Local athletes to compete at state track and field meet

May 2—Four-time state champion Caden Thurman and four-time state qualifier Jacelyn Neighbors head up the list of local track and field athletes who'll compete this weekend at the state meet.

Thurman, who has won state in cross country, plus in the 1600- (twice) and 3200-meter runs, will lead the Wolfe City Wolves to the Class 2A competition of the University Interscholastic League State Track and Field Meet at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.

Thurman will be running for gold in the 3200 and 800 on Friday.

Wolfe City, which won the Region II-2A team championship in Springtown, is also sending teams in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays to state.

Neighbors is to make her fourth appearance at state in the girls pole vault. She competed the first two times in the Class 5A division. She's headed back for her second straight appearance in Class 6A.

She'll compete on Saturday along with Royse City long jumper Jammel Ward. It will be Ward's first appearance at the state meet.

Commerce distance runner Chase Gossett is to compete in the Class 3A 3200 run on Thursday morning after winning the Region II-3A title in Whitehouse. It'll be Gossett's first trip to state in track though he was a state qualifier in cross country in the fall.

Thurman won the 800-meter run at region in the time of 1 minute, 55.70 seconds and the 3200 in 9:12.30.

Thurman ranks first among the state qualifiers in the 800 as Jace Coleman of Rio Vista is second. Jhoan Menjivar from Plains ranks third at 1:58.23.

Thurman also ran the fastest qualifying time in the 3200. Taylor Warrick of Stockdale is second at 9:40.94 and Alan Baez Corpus of Ganado is third with a 9:44.44.

Thurman has signed a letter of intent to run at the University of Houston.

Wolfe City also won the 4x200 relay (1:30.67) at region on the way to scoring 81 points at the region meet. Wolfe City qualified for state with the sixth-fastest time. Wellington leads with a 1;28.86 and Mason is second at 1:29.79.

The Wolves will also be sending their 4x100-meter relay team to state after the Wolves finished second at 43.81. The Wolves rank eighth among the state qualifiers. Ropesville Ropes leads at 42.81 and Thorndale ranks second with a 43.18 time from region.

Thurman is to run the 3200 at 9:15 a.m. and the 800 at 5:20 p.m. on Friday. The Wolves' 4x100 relay is at 5 p.m. and the 4x200 is at 6:40 p.m.

Neighbors earned her fourth trip to state by winning the Region II-6A with a clearance of12 feet. Her sister Tierany Neighbors cleared 11-6 to finish third. Brooklyn Nalley of District 10-6A rival Rockwall-Heath also earned a trip to state, finishing second after also clearing 12-0.

Ward earned his first state berth after finishing second in the long jump, leaping 23 feet, 9 3/4 inches. Ward was second to Dakorien Moore of Duncanville (24-3/4).

The Class 6A division at the state meet is scheduled for Saturday at the Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin. The girls pole vault is planned for 3 p.m., with the boys long jump at 10:45 a.m.

Jacelyn Neighbors is the second seed of the state qualifiers with her mark of 12-0. Carla Angueira-Colombani cleared 12-3 at her region meet for the top qualifiying mark.

She has signed to compete at Nebraska.

Four other vaulters also qualified at 12-0 including Nalley from Heath, Aubrey Griffin of Round Rock Stony Point, Summer Wheeler of Lake Travis and Kayla Byrd of Katy Cinco Ranch.

Ward ranks sixth among the state long jumpers. Joseph West of Stony Point and Jayden Keys from Katy Tompkins lead at 24-4 3/4. Jackson Norris of Humble Atascocita ranks third at 24-1 3/4. Dakorien Moore of Duncanville and Kade Phillips of Fort Bend Hightower are next at 24-3/4.

Neighbors placed fifth in the Class 6A pole vault last year at state, clearing 12-6. She also cleared 12-6 to finish third in Class 5A at the state meet in 2022 and cleared 12-0 to place fifth in 5A at state in 2021 as a freshman. Her personal best height is 13-3.

Gossett of Commerce won the boys 3200-meter run at the Region II-3A meet to earn his first trip to the state track and field meet.

Gossett, who was a state qualifier in cross country in the fall, won the Region II-3A 3200 in the time of 9 minutes, 36.94 seconds. He was also third in the 1600 with a 4:30.98.

Gossett is to run in the 3200-meter run at 9:15 a.m. on Thursday.

Her ranks fourth among the state qualifiers. Noah Strohman of Holliday leads at 9:38.31. Chrisopher Kopecky of East Bernard (9:30.35) and Carlos Jose Cortez of Troy ranks third (9:33.57).

State meet schedule

Mike A. Myers Stadium, Austin

Thursday's schedule

9:15 a.m. — Class 3A, 3200-meter run, Chase Gossett, Commerce.

Friday's schedule

9:15 a.m. — Class 2A 3200-meter run, Caden Thurman, Wolfe City.

5 p.m. Class 2A 4x100-meter relay, Wolfe City.

5:20 p.m. — Class 2A 800-meter run, Caden Thurman, Wolfe City.

6:40 p.m. — Class 2A 4x200-meter relay, Wolfe City.

Saturday's schedule

10:45 a.m. — Class 6A long jump, Jammel Ward, Royse City.

3 p.m. — Class 6A girls pole vault, Jacelyn Neighbors, Royse City.