Gobbler Fan
05-11-2006, 07:04 AM
Cuero feeling pressure to repeat
May 11, 2006
MIKE FORMAN - Advocate Sports Writer
CUERO - Brandon James may look cool, calm, and collected but looks can be deceiving.
Jodi Miller/
Cuero senior sprinter Brandon James admits he is nervous heading into the UIL state track and field meet.
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"I'm as nervous as a chicken," James admitted. "It's finally starting to hit me that this is my last week to be practicing for a high school meet and I'm going to be running in my last high school meet. We've got a lot of pressure on us because of what happened last year."
James played a big part in what Cuero accomplished at last year's UIL Class 3A state track and field meet, winning the 200-meter dash and anchoring the 400 and 800 relays to victory as the Gobblers won their first team championship since 1988.
James will return to Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin for this year's state meet in the same three events and will be seeking the same individual and team results.
"We feel like we have to win it," said James, who will attend the University of Houston on a track and field scholarship in the fall. "After winning last year, if we don't win it this year, everybody will say we've fallen off and we don't want that to happen."
Cuero won last year's team title with the 50 points it scored in the 200 and the 400 and 800 relays. But Cuero coach Victor Mathis figures the Gobblers need to score around 60 points at this year's meet to hold off challenges from Tatum and Hempstead.
"We've got to do what we did last year and win the sprint and 800 relays and the 200," Mathis said. "We've also got to get some points out of the individual events."
The Gobblers put themselves into position to score more points than last year at the Region IV meet when Kaeron Johnson qualified for the state meet in the discus, Stephon Hargrove qualified in the 100, Avery Sheppard qualified in the 110 hurdles, and Brent Jamelka and Sheppard qualified in the 300 hurdles. Even better for Cuero, the 1,600 relay made it to this year's meet after dropping the baton at last year's regional meet and failing to qualify.
Hargrove, Domingo Ruiz, and Corey Scott will join James on the 400 and 800 relay teams. Ruiz will team up with Sheppard, Courtney Williams and Kyle Noack on the 1,600 relay team.
"All these kids' goal at the beginning of the year was to get all three relays out and get to state in as many individual events as we could," Mathis said. "But you've still got to run your best or better to win once you get there."
Cuero should be healthier for the state meet than it has been for most of the season. The Gobblers lost Fabian Olguin, who ran on the 400 and 800 relays last year, to a hamstring injury at the district meet, and Hargrove ran at the regional meet despite suffering from a leg infection. James and Ruiz have also battled nagging leg injuries much of the season.
But even with the injuries, Cuero has been competitive throughout the season, even when it ran against Class 4A and 5A teams.
"Their confidence compared to last year is a lot higher," Mathis said. "We've been going to meets and running against good competition and that really helps. The best meet we had was the El Campo meet and that was the one meet we didn't win."
The Gobblers have worked hard on their starts and their handoffs since running away with their second consecutive title at the regional meet in Kingsville. Johnson will attempt to get Cuero off to a good start in the discus competition Friday and the running events will follow on Saturday.
"You really have to stay focused because everybody up there is calling your name and trying to get your attention," James said. "It's going to be a lot more hyped this year than last year. We feel like we've got something to prove. We're not going to hold anything back."
Following are the Class 3A events at the UIL state track and field meet involving Advocate-area athletes and a preview of each event:
BOYS
Pole vault - Yoakum's Chance Hagan and Gonzales' Dillard Glass each cleared 12-9 to qualify at a windy regional meet. Jared Tuel of White Oak finished sixth last year enters this year's meet as the top seed after clearing 15-6. Lorena's Eric Thomas finished eighth last year.
Discus - Cuero's Kaeron Johnson is seeded eighth with a regional throw of 154-3 but is only 13 feet behind the best regional throw by Graham's Daniel Schmidt, who won the gold last year. Borger's Jaron Kerr and Longview Spring Hill's Justin Jordan are also back from last year.
High jump - Goliad's Collyn Kelley is one of four jumpers to enter the meet with a qualifying mark of 6-4. Levelland's Justin Turner, who finished second last year, cleared 6-8 at regional. Crockett Ja'Gerrick Henry is also back from last year.
3,200-meter run - Yoakum's Derek Allen has the third-fastest qualifying time (9:52.17). Needville's Logan Smart has the top qualifying time (9:47.24). Silver medalist Aaron Brannen of Bridge City and Canyon's Seth Allison are back from last year.
400 relay - Cuero won last year and has the top qualifying time this year (41.93) but will be challenged by Hempstead (41.96). Atlanta and Sweetwater are back from last year.
