Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Jefferson earns IV-4A state berth in shot put

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Saturday, April 29, 2000

Jefferson earns IV-4A state berth in shot put

By Javier Becerra
Caller-Times

John Kennedy/Caller-Times

Beeville senior Lamecca Jefferson earned a trip to the state championships May 12-13 with a throw of 39 feet, 11 1/2 inches - a new school record - in the shot put.

SAN ANTONIO - Lamecca Jefferson's career as a shot put thrower has lasted all of a year.
   Despite being a newcomer to the event, the Beeville High School senior earned a trip to the state championships May 12-13 with a first-place toss in the Region IV-4A track and field meet Friday afternoon at Alamo Stadium.
   Jefferson's winning throw of 39 feet, 111/2 inches broke the previous school record of 39-9 set by her mother Connie in 1976 - a feat Jefferson has been tryin to accomplish since first picking up a shot.
   "That's what I've been trying to do," said Jefferson, whose winning throw came on her second attempt in the finals. "It seems like I've been trying a long time."
   Belton's Maxine James finished second with a throw of 38-21/2, just one inch better than third-place finisher Lilia Rivera of Fredericksburg.
   Jefferson set a personal best when she won the District 30-4A meet with a toss of 38-91/2. Most of Jefferson's competitors had eclipsed the 38-foot barrier earlier in the season.
   "I wasn't really sure what was going to happen," said Jefferson, who also finsihed third place in the discus. "I knew it was going to be hard because some of the girls had already thrown 38. I wasn't sure how I would do."
   Jefferson, who will attend the United States Air Force Academy in the fall on a volleyball scholarship, opened the prelimnary round with a throw of 35-11/2. She improved 2 feet, two inches on her second throw and then unleashed a put of 38-71/4 on her third attempt, giving her the best mark entering the finals.
   In the finals, Jefferson threw 36-61/4 on her first attempt before recording her winning throw.
   "I started off kind of slow," Jefferson said. "I improved every time until I hit the one I needed."
   Beeville weight events coach Carol Dakan recruited Jefferson the day before the district meet last season. Jefferson finished fourth and had received enough support from Dakan to return the following year.
   "We basically just drafted her," said Dakan, in her 12th year at Beeville. "We told her she could do it. She practiced one day and decided she could."
   Jefferson said she didn't expect to excel as much as she has, especially for it being her first full season.
   "No way did I expect to do that good," Jefferson said. "I was surprised even when I got first at district. I thought I would finish fourth or fifth."
   A DOUBLE DUTY: Calallen's Matt Mireles qualified for the state meet in both the shot put and discus Friday. The defending Class 4A state shot put champion took first in the discus with a throw of 159-9 and second in the shot with a personal best of 62-10.
   Austin Reagan's Michael Tolbert won the shot on the final throw of the event with a mark of 63-61/4. Beeville's Derek Randall will advance with Mireles in the discus with a second-place throw of 159-5.
   Mireles' winning throw in the discus was more than 13 feet less than his personal best of 172-111/4 this season. Even Randall was off his best throw in Friday's competition. The sophomore recored a mark of 183-7 earlier in the year.
   "It was bad for everybody," Mireles said. "I only won by 4 inches. That's crazy. I can't take that anymore. I'd rather pass out than go through that again."
   Mireles said his timing has been off in the discus since the District 31-4A meet, in which he finished second with an effort of 160-0.
   "I'm glad I have two weeks off before state," Mireles said. "I hope to get my form back before then. If not, I'll just go out and compete as best as I can."
   Mireles appeared to have recovered from recent struggles in the shot put with his performance Friday. The senior opened the event with a throw of 60-feet and improved on each attempt until his put of 62-10, which came on his first throw of the finals.
   The afternoon sun pounded the throwers all day, which Mireles said began to effect him a little near the end of the competition.
   "I've been out all day with the sun burning down, but I still felt good," he said. "I take it all pretty laid back. I just concentrate on my technique and try to pop it out there."
   A CALALLEN'S CONTROL: As usual, the Calallen boys team's dominance in the field events gave the Wildcats the overall team lead with 42 points after the first day.
   Justin Pusley earned a gold medal and 10 points for Calallen with a win in the high jump. Pusley cleared a height of 6-8 on his first attempt to take the title, which also earned him a trip to the state meet. He missed all three attempts at 6-10.
   Calallen jumper David Monroe added another six points with a third-place finish in the high jump with a height of 6-4. Lockhart's Cleveland Sampleton finished second after jumping 6-6.
   Mireles scored 18 points in the shot put and discus and his younger brother Lucas four points in the shot. With Cliff Cunningham placing fourth in the pole vault (13-6) for four points, the Wildcats grabbed a 13-point lead over Fredericksburg. Lockhart was third after the first day with 271/2 points.
   Calallen's lead won't likely last for very long as the Wildcats have just Jon Adams in the 800-meter run and their 1,600-meter relay team in today's running finals.
   FRIDAY'S RESULTS
   Region IV-4A Meet
   Class 4A
   Boys
   Discus - 1, Matt Mireles, Calallen, 159-9; 2, Derek Randall, Beeville, 159-5; 3, Isaac Ybarra, Sharyland, 158-7; 4, Sammy Sanders, Belton, 158-2; 5, Jacob Rodriguez, Flour Bluff, 157-9; 6, John Blake Peel, Smithson Valley, 145-10.
   Shot put - 1, Michael Tolbert, Austin Reagan, 63-6 1/4; 2, M. Mireles, Calallen, 62-10; 3, Juan Crosby, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo, 59-3; 4, Lucas Mireles, Calallen, 53-11 3/4; 5, Aaron Hargorove, Pflugerville-Connally, 53-10 1/2; 6, Eloy Franco, Edcouch-Elsa, 52-7.
   High jump - 1, Justin Pusley, