Mineola athletes came up just shy in their efforts to secure district track titles last week at the district 15-3A meet at Eustace High School. The Yellowjackets finished second to the Malakoff squad while the Lady Jackets placed second to the host Eustace Lady Bulldogs.

As a team, the Quitman Bulldogs finished in sixth place, and the Lady Bulldogs secured a fourth-place finish. Seven schools compete in district 15-3A: Edgewood, Eustace, Grand Saline, Malakoff, Mineola, Quitman and Winona.   

There were plenty of stand-out performances from Mineola and Quitman athletes.  

Quitman’s Bryson Hobbs won the long jump with a leap of 21’8”, and took the top spot in the triple jump by travelling 43’.25”.

Lady Jacket Tierany Neighbors won the pole vault with a vault of 13’ and the triple jump with a mark of 35’.5”.

Lady Bulldog distance runner Katie DeGorostiza captured the 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs in times of 5:31.14 and 11:49.84, respectively.

Other first place finishers for Mineola were Trey Rushing in the shot put (43’9.5”), Kipton Neighbors in the pole vault (13’6”), Stephanie Rojas in the 200-meter dash (27.6), Raylie Peebles in the 800-meter run (2:23.74), Shyli Rushing in the shot put (35’6.25”), and the Lady Jackets 4x400 relay team of Amera Caldwell, Adelyn Steward, Raylie Peebles and Olivia Hughes (4:11.81).

Quitman’s Sadie Vander Schaaf claimed the blue ribbon in the high jump, clearing 5’.

Additional Mineola athletes who earned a trip to the area meet April 10 were Caiden Beck and Ainsley Steward (200-meter dash), Caden Rupert (110-meter and 300-meter hurdles, long jump), Trey Rushing (discus), Ainsley Steward (high jump), River Strange and Chance Williams (pole vault), Tierany Neighbors (100-meter dash, long jump, shot put), Raylie Peebles (1600-meter run), Khloe Johnson (100-meter hurdles), Caroline Castleberry (100-meter and 300-meter hurdles), Mahayla McMahon (high jump) and Jaeyla Dennis (long jump, triple jump). All six Mineola relay teams qualified for area competition.  

For Quitman, area qualifiers – in addition to the aforementioned event winners – were Dakota Reynolds (100-meter dash), Jairo Salinas (800-meter run), Bryson Hobbs (110-meter hurdles, high jump), Nehemiah Faulkner (110-meter hurdles), Braleigh Wood (400-meter dash, 800-meter run), Cooper Marcee (300-meter hurdles), Annabelle Hollinquest (discus) and the men’s 4x200-meter relay team.