The Wimberley High School boys’ track and field team won the overall team title and the girls team finished second at the 4A-Region IV track meet on April 29-30 at Texas A&M-Kingsville.
“Last year, I said I never thought we’d be in the position to win a regional championship as a team,” Track Coach Josh DeMarco said. “It was such a sweet victory last year. To go back and do everything again – to win district, win area, win regionals… We lost some significant pieces from our track team last year and these dudes have not missed a beat. It is pretty refreshing as a coach to see it getting to a situation where our kids are answering the call the year after someone else left such big shoes to fill.”
The top-two finishers in each event qualified to compete at the UIL State track meet, to be at the University of Texas at Austin on May 12. In all, nine event entries qualified for the state meet from WHS.
Juan Olmedo-Barraco qualified for the finals of the 400-meter dash individually finishing with the third best time; however, he chose not to run the race. He saw the bigger picture.
“He approached me about moving to the 4x200 (relay,)” DeMarco said. “I just think he looked at what was best for the team moving forward into state. I put the decision in his court. He’s a senior. If he decides to scratch that event, there isn’t a next year, but he did it for the team. That is the kind of kid he is. He is selfless. He thought he’d be the deciding factor to put our 4x200 over the edge into state.”
The boys’ 4x200-meter relay team of Canyun Staton, Ryan Shaw, Olmedo-Barraco and Nathan Brooks finished in first place. The same crew with Landon Gary subbed in for Shaw ran the 4x400-meter relay and lowered their own school record by three-quarters of a second.
“They are peaking at the right time,” DeMarco said.
In addition, Staton, who runs on both relays, qualified individually in the 200-meter dash. In field events, senior Moses Wray finished second in the shot put to advance and junior Gabe Wray won the triple jump event. This was only Gabe Wray’s fourth track meet to participate in the triple jump in his career.
“As a freshman, we had high hopes for him,” DeMarco said. “His season was cut short by (the COVID-19 pandemic,) and he stayed remote. We knew he was an athlete, and (when he came back) he started doing long jump drills. We put him on JV the first track meet, and he jumped 21’8”… One triple jumper got hurt, and we were in need of another one. We said, “Let’s try Gabe Wary out, and the first track meet he almost broke the school record.”
Leading the way for the girls’ squad was senior Grace Harney who qualified for the state meet in two events, the 100 meter hurdles and the 300 meter hurdles. A state qualifier last year in the longer event, Harney reset her own school record in finishing second at regionals. Junior Emily Thames, a state bronze medalist in the long jump last year, qualified again this year by finishing second at regionals. In pole vault, senior Elise Brown finished 3rd, but qualified for state as a “Wild Card.” Athletes not placing in the top-two can qualify if they produce the best overall time, mark, or height out of all non-automatic qualifiers from all the 4A regional meets.
Below are the varsity individuals and relay teams that have qualified for the state meet.
4x200 Meter Relay - Boys
1st - Wimberley - 1:28.83 (Canyun Staton, Ryan Shaw, Juan Olmedo-Barraco, Nathan Brooks)
4x400 Meter Relay - Boys
1st - Wimberley - 3:19.01 (Canyun Staton, Nathan Brooks, Landon Gary, Juan Olmedo-Barraco)
*SCHOOL RECORD*
200 Meters - Boys
2nd - Canyun Staton - 22.15
100 Meter Hurdles - Girls
1st - Grace Harney - 15.68
300 Meter Hurdles - Girls
2nd - Grace Harney - 45.70
*SCHOOL RECORD*
Long Jump - Girls
2nd - Emily Thames - 18-0
Triple Jump - Boys
1st - Gabriel Wray - 46-6
Pole Vault - Girls
3rd - Elise Brown - 11-9
Shot Put - Boys
2nd - Moses Wray - 55-1.5
