Story by Larry Bowen at brazossports.com
Talent and depth overcame a lack of experience for the College Station girls track team, which won the championship of the District 18-3A meet Thursday night at Cougar Field.
The first-year program used dominating performances in the distances races and a couple of field events, along with production from sophomores and freshmen throughout Thursday’s running finals to finish with 197 points. Taylor took second place with 135 points and Caldwell was third at 101.
“Don’t tell them that they’re not supposed to do this,” coach Robert Ondrasek said of his young Lady Cougars. “We’ve got numbers. We’ve got a good feeder program. We’ve got community support. We’ve got kids that work hard. So I think we’re supposed to do that.”
College Station’s boys finished third in the team standings, scoring 98 points. Taylor won the meet with 181 points and Navasota took second at 150.
The host team earned four gold medals Thursday, with Jonathon Bishop and Kelsie Warren easily winning their 1,600 meter races to complete distance doubles to go with their 3,200 victories on Wednesday.
College Station’s other individual district champions on the final day of the meet were Jeremiah Booker in the boys 110-meter hurdles and Bethany Dennis in the girls pole vault, which was postponed Wednesday because of wet conditions.
Booker, a sophomore, led throughout the 110 hurdles, finishing in 15.14 seconds to hold off Navasota’s Davon Jernigan, who run 15.28. It was sweet for Booker, who had been disappointed after posting the second-fastest qualifying time during Wednesday’s preliminaries.
“Ever since last night, I told myself that I was going for first place and nothing else,” Booker said. “I was focused and ready to go.
“The coaches have been telling me to get to the first hurdle first. I think I got there first tonight and my momentum just carried me. I felt good the whole way and I just kept going.”
Bishop and Warren dominated the metric mile as the meet was drawing to a close. Warren took a big lead from the start and finished in 5:11.56, which was nearly 16 seconds ahead of Rian Rodriguez of Caldwell (5:27.06).
In the boys 1,600, Bishop capped two terrific days by winning in 4:36.76. The freshman took charge in the second half of the race for his second consecutive victory over Rockdale’s Juan Rubio. A state qualifier last year, Rubio was second in 4:43.24.
College Station’s girls built their winning team total through strength in numbers. The Lady Cougars’ success was demonstrated by freshman Kassidy McCabe and sophomore Gabbi Orzabal, both members of the 1,600 relay team that finished second. McCabe also qualified for next week’s area meet in three individual events, while Orzabal advanced with two second-place finishes.
McCabe was the girls high point scorer with 28.
“We figured if we were going to win we were going to have to out-point people with the thirds, fourths and fifths, scratch our way in,” Ondrasek said. “That’s really what we did. These kids just don’t give up and they finish races hard.
“[McCabe and Orzabal] have got a lot of guts. Both of them have been kind of banged up. Kassidy [ran personal bests] in the 400 and the 800. Gabbi just gutted it out in her first meet back.”
The top four finishers in each event qualified for the area meet next week. The Lady Cougars’ other individual qualifiers are Lori Hoffman, Leah Lewis, Ariel Carter, Cory Nutall and Madeline Dungan. All three girls relay teams advanced.
College Station boys headed to the area meet in individual events are Bryan Bayliss, Tyri Merchant, Braden Wellman and Jay Peyton. Booker also advanced in the 300 hurdles by finishing third.
Area girls taking 18-3A individual titles Thursday included Rian Rodriguez of Caldwell in the 800, D’Joria Davis of Rockdale in the 100 and 300 hurdles, along with Alexus Freeman from Navasota in the 100.
For the boys, winners were Willie Ihlenfeldt of Caldwell in the pole vault, Jerbrell Lipscomb of Navasota in the 100 and Sammy Blair from Navasota in the 400.
District 18-3A Track & Field Meet
Thursday
Girls
Team standings — 1. College Station 197; 2. Taylor 135; 3. Caldwell 101; 4. Rockdale 81; 5. Navasota 60; Madisonville 26.
