Tiger track team faces stiff competition in Tech Classic
By Melissa McCaghren
Slatonite GM
Several members of the Slaton High School track team competed in the Texas Tech Under Armour High School Classic Saturday (Jan. 25) at Texas Tech’s Sports Performance Center.
Although no one advanced to the finals, Coach Jacob Dangerfield, in his first year at Slaton ISD as the head track coach, said he was impressed with how well the athletes competed.
“The Texas Tech (meet) was just a good experience for all of the kids involved. From what I could tell they enjoyed their top notch facilities and excellent competition,” he said. “Us coaches had to remind all of them that it is just January and most people do not think about track until mid February.”
The races lengths were a bit different due to the nature of the indoor track meet.
Results for the meet were:
Toby Crabb ran the 400 meter dash in 58.81.
Jacorien Doss ran the 60 meter race in 7.66.
Damion Tagle ran the 200 meter dash in 24.52 and the 400 meter dash in 54.38.
Christopher Rader ran the 60 meter dash in 7.51 and the 400 meter race in 53.14.
Zephron Ortiz ran the 200 meter dash in 23.30 and the 60 meter in 7.41.
Elijah Culver ran the 3,000 meter run in 12:32.58. Also the 1,600 meter run in 5:59.95.
Zack Gonzales ran the 800 meter race in 2:21.60 and the 1,600 in 5:23.89.
Eddie Betancourt ran the 200 meter dash in 25.89.
The 4-by-400 meter relay team of Ortiz, Rader, Tagle and Doss ran their race in 3:46.30.
Dangerfield said there was a lot to look forward to this season. “We should have many talented kids to watch this year. Of course you have Zephron Ortiz but others like Christopher Rader, Damion Tagle and a few others are looking motivated to have great seasons this year too,” he said, adding that a majority of the athletes who run track are still participating in their other sports. “The practices we have been putting the kids through so far have been going great and we have lots of room for improvement, which we will.”
The school’s first official track meet will be Feb. 27 in Big Spring. Dangerfield said this is when they will have all track participants, which will help him see the team as a whole.
This will help him for the rest of the season. “I would like to continue and further the extraordinary track tradition,” he said. “With my great coaching staff and great kids, we hope to not just bring medals home from the State track meet this year, but develop the kids into great young men.”