110 hurdles - Cuero's Avery Sheppard is seeded seventh (15.11). Tatum's Darnius Moore won last year and has the fastest qualifying time (14.09) this year.
100 - Cuero's Stephon Hargrove is seeded seventh (10.99) in a tightly-bunched field. Dallas Madison's Shawnbrey McNeal, Sweetwater's Skye Green, and Kennedale's Cordero Gray, the top three finishers last year, are back this year along with Hempstead's Chris Tate, who finished fifth. Green (10.57) is the top qualifier.
800 relay - Cuero won last year and is the top qualifier (1:27.79) this year. Tatum returns from last year.
300 hurdles - Cuero's Brent Jemelka (39.29) and Avery Sheppard (39.36) are seeded fifth and sixth, respectively. Tatum's Darnius Moore is back after winning last year. Fort Stockton's J.J. Hickman, who finished fifth last year, is the top seed (37.81). Tatum's Darnius Moore, who finished third last year, also returns.
1,600 - Yoakum's Derek Allen is seeded sixth (4:31.09). Robinson's Brad Mullens, who finished sixth last year, is the top seed (4:27.02). Bridge City's Aaron Brannen is back after finishing second last year.
1,600 relay - Wharton returns for the fifth straight year and is seeded seventh (3:24.20), while Cuero is seeded eighth (3:24.30). Hempstead (3:18.58) is the top seed.
GIRLS
Pole vault - Gonzales' Ari Ince is the two-time defending state champion and holds the Class 3A record after clearing 12-6 last year. Ince qualified by clearing 11-0. Rockdale's Leslie Starnes, who finished second last year, is also back this year.
Discus - Palacios' Stephanie Camp returns to state as the fifth seed after throwing 129-5 at the regional meet. Camp fouled on her first three attempts last year. Cameron Yoe's Charlissa Foster, who won the gold last year, is the top seed with a throw of 144-9. Silver medalist Memrie Ferguson of Gladewater is back along with Longview Spring Hill's Leslie Jordan and Sweetwater's Tracy Cowin.
Shot put - Yoakum's Lena Markert threw 37-5 to finish seventh last year but threw 40-1 at regional this year. Cameron Yoe's Charlissa Foster, who finished third last year, is back along with Kaufman's Jasmine Hughey, who is the top seed with a throw of 43-3, and Longview Spring Hill's Leslie Jordan.
May 11, 2006
MIKE FORMAN - Advocate Sports Writer
CUERO - Brandon James may look cool, calm, and collected but looks can be deceiving.
Jodi Miller/
Cuero senior sprinter Brandon James admits he is nervous heading into the UIL state track and field meet.
Advertisement
"I'm as nervous as a chicken," James admitted. "It's finally starting to hit me that this is my last week to be practicing for a high school meet and I'm going to be running in my last high school meet. We've got a lot of pressure on us because of what happened last year."
James played a big part in what Cuero accomplished at last year's UIL Class 3A state track and field meet, winning the 200-meter dash and anchoring the 400 and 800 relays to victory as the Gobblers won their first team championship since 1988.
James will return to Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin for this year's state meet in the same three events and will be seeking the same individual and team results.
"We feel like we have to win it," said James, who will attend the University of Houston on a track and field scholarship in the fall. "After winning last year, if we don't win it this year, everybody will say we've fallen off and we don't want that to happen."
Cuero won last year's team title with the 50 points it scored in the 200 and the 400 and 800 relays. But Cuero coach Victor Mathis figures the Gobblers need to score around 60 points at this year's meet to hold off challenges from Tatum and Hempstead.
"We've got to do what we did last year and win the sprint and 800 relays and the 200," Mathis said. "We've also got to get some points out of the individual events."
The Gobblers put themselves into position to score more points than last year at the Region IV meet when Kaeron Johnson qualified for the state meet in the discus, Stephon Hargrove qualified in the 100, Avery Sheppard qualified in the 110 hurdles, and Brent Jamelka and Sheppard qualified in the 300 hurdles. Even better for Cuero, the 1,600 relay made it to this year's meet after dropping the baton at last year's regional meet and failing to qualify.
Hargrove, Domingo Ruiz, and Corey Scott will join James on the 400 and 800 relay teams. Ruiz will team up with Sheppard, Courtney Williams and Kyle Noack on the 1,600 relay team.
"All these kids' goal at the beginning of the year was to get all three relays out and get to state in as many individual events as we could," Mathis said. "But you've still got to run your best or better to win once you get there."
