Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Falfurrias' Perez falls by .01 in 3,200 meters

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Saturday, April 29, 2000

Falfurrias' Perez falls by .01 in 3,200 meters

By Mark Zuckerman
Caller-Times

John Kennedy/Caller-Times

Calallen's Matt Mireles unloads his first toss of the discus competition at the Region IV-4A track and field meet Friday in San Antonio. Mirales qualified for state in the shot put and discus events.

KINGSVILLE - With one lap to go in the boys' 3200-meter run at Thursday's Region IV-3A Track and Field Qualifiers, Falfurrias High School's Jacob Perez already knew he was going back to the state championships for a second straight year.
   So Perez set his sights a little higher: overcoming Palacios' John Herlin to win the race.
   "I knew I could catch him when that last lap started," Perez said. "If he's within 10 yards, I feel like I can catch almost anybody. I just came up a little short."
   "A little short" in this case was merely one-hundredth of a second.
   Running neck-and-neck down the stretch, Herlin narrowly beat Perez, but not until track officials closely examined a video replay that confirmed the Palacios runner indeed finished first.
   Herlin's time: 9 minutes, 48.79 seconds.
   Perez's time: 9 minutes, 48.80 seconds.
   Even with the second-place finish, Perez is heading back to Austin, where he admitted to being intimidated a year ago, which he said led to a disappointing time.
   "I learned that lesson," said Perez, who shaved a full 25 seconds from his time in the District 31-3A meet two weeks ago. "The main thing is I was just trying to get back to state. Of course I wanted to win it. Who doesn't? But I'm just thankful for getting a second opportunity."
   Perez was the only area athlete to qualify for state Thursday, which featured seven events. The remaining 18 events, mostly races, take place today at Javelina Stadium.
   Taft's Lindsey Nelson nearly made it to Austin, finishing third in the girls' discus event. Her throw of 134 feet, 4 inches was more than five feet shorter than her attempt at the district meet.
   Karen Honea of Ingram won the event with a 148-foot, 2-inch throw that shattered the previous regional meet record of 142-2, set by former Ingram athlete Brandi Bode in 1995. Port Isabel's Johvonne Hernandez also broke the record with a throw of 143 feet, 9 inches, to finish in second place and earn the final state meet berth.
   "I expected them to throw as well as they did," said Nelson of her competitors. "I just wish I could have thrown to my potential."
   REGION IV-3A TRACK AND FIELD MEET
   At Texas A&M-Kingsville
   Boys
   Shot Put - 1, Justin Crisp, Industrial, 58-5; 2, John Kennedy, Yoakum, 56-1; 3, Kevin Klaerner, Ingram, 54-2 1/2; 4, Robert Luna, SA South San West, 53-9 1/2; 5, Daniel Hillis, Aransas Pass, 52-6 1/2; 6, Joseph Resendez, La Feria, 49-4 1/2.
   High Jump - 1, Ashton Thompson, Industrial, 6-8; 2, Will Littleton, Cuero, 6-6; 3 (tie), Zac Geyer, Somerset, Keith Roberts, Marion, 6-4; 5 (tie), Chris Simmons, Liberty Hill, Jacob Santa Maria, Hidalgo, Robert Nichols, Aransas Pass, 6-2.
   Long Jump - 1, Davon Rogers, Hitchcock, 22-10 1/2; 2, Thomas Norman, Edna, 22-3; 3, Shane Crow, Poteet, 21-10; 4, Aubrey Spencer, Luling, 21-9; 5, Juan Obregon, La Vernia, 21-2 1/2; 6, Michael Gaffney, Bandera, 21-2 1/2.
   3200 - 1, John Herlin, Palacios, 9:48.79; 2, Jacob Perez, Falfurrias, 9:48.80; 3, David Guzman, Luling, 9:59.40; 4, Thomas Fryer, La Vernia, 10:05.79; 5, Juan Garza, Progresso, 10:05.90; 6, Benito Maldonado, Progresso, NT.
   Girls
   Discus - 1, Karen Honea, Ingram, 148-2 (Record, old record 141-2, Brandi Bode, Ingram, 1995); 2, Johvonne Hernandez, Port Isabel, 143-9; 3, Lindsey Nelson, Taft, 134-4; 4, Kyona Deadrick, Palacios, 129-3; 5, Katy Allen, Burnet, 126-7; 6, April Castillo, Raymondville, 121-5.
   Triple Jump - 1, Ychlindria Spears, Luling, 40-6 1/2; 2, Erica Lankford, Luling, 38-5; 3, Lacey Adkisson, Wimberley, 36-7 1/2; 4, Christal Brown, SA South San West, 35-10; 5, Jordana Rode, Llano, 35-2 1/2; 6, Christine Morgan, Pearsall, 34-10 1/2.
   3200 - 1, Lacey Leifeste, Llano, 11:54.95; 2, Stefanie Calhoun, Goliad, 11:57.35; 3, Sarah Barkley, Llano, 12:23.17l 4, Anna Westoff, Industrial, 12:40.42; 5, Tara Bowman, Needville, 12:50.74; 6, Michelle Miles, Marion, 12:53.24.



Staff writer Mark Zuckerman can be reached at 886-3747 or by e-mail at zuckermanm@caller.com

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