Pole vault — 1. Bethany Dennis, CS, 9-6; 2. Lori Hoffman, CS, 9-0; 3. Kassidy McCabe, CS, 8-6; 4. Halie Ewald, Caldwell, 8-0; 5. Lauren Bane, Caldwell, 8-0; 6. Sydney Ewald, Caldwell, 7-6.
4X100 relay — 1. Taylor (Katie Faught, Amber Vrabel, Carrigan Wooldridge, Shawntell Caldwell), 49.76; 2. Navasota, 50.47; 3. College Station (Kristina Lantz, Raven Manley, Briana White, Ariel Carter), 50.95; 4. Rockdale, 50.97; 5. Caldwell, 52.34; 6. Madisonville, 52.68.
800 — 1. Rian Rodriguez, Caldwell, 2:23.84; 2. Gabbi Orzabal, CS, 2:27.58; 3. Autumn Jensen, Taylor, 2:28.42; 4. Kassidy McCabe, CS, 2:35.02; 5. Brynna Lekven, CS, 2:36.28; 6. Brittany Laird, Caldwell, 2:40.71.
100 hurdles — 1. D’Jhoria Davis, Rockdale, 16.27; 2. Haley Wright, Rockdale, 16.96; 3. Mikala Burns, Caldwell, 17.31; 4. Sierra Long, Caldwell, 17.46; 5. Ashley Troutman, CS, 17.48; 6. Gaby Martinez, Caldwell, 17.68.
100 — 1. Alexus Freeman, Navasota, 12.94; 2. Katie Faught, Tayulor, 12.96; 3. Sakara Evans, Caldwell, 13.04; 4. Ariel Carter, CS, 13.05; 5. Aquilla Cater, CS, 13.12; 6. Miredda Payne, Rockdale, 13.20.
800 relay — 1. Taylor (Katie Faught, Destiny Rodriguez, Carrigan Wooldridge, Shawntell Caldwell), 1:48.47; 2. College Station (Kristina Lantz, Cory Nutall, Raven Manley, Ariel Carter), 1:50.54; 3. Navasota, 1:51.52; 4. Caldwell, 1:55.92.
400 — 1. Ayanna Parker, Taylor, 1:02.72; 2. Amber Vrabel, Taylor, 1:03.42; 3. Kassidy McCabe, CS, 1:03.45; 4. Chooquiana Thomas, Caldwell, 1:03.67; 5. Maggie Dorman, Madisonville, 1:04.50; 6. Alexys Barbee, Taylor, 1:05.25.
300 hurdles — 1. D’Joria Davis, Rockdale, 47.62; 2. Gabbi Orzabal, CS, 47.64; 3. Haley Wright, Rockdale, 50.08; 4. Sierra Long, Caldwell, 50.84;5. Mikala Burris, Caldwell, 52.03; 6. Ashley Troutman, CS, 52.95.
200 — 1. Carrigan Wooldridge, Taylor, 26.38; 2. Shawntell Caldwell, Taylor, 27.00; 3. Kalandria Jefferson, Navasota, 27.29; 4. Cory Nutall, CS, 27.30; 5. Raven Manley, CS, 27.34; 6. Sakara Evans, Caldwell, 27.84.
1,600 — 1. Kelsie Warren, CS, 5:11.56; 2. Rian Rodriguez, Caldwell, 5:27.06; 3. Leah Lewis, CS, 5:27.85; 4. Madeline Dungan, CS, 5:29.74; 5. Autumn Jensen, Taylor, 5:32.52; 6. Renae Rodriguez, Caldwell, 5:57.37.
1,600 relay — 1. Taylor (Destiny Rodriguez, Brittany Randle, Ayanna Parker, Amber Vrabel), 4:14.31; 2. College Station (Kassidy McCabe, Abigail Kellstedt, Ashlynne Bradicich, Gabbie Orzabal), 4:18.38; 3. Caldwell, 4:22.52.
