.25 and 18-1.25.

“She had two other jumps over 18 feet,” Graham said. “She jumped over 18 feet and never hit the board.”

Her fifth attempt was her best, but she was slightly too far off the board, so officials deemed the attempt a scratch.

Cuplin’s other attempts were behind the board, which made them jumps officials measured.

“I’m unbelievably proud of her,” the coach said. “And she left a lot of inches out there. She’s still a sophomore and we got the bronze medal. I know we left a lot of inches out there.”

Though this is Cuplin’s first time to compete at the state meet, it was not her first time to compete at Mike Myers Stadium on the University of Texas at Austin campus. She had previously competed at the 97th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in March where she had a mark of 16-8.75.

Graham believes that experience was invaluable because the size of the stadium, the number of fans and other nuances weren’t new for her.

“Going to the Texas Relays helped her,” he said.

Cuplin will compete in the triple jump at 2:45 p.m.

CAPTION: Burnet senior Victor Aviles captures silver in the 3,200 meters of the Class 4A meet May. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Ludecke Photography