Austin-area high school athletes shine at Texas Relays
Thorndale pole vaulter Jack Herzog doesn’t need months of practice — or even poles he’s used to.
Spending the last 10 weeks rehabbing an injury that kept him from competing until Friday at the Texas Relays and using brand new poles he just got this week, Herzog made the most of his first meet of the season by winning his section of the event at Myers Stadium.
“Very thankful because I didn’t know what to expect,” said Herzog, who cleared 15 feet, 9 inches along with four other vaulters, but won on attempts. “I would say things just connected, and I also got lucky. That was part of it.”
While Herzog doesn’t lack in modesty, he also doesn’t lack in natural talent.
Competing against some of the best pole vaulters from around the state, he only had one miss, which came on his first attempt of the day, before the height that knocked all the finalists out (16-0 3/4).
He also adjusted well to a strong tailwind that at times gusted from varying angles during competitors’ run-ups.
“There wasn’t a whole lot to complain about,” he said. “If it was a crosswind, that would be different, but we got a bit of a boost from it.”
Herzog hopes to return to the stadium in a little more than a month for the state track meet. But first, he’s got a few weeks of practice — even if he doesn’t need it.
“Body is feeling good,” he said. “I’m super-happy and proud about this.”
Vista Ridge's Wade excels in 1,600
Vista Ridge’s Emma Wade is one of the more dominant distance runners in the Austin area, and she appreciates the competition the Texas Relays brings in to bring out the best in her.
Wade used a strong kick in the final 200 meters to medal with a third-place finish in the 1,600 and run her top time of the year.
“I took third with around 150 to go and kept it,” said Wade, who finished in 4:50.87. “It’s about two seconds off my personal best, but I’m really happy with it. … I don’t get to race against these girls because they’re all from Dallas. So, really, the only time you get to race them is at state. This is a good prestate meet.”
Del Valle's Butler sets record in steeple chase
Del Valle senior James Butler said he was extremely nervous before running the steeple chase.
It didn’t show.
Butler won the event for the second year in a row and set a meet record in the process with a time of 5:54.14.
“From the start to the finish everything went as expected,” said Butler, who was part of the all-Central Texas cross country team. “I wanted to get out and run fast and just kind of went for the record.”
Butler blew away the field, finishing more than 15 seconds ahead of the silver medalist and running most of the second half of the race by himself.
“It’s tough, because it’s more of a mental race as you’re jumping over barriers, and I’m thinking a lot about my race,” he said. “Without somebody pushing me, I just had to pick it up and go for it.”
Being one of the more notable Austin-area performers at the Texas relays is something Baker said he’ll cherish.
“Winning again and getting the meet record, it kind of felt surreal in the moment,” he said. “It took a bit for me to process it, but it was a great experience.”
More:Archbishop Carroll sets Texas Relays record in both the boys and girls 4x200
In other notable Austin-area performances:
• Round Rock’s boys 4x400 team ran the fastest preliminary time in Division II and will have one of the faster lanes in Saturday’s final. The Dragons finished in a blazing time of 3:16.46.
• Swayde Griffin of Lago Vista posted the fastest preliminary time (13.68) in the Division I 110 hurdles.
• Georgetown’s boys distance medley team of Nolan House, Elijah Callagan, Zachary Mangum and Joseph Wienen took fourth, as did the Vandegrift girls distance medley team of Annie Burton, Elizabeth Mustacchia, Peyton Wagner and Olivia Krupa.
• Rouse’s Edwin Rotich took sixth in the boys 1,600 (4:16.88).
• Owen Langdon of Bowie qualified for the finals in the boys Division II 110 hurdles (14.42) with the eighth-fastest time.
• Thorndale’s Carson McCoy ran the seventh-fastest time in the Division I 100 (10.60) to qualify for the finals.
• The Dripping Springs 4x200 relay of Cooper Reid, Jackson Mills, Kyle Koch and Croix DaCunha qualified for finals in Division I with the ninth-fastest time of 1:27.76.
• Rouse’s Caden O’Hara and Johnson’s Ethan Saenz were two of the other four pole vaulters that cleared 15-9 along with Herzog. They finished fourth and fifth in the event, respectively.