Wood County schools were well-represented at the District 13-3A Track and Field Championships held last week at Meredith Memorial Stadium. 

Winnsboro captured the varsity boys crown with Quitman in a close second-place finish. Mineola finished sixth in the field. 

The Lady Jackets, however, comfortably took the district championship with a 70-point win over second-place Harmony. The Lady Bulldogs of Quitman finished third.

Quitman’s run at a boys track title leaned heavily on their distance runners. Dakota Jimenez won the 800-meter run with a time of 1:57.79. Jimenez placed second in the 1600-meter run, while teammate Christian Plata registered third place finishes in the 800-meter and 3200-meter runs. 

Hurdler Bryson Hobbs buoyed Quitman’s score by claiming the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.313. Hobbs also finished second in the high jump. Other top-three finishes by Quitman athletes included Carter Smith (second in the 400-meter dash and third in the long jump) and Braxton Birchfield (third in the 300-meter hurdles). The 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay teams finished third. 

The Yellowjackets got off to a good start with the field events last Wednesday. Chance Williams vaulted 12’3” to take the pole vault event. Teammate James Goodson finished third.

Moses Medelin and Trey Rushing recorded second-place throws in the shot put and discus, respectively. Zane Strange leapt to a third-place finish in the high jump. 

The only top-three finishes by Yellowjacket runners were a second and third place finish in the 110-meter hurdles by Caden Rupert and Chance Williams. 

Mineola’s girls team used point contributions from practically every event to secure victory. They recorded 16 top-three finishes. 

Of particular note, Zion Olajide, Callie Black and Makena Quiambao swept the top three spots in the discus. Olajide threw 91 feet, with both of her teammates challenging that throw. 

Caroline Castleberry set a Mineola school record by posting a 47.819 time in the 300-meter hurdles. That performance secured her a blue ribbon. She also placed second in the 100-meter hurdles. 

Raylie Peebles won the 800-meter run with a time of 2:23.98. Mineola took the 4x200-meter (Stephanie Rojas, Jaylee Nevarez, Abbie Dobbs, Carmen Carrasco) and 4x400-meter (Raylie Peebles, Olivia Hughes, Carmen Carrasco, Caroline Castleberry) relays.   

Other top-three finishers for Mineola included Carmen Carrasco and Stephanie Rojas (200-meter dash), Olivia Hughes (400-meter dash), Yareli Hernandez (3200-meter run), Mahayla McMahon (high jump) and the 4x100-meter relay team. 

Quitman’s third-place girls team effort benefitted from the work of Katie DeGorostiza who won the 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs with times of 5:43.17 and 13:17.33, respectively. Teammates Braleigh Wood and McKenna Wood finished second and third in the 1600-meter, while Braleigh also picked up a second place in the 3200-meter.

Abigail Day and Sadie Vander Schaaf walked away with first place ribbons in the shot put and high jump. Cooper Marcee contributed by placing in the 300-meter hurdles and pole vault.

Fourth place finishers for Quitman and Mineola also merit advancing to the area meet. They included Carter Smith (200m), Dylan Eppers (400m), Colden Wilson (110m hurdles), Austin Jones (shot), Cooper Marcee (100m hurdles), Annabelle Popek (discus), Madison Jones (high jump), River Strange (pole vault), Clara Marlow (100m), Olivia Hughes (800m), Briana Palacios (1600m and 3200m), Abbie Dobbs (long jump and triple jump), Milo Reed (pole vault), Shyli Rushing (shot put),  the Quitman girls 4x100m and 4x400m relays and the Quitman boys 4x200m relay.

Mineola junior varsity squads each won their respective divisions. Quitman finished second in the JV girls division and third in the JV boys division.