Blunt headlines strong 3,200 meters 

By John Sullivan for DyeStat

KEEP AN EYE ON. . . . . .

Boys 3200 Meter Run (Friday night)

Frisco Independence sr Carter Blunt moved to all-time TX#16 3200/2-Mile with his 8:57.01 win here last year, the 21st Texan under 9:00.  The UCLA-signee earned State 5A XC gold for the second time last fall, but due to a subsequent injury was unable to follow-up on 2014 strong runs at both NXN and Foot Locker Nationals.  The Woodlands sr Daniel Golden claimed the State 6A XC title and led his team to NXN 6th.  He heads a strong contingent of Highlanders who ran an impressive intra-squad 6-lapper last Thursday (in place of the cancelled Wacky Races) with 5 boys cruising through 1600 at 4:32-4:34 and coming home around 7:45.  Colleyville Heritage sr David Strome was 3rd in State 6A XC (behind Golden and teammate Noah Wells), 1st in 2014, and is looking to make his mark on the oval.  Whiteboro sr Nic Butts ran US#3/TX#1 9:08.66 at Lovejoy two weeks ago and is the State 3A XC champ.  Other contenders include SL Carroll jr Charlie Gardner (4th at NXN South), Jenks OK jr Matt Young (OK State 6A XC 2nd), Dallas Jesuit jr Connor O’Neill (State 6A XC 6th), and Keller sr Carter Persyn (State 6A XC 7th).  Missing is SL Carroll jr Reed Brown, State 6A 3200 2nd in TX#25 and TX soph record 9:00.82 last year.  He’s coming off a Mile win at New Balance Indoor Nationals last weekend and may only run the 800 here – if at all.

Boys Shot Put

The Woodlands jr Adrian “Tripp” Piperi has been lighting up the ring, striking gold as a soph at State 6A and then the World Youth Games in Cali, Columbia. This year he’s bumped his PR to 70-1 at College Park to lead the country, moving to all-time TX#6 and US#23 – and all-time Junior class TX#2 and US#5.  Red Oak sr Kevin Steward is US#16 for the current season with his 58-2.25 SFA Milner winner and PRed at 59-4 to take the 2015 State 5A title.  Bullard sr Jake Allen popped a 57-4 this year.  Piperi will also be looking to top the discus field.

See “Tripp Tracker” below:

USA All-Time High School Shot Put List over 70-feet 

23. 70-01.00     Adrian Piperi, TX, 2016

USA All-Time High School Junior-class Shot Put List over 70-feet

1.  75-10.25     Nick Vena, NJ, 2011

2.  74-10.50     Arnold Campbell, LA, 1984

3.  71-03.50     Michael Carter, TX, 1979

4.  71-01.50     Kevin Bookout, OK, 2001

5.  70-01.00     Adrian Piperi, TX, 2016

6.  70-00.00     Bronson Osborn, CA, 2016

TEXAS All-Time High School Shot Put List over 70-feet

1.  81-03.50     Michael Carter, Jefferson HS, Dallas, 1979

2.  75-04.75     Hayden Baillio, Whiteboro HS, Whiteboro, 2009

3.  72-06.25     Stephen Saenz, Rio Grande City HS, Rio Grande City, 2009

4.  72-03.25     Sam Walker, Samuell HS, Dallas, 1968

5.  71-02.00     Roger Roesler, Round Rock HS, Round Rock, 1996

6.  70-01.00     Adrian Piperi, The Woodlands HS, The Woodlands, 2016

TEXAS All-Time High School Junior-class Shot Put List over 70-feet

1.  71-01.75     Michael Carter, Jefferson HS, Dallas, 1978

2.  70-01.00     Adrian Piperi, The Woodlands HS, The Woodlands, 2016

Girls 100 Hurdles

Texas-signee DeSoto sr Alexis Duncan zipped 13.25w (+2.3) all-time/all conditions US#15 G-100H to  successfully defend her State 6A title last year along with 300H gold.  She’ll be tested by Arlington Seguin sr Tonea Marshall who claimed State 5A in 13.55 (+1.5).  Mansield Summit sr Ivy Walker will be in the mix.

Boys 400

Arlington Martin sr Keshun Reed won State 6A in 45.75 (all-time US#26, all-time US#4 junior). His challengers include Skyline sr Jostyn Andrews (46.97 US#4 at Arlington Lamar Relays) and Grace Prep sr Ryan Champlin (2nd to Andrews in 47.70 US#9).

Girls 400

McKinney Boyd sr Aaliyah Miller is a multi-time State champ (junior 400 & 800, soph 800 & 1600) and has qualified in two events each year (frosh 800 silver, 400 7th).  She won the inaugural Texas Meet of Champions 800 last year in all-time TX#3-US#67 2:05.94 and will run a strong 400 here.  Timber Creek sr Jhane’ King was 2nd at State 6A and Region (life-time best 54.95) to Miller and will be joining her at Baylor next season.  McKinney soph Bailey Lear was 3rd in State 5A last year and notched a 55.48 PR recently at her home meet. 

Boys 800

Midland sr Bryce Hoppel earned 2015 State 6A silver and leads the country this season with his 1:51.67 at West Texas Relays.  His main competitors should be Martin jr Cade Bethmann, Strake Jesuit jr Jason Bugg, and New Balance Indoor Nationals Mile champ SL Carroll jr Reed Brown (if he runs).

Boys 100

The storyline is a rematch of the blazing Coppell Cowboy Relays which featured Berkner jr Austin Carbone clocking US#3 10.50 (nwi) to nip Plano West sr Jackson Webb US#5 10.51 and Richardson sr Khalil Lacy US#6 10.52.  Additionally, hot hand-times were recorded by Mesquite sr Bryan Henderson at the Colony Invite in 10.3h and Frisco Heritage sr Kene Nwangwu at Frisco in 10.5h. 

It will be difficult to make the Finals, which should be a scorcher.

Boys Pole Vault

Grapevine jr Peyon Weissman has PRed by 21 inches this season, clearing US#2 16-6 at Coppell. 

Similarly, The Woodlands sr Brandon Stokes has improved this year and made US#5 16-0 at his home meet.  Rockwall jr Noah Sewell will be in the hunt based on his 15-6 season best.

Girls Discus Throw

Ellison sr Jannia Price is the US#8 returner from 2015 (153-5 State 6A 2nd) and is sits at US#4 this year at 146-8.

Girls Relays

Strong and deep!

Boys Relays

Strong and deep!