Marble Falls boys track doubles totals to finish on the podium

CAPTION: The podium of the boys 800-meter run includes Salado junior Daniel Anderson (left), Marble Falls sophomore Graham Goggans, Salado sophomore Seth Anderson, and Marble Falls junior Owen Martin. All four will compete at the area met. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography

The Marble Falls High School boys track and field program finished the District 24-4A meet on the podium April 9.

The varsity was third in the team standings, while the junior varsity is the district champion with 161 points.

“Our varsity boys finished third as a team with 103 points compared to last year’s fifth place finish with only 56 points,” head coach Austin Silva said. “I’m most proud of their growth from a team total standpoint, and it tells me our program is absolutely heading in the right direction.”

The two events that was the most apparent were in the 800-meter and 1,600-meter relays, he said.

“We had several team moments between the 4×2 and 4×4 and honestly, that’s one of the things I’m most proud of as a coach – guys putting the team over themselves, believing in one another and staying together in the face of adversity,” Silva said. “It was just special. They’re special.” 

The 800-meter relay team of senior Gregory Lemon and juniors Gregory Colver, Gage Coleman and Branson Bunting clocked 1 minute and 31.36 seconds to break the school record and nab silver.

“And did so in dramatic fashion,” the coach said. “Branson, our anchor, made the finals in the 100 (meters) but wanted to have the best chance to make area. So he scratched the 100 just to focus on the (800-meter relay) and it paid off in a big way. For a kid to put the team above himself like that was a special moment to be apart of.” 

The 1,600-meter relay team of junior Anthony Griffin, Colver, Coleman and sophomore Graham Goggans took bronze in 3:30.16.

“Our (relay) was missing one of our legs due to a schedule conflict so Griffin, who was dealing with that heel injury, had to step in and run it,” Silva said. “Our guys were confident that even with an alternate, we could still get top four and advance. Our other three guys told Griffin they believed in him and that they would take care of the rest. And that’s exactly what they did.”

CAPTION: Hurdlers coach Humberto Garza (center) with his athletes, Anthony Griffin (left) and Austin Mitchusson. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography

Silva noted hurdler Griffin’s “toughness was on full display” as he and several of his teammates were doing all they could to finish in the four of their events to advance to the District 23 and 24-4A area meet.

Griffin earned gold in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.26 seconds.

“He bruised his heel pretty good from triple jump the day before, and we were uncertain on his status for finals,” he said. “He’s one of our more experienced athletes, so when it was time to line up and go, he had the mental toughness to forget about his heel and get the job done.”

Other area qualifiers are Goggans, who took double gold in the 400 meters in 50.31 seconds and 800 meters in 1:55.87, Colver, who was fourth in the 300-meter hurdles in 41.29 seconds, junior Owen Martin, who was fourth in the 800 meters in 2:00.04, and freshman Joaquim Edwards, who was fourth in the 1,600 meters in 4:42.39.

The coach said he was especially pleased for Colver.

“Colver is having a comeback season this year,” he said. “He had a serious groin injury last year that ended his season early. He’s healthy this year, been working extremely hard, and absolutely getting the most out of it. I’m extremely happy for him, the season he is having and his ability to bounce back from injury.”  

Silva noted that Goggans, Martin and Edwards are keeping a tradition started more than two decades ago by 2012 Olympic silver medalist Leonel Manzano, a 2004 Marble Falls graduate. Martin and Edwards had already qualified for the area meet in the 3,200 meter a day earlier.

“Our distance crew did what Marble Falls has been doing for several years now, advancing in multiple events,” he said. “Graham’s confidence is at an all-time high and his performances have been nothing short of exceptional. Owen’s confidence grows with each meet. And Joaquim is our freshman who has Graham and Owen to look up to, learn from and push. It’s a pretty special dynamic.” 

These runners joined Lemon, who took silver in the triple jump with a leap of 41 feet and 2.5 inches the day before. But it took him several attempts to reach that mark.

“Lemon was behind and on the outside looking in up until his last jump,” Silva said. “It helps to have an experienced senior in that position because I didn’t have to say much. He came over to me with one jump left and simply said, ‘I got it’ and having coached him for four years, I believed him and nothing else needed to be said. Extremely proud of his ability to overcome and advance.”

Lemon said long jumping comes natural to him and the day before the Cotton Boll Relays, hosted by Taylor High School March 5, he decided to check out the triple jump practice. And before he knew it, he started to participate. As coaches saw him go through the steps complete with the hop, step and jump, they realized that Lemon’s marks were good enough to put him on the podium.

When he realized coaches entered him in the triple jump at the Taylor meet, he found Silva to basically ask if the staff was sure that was the right decision. The coach repeated one word.