Cuero should be healthier for the state meet than it has been for most of the season. The Gobblers lost Fabian Olguin, who ran on the 400 and 800 relays last year, to a hamstring injury at the district meet, and Hargrove ran at the regional meet despite suffering from a leg infection. James and Ruiz have also battled nagging leg injuries much of the season.
But even with the injuries, Cuero has been competitive throughout the season, even when it ran against Class 4A and 5A teams.
"Their confidence compared to last year is a lot higher," Mathis said. "We've been going to meets and running against good competition and that really helps. The best meet we had was the El Campo meet and that was the one meet we didn't win."
The Gobblers have worked hard on their starts and their handoffs since running away with their second consecutive title at the regional meet in Kingsville. Johnson will attempt to get Cuero off to a good start in the discus competition Friday and the running events will follow on Saturday.
"You really have to stay focused because everybody up there is calling your name and trying to get your attention," James said. "It's going to be a lot more hyped this year than last year. We feel like we've got something to prove. We're not going to hold anything back."
Following are the Class 3A events at the UIL state track and field meet involving Advocate-area athletes and a preview of each event:
BOYS
Pole vault - Yoakum's Chance Hagan and Gonzales' Dillard Glass each cleared 12-9 to qualify at a windy regional meet. Jared Tuel of White Oak finished sixth last year enters this year's meet as the top seed after clearing 15-6. Lorena's Eric Thomas finished eighth last year.
Discus - Cuero's Kaeron Johnson is seeded eighth with a regional throw of 154-3 but is only 13 feet behind the best regional throw by Graham's Daniel Schmidt, who won the gold last year. Borger's Jaron Kerr and Longview Spring Hill's Justin Jordan are also back from last year.
High jump - Goliad's Collyn Kelley is one of four jumpers to enter the meet with a qualifying mark of 6-4. Levelland's Justin Turner, who finished second last year, cleared 6-8 at regional. Crockett Ja'Gerrick Henry is also back from last year.
3,200-meter run - Yoakum's Derek Allen has the third-fastest qualifying time (9:52.17). Needville's Logan Smart has the top qualifying time (9:47.24). Silver medalist Aaron Brannen of Bridge City and Canyon's Seth Allison are back from last year.
400 relay - Cuero won last year and has the top qualifying time this year (41.93) but will be challenged by Hempstead (41.96). Atlanta and Sweetwater are back from last year.
110 hurdles - Cuero's Avery Sheppard is seeded seventh (15.11). Tatum's Darnius Moore won last year and has the fastest qualifying time (14.09) this year.
100 - Cuero's Stephon Hargrove is seeded seventh (10.99) in a tightly-bunched field. Dallas Madison's Shawnbrey McNeal, Sweetwater's Skye Green, and Kennedale's Cordero Gray, the top three finishers last year, are back this year along with Hempstead's Chris Tate, who finished fifth. Green (10.57) is the top qualifier.
800 relay - Cuero won last year and is the top qualifier (1:27.79) this year. Tatum returns from last year.
300 hurdles - Cuero's Brent Jemelka (39.29) and Avery Sheppard (39.36) are seeded fifth and sixth, respectively. Tatum's Darnius Moore is back after winning last year. Fort Stockton's J.J. Hickman, who finished fifth last year, is the top seed (37.81). Tatum's Darnius Moore, who finished third last year, also returns.
1,600 - Yoakum's Derek Allen is seeded sixth (4:31.09). Robinson's Brad Mullens, who finished sixth last year, is the top seed (4:27.02). Bridge City's Aaron Brannen is back after finishing second last year.
1,600 relay - Wharton returns for the fifth straight year and is seeded seventh (3:24.20), while Cuero is seeded eighth (3:24.30). Hempstead (3:18.58) is the top seed.
GIRLS
Pole vault - Gonzales' Ari Ince is the two-time defending state champion and holds the Class 3A record after clearing 12-6 last year. Ince qualified by clearing 11-0. Rockdale's Leslie Starnes, who finished second last year, is also back this year.
Discus - Palacios' Stephanie Camp returns to state as the fifth seed after throwing 129-5 at the regional meet. Camp fouled on her first three attempts last year. Cameron Yoe's Charlissa Foster, who won the gold last year, is the top seed with a throw of 144-9. Silver medalist Memrie Ferguson of Gladewater is back along with Longview Spring Hill's Leslie Jordan and Sweetwater's Tracy Cowin.
Shot put - Yoakum's Lena Markert threw 37-5 to finish seventh last year but threw 40-1 at regional this year. Cameron Yoe's Charlissa Foster, who finished third last year, is back along with Kaufman's Jasmine Hughey, who is the top seed with a throw of 43-3, and Longview Spring Hill's Leslie Jordan.