Marble Falls track’s Goggans runs to silver in 800

CAPTION: Marble Falls junior Graham Goggans stands on the podium wearing the silver medal from the 800 meters of the Class 4A state meet May 14. Courtesy photo

Marble Falls High School sophomore Graham Goggans took a Class 4A state silver medal thanks to his performance in the 800 meters.

Goggans finished in 1 minute and 55.20 seconds.

“I think he did what he had to do to be in medal contention,” distance running coach Brenda Gonzalez said. “I think Graham ran a good race. The first 600 (meters), he hit every single point, every single time that we set targets for him.”

He was in first place after the first lap thanks to running 55.74 seconds and remained in the lead for much of the race. But in the last 200 meters, Dallas Carter junior Charles Anderson made his move.

Mustangs head coach Austin Silva and Gonzalez both said Goggans learned plenty from the Class 4A Region III meet two weeks earlier where he took a big lead at the beginning of the race only to have Salado junior Daniel Anderson and China Spring sophomore Camden Paden finish first and second. Because the Mustang had the fastest time of the four bronze medalists from regional meets, he advanced on the wild card.

And made the most of his chance.

“He’s really good friends with Daniel,” Gonzalez said. “But they both beat him at regionals, and he did not like that.”

Goggans, who was assigned lane nine, had to overcome a disadvantage. He had to remain there until after the “breakline” or the first 100 meters. Then he ran quite a ways to get into the first lane.

Still, there was no stopping him from reaching the podium.

“You’re cutting across and merging in and you don’t want to get stuck in the back,” Gonzalez said. “By the time he finished the first 200 (meters), he was in the 26s and he was in the front. So he just kept that lead. But it wasn’t crazy where he ran 53 seconds at regionals. He ran 55, and that was the goal to be conservative, be smart about that, under control, which he did. At 150 meters (left), Salado was pushing, but he had enough to push back.”

Coaches were aware of Charles Anderson and credited the runner and the Carter coaches for not showing how fast he really was throughout the season. Anderson clocked 1:57.06 at regionals. Charles Anderson also claimed state gold in the 400 meters in 46.93 seconds.

“He had a good time and he hadn’t been running (fast times), because he didn’t need to run big until now,” Gonzalez said. “And he’s a 45-(second) 400-(meter) runner, and that speed showed at the end – in that last 100 that he got Graham, it showed. I think the last 200 kind of got to him a little bit, and I think it was also like the heat kind of shook him a little bit, but I couldn’t be prouder. He did what I asked of him, and he held on.”

Goggans has spent much of this year running. In the fall, he was in the cross country program then went to track in the spring.

“I’m so proud of him,” Gonzalez said.