“Trust, trust, trust,” Lemon recalled hearing. “‘I’ve seen you on the boundary. I think you’ll be good at (the triple jump).’ So they took me after one practice right before the meet.”

Teammate Madison Cuplin, who won gold in both horizontal events for the Lady Mustangs, knows first hand what it takes to advance past the district meet.

“I’m very proud of Greg because he’s also worked very hard at all he does, that’s for sure,” Cuplin said. “And he’s also wanted this for a while.”

Silva was equally enthusiastic about the junior varsity’s team win.

“I’ve got to shout out our JV boys for being crowned district champions,” he added. “They were in second by 10 points after day one. We came back home and met as a team before day two and knew we had to close the gap. Our kids understood what they needed to do and absolutely exceeded it. Phenomenal team performance and just awesome to be a part of.” 

The area meet is Wednesday, April 15, at Lorena High School.

CAPTION: This is what it takes to win at the District 24-4A meet – a strong body, coupled with speed and determination that are all part of Marble Falls sophomore Graham Goggans’ run in the 400 meters. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography

RESULTS

BOYS

Varsity

100 – 2, Caden Farmer (Burnet), 11.22; 200 – 5, Gage Coleman (Marble Falls), 22.78, 7, Colt McGraw (Burnet), 23.19, 8, Gregory Lemon (Marble Falls), 23.54; 400 – 1, Graham Goggans (Marble Falls), 50.31, 5, Hector Vega (Burnet), 52.98, 6, Russell Ramirez (Burnet), 53.91; 800 – 1, Graham Goggans (Marble Falls), 1:55.87, 4, Owen Martin (Marble Falls), 2:00.04, 5, Russell Ramirez (Burnet), 2:01.58, 6, Joaquim Edwards (Marble Falls), 2:02.27, 7, Josvanny Ramirez (Burnet), 2:03.11, 8, Christopher Hernandez (Burnet), 2:06.12; 1,600 – 4, Joaquim Edwards (Marble Falls), 4:42.39, 5, Owen Martin (Marble Falls), 4:45.29, 6, Clark Yanez (Burnet), 4:45.59, 9, Isaac Vega (Burnet), 4:50.54, 11, Christopher Hernandez (Burnet), 5:00.64; 3,200 – 3, Joaquim Edwards (Marble Falls), 10:05.76, 4, Owen Martin (Marble Falls), 10:05.98, 5, Clark Yanez (Burnet), 10:06.72, 6, Isaac Vega (Burnet), 10:23.80; 110 hurdles – 1, Anthony Griffin (Marble Falls), 15.26, 6, Hunter Bailey (Burnet), 16.97; 300 hurdles – 4, Gregory Colver (Marble Falls), 41.29, 6, Anthony Griffin (Marble Falls), 43.79; 4×100 – 1, Burnet (Colt McGraw, Cohen Jorpeland, Caden Farmer, Clay Lamb), 42.25, 5, Marble Falls (Gregory Lemon, Branson Bunting, Joaquin Aguilar, Kaden Langbein), 43.91; 4×200 – 2, Marble Falls (Gregory Lemon, Gregory Colver, Gage Coleman, Branson Bunting), 1:31.36; 4×400 – 2, Burnet (Cohen Jorpeland, Hector Vega, Russell Ramirez, Clay Lamb), 3:27.98, 3, Marble Falls (Anthony Griffin, Gregory Colver, Gage Coleman, Graham Goggans), 3:30.16; discus – 5, Nathan Torres (Burnet), 119-1, 7, Jamir Garcia (Marble Falls), 114-8, 12, Andres Hernandez (Burnet), 105-6, 14, Logan Chapa (Marble Falls), 101-0, 17, Mac Clanin (Burnet), 66-8; high jump – 8, Landon Campbell (Marble Falls), 5-6. 8, Carlos Alvarez (Marble Falls), 5-6, 11, Bobby Krause (Burnet), 5-6; long jump – 4, Colt McGraw (Burnet), 20-1.75, 6, Matthew Williams (Burnet), 19-9, 10, Clay Lamb (Burnet), 18-8.75, 13, Joaquin Aguilar (Marble Falls), 18-4.25, 16, Gregory Lemon (Marble Falls), 17-9.5, 17, Kaden Langbein (Marble Falls), 16-11; pole vault – 6, Rhett Eaton (Burnet), 11-6; shot put – 3, Nathan Torres (Burnet), 40-2.5, 5, Jamir Garcia (Marble Falls), 38-5.75, 6, Jaxson Bales (Marble Falls), 38-0, 7, Logan Chapa (Marble Falls), 37-10.5, 12, Adam Heffington (Burnet), 34-2.75, 14, Mac Clanin (Burnet), 31-9.5; triple jump – 1, Colt McGraw (Burnet), 42-4, 2, Gregory Lemon (Marble Falls), 41-2.5, 3, Fisher Powell (Burnet), 40-8.5, 5, Anthony Griffin (Marble Falls), 39-6.5

Junior varsity

100 – 1, Caiden Calvery (Marble Falls), 11.55, 3, Diego Aguilar (Marble Falls), 11.64, 7, Ethan Sanchez (Burnet), 11.93; 200 – 1, Zathan Gonzalez (Marble Falls), 23.82, 2, Calan Syphrett (Burnet), 23.85, 6, Luke Laidler (Burnet), 24.14; 400 – 1, Logan Hargraves (Marble Falls), 53.50, 6, Rhett Blasienz (Burnet), 56.34, 8, Elijah Deluna (Burnet), 56.95; 800 – 1, Logan Hargraves (Marble Falls), 2:07.65, 3, Landon Fletcher (Marble Falls), 2:10.21, 4, Andrew Resendez (Burnet), 2:11.10, 6, Nicolai Monette (Marble Falls), 2:14.48, 7, Adan Carreon (Burnet), 2:14.70, 9, Matthew Resendez (Burnet), 2:19.21; 1,600 – 5, Jahir Garcia (Marble Falls), 5:10.10, 6, Colton Rutland (Marble Falls), 5:10.13, 7, Gabriel Castillo (Burnet), 5:11.62, 10, Andrew Resendez (Burnet), 5:22.42, 11, Nicolai Monette (Marble Falls), 5:22.52, 12, Austin Moore (Burnet), 5:26.98; 3,200 – 3, Jahir Garcia (Marble Falls), 11:11.61, 3, Adan Carreon (Burnet), 11:15.31, 6, Gabriel Castillo (Burnet), 11:27.26, 8, Colton Rutland (Marble Falls), 11:45.71, 10, Austin Moore (Burnet), 11:54.62, 11, Jerry Walker (Marble Falls), 12:05.74; 110 hurdles – 2, Austin Mitchusson (Marble Falls), 18.05, 6, Olen Dalton (Marble Falls), 19.38, 7, Easton Castillo (Marble Falls), 19.44; 300 hurdles – 4, Elijah Pirie (Burnet), 46.03, 5, Olen Dalton (Marble Falls), 46.56; 4×100 – 1, Burnet (Ethan Sanchez, Calan Syphrett, Tyler Barrios, Thomas Butler), 44.85, 3, Marble Falls (Arnulfo Salazar, Rayden Skinner, Diego Aguilar, Caiden Calvery) 45.26; 4×200 – 1, Marble Falls (Arnulfo Salazar, Zathan Gonzalez, Diego Aguilar, Caiden Calvery), 1:35.31, 3, Burnet (Ethan Sanchez, Calan Syphrett, Tait Schmidt, Luke Laidler), 1:37.51; 4×400 – 2, Marble Falls (Zathan Gonzalez, Landon Fletcher, Ryan Vasquez, Logan Hargraves), 3:43.70, 6, Burnet (Thomas Butler, Tait Schmidt, Tyler Barrios, Elijah Deluna), 3:55.41; discus – 1, Djeeby Gaither (Marble Falls), 107-3, 7, Mario Cortez (Marble Falls), 92-3, 9, Anthony Slanina (Marble Falls), 89-6; high jump – 1, Luke Laidler (Burnet), 5-8, 2, Rayden Skinner (Marble Falls), 5-6; long jump – 1, Thomas Butler (Burnet), 19-7, 4, Tyler Barrios (Burnet), 18-7.5, 6, Ethan Sanchez (Burnet), 18-3.75, 7, Diego Aguilar (Marble Falls), 18-1.25, 9, Bentley Trejo (Marble Falls), 17-4.5, 11, Kameron Olsen (Marble Falls), 16-5.25; pole vault – 3, Remington Bailey (Burnet), 8-6, 5, Jerry Walker (Marble Falls), 8-0; shot put – 2, Djeeby Gaither (Marble Falls), 39-5, 4, Arnulfo Salazar (Marble Falls), 35-9.5, 8, Tyran Dewey (Marble Falls), 34-1, 11 Treason Nelson (Burnet), 29-9, 12, Walker Davis (Burnet), 28-1, 16, Ethan Anderson (Burnet), 26-5.25; triple jump – 3, Diego Aguilar (Marble Falls), 37-9, 5, Bentley Trejo (Marble Falls), 35-9