Boys
Team standings — 1. Taylor 181; 2. Navasota 150; 3. College Station 98; 4. Caldwell 84; 5. Rockdale 62; 6. Madisonville 34.
Pole vault — 1. Willie Ihlenfeldt, Caldwell, 11-0; 2. Nic Gonzales, Rockdale, 10-6; 3. Bryan Bayliss, CS, 10-0.
4X100 relay — 1. Navasota (Christian Taylor, Derrion Randle, Austin Collins, Jerbrell Lipscomb), 42.65; 2. College Station (Rajah Preciado, Tyri Merchant, Drake Carnes, Travis Tate), 43.46; 3. Taylor, 44.29; 4. Madisonville, 44.51; 5, Caldwell, 45.78; 6. Rockdale, 56.74.
800 — 1. Mylik Kerley, Taylor, 2:02.14; 2. Redmond Ward, Caldwell, 2:02.44; 3. Chris Luna, Caldwell, 2:04.32; 4. Eric Aceves, Madisonville, 2:05.32; 5. Benito Costilla, Rockdale, 2:06.23.
110 hurdles — 1. Jeremiah Booker, CS, 15.14; 2. Davon Jernigan, Navasota, 15.28; 3. J.J. Jackson, Caldwell, 15.65; 4. Derrick Lewis, Navasota, 15.82; 5. Clark Griffith, Taylor, 15.96; 6. Albert Vasquez, Taylor, 16.02.
100 — 1. Jerbrell Lipscomb, Navasota, 11.05; 2. Nick Young, Rockdale, 11.14; 3. Tyri Merchant, CS, 11.28; 4. Terrence Thompson, Taylor, 11.29; 5. Donte Crist, Madisonville, 11.32; 6. Christian Taylor, Navasota, 11.33.
800 relay — 1. Navasota (Austin Collins, Willie Creeks, Jerbrell Lipscomb, Derrion Randle), 1:28.82; 2. Taylor, 1:29.17; 3. College Station (Travis Tate, Kourtland Chandler, Drake Carnes, Rajah Preciado), 1:31.75; 4. Madisonville, 1:34.28; 5. Caldwell, 1:37.89.
400 — 1. Sammy Blair, Navasota, 50.38; 2. Terrance Creeks, Navasota, 50.44; 3. Chris Luna, Caldwell, 51.77; 4. Braden Wellman, CS, 52.22; 5. Shagarius Harrison, Caldwell, 52.24; 6. Colton Lilie, Caldwell, 54.39.
300 hurdles — 1. Albert Vasquez, Taylor, 40.76; 2. J.J. Jackson, Caldwell, 41.17; 3. Jeremiah Booker, CS, 41.32; 4. Davon Jernigan, Navasota, 41.63; 5. Ladontice Coats, Rockdale, 41.90; 6. Clark Griffith, Taylor, 41.98.
200 — 1. Fred Kerley, Taylor, 21.70; 2. Derrion Randle, Navasota, 22.64; 3. Sammy Blair, Navasota, 22.65; 4. Nick Young, Rockdale, 23.14; 5. Willie Creeks, Navasota, 23.50; 6. Isiah Pittman, Taylor, 23.69.
1,600 — 1. Jonathon Bishop, CS, 4:36.76; 2. Juan Rubio, Rockdale, 4:43.24; 3. Jay Peyton, CS, 4:46.39; 4. Josh Villarreal, Taylor, 4:46.56; 5. Benito Costilla, Rockdale, 4:47.34; 6. Nick Dominguez, Taylor, 4:56.96.
1,600 relay — 1. Taylor (Blaine Johnson, Mylik Kerley, Isiah Pittman, Fred Kerley), 3:21.86; 2. Navasota, 3:22.95; 3. College Station (Braden Wellman, Tyri Merchant, Rajah Preciado, Travis Tate), 3:31.29; 4. Caldwell, 3:34.69; 5. Madisonville, 3:42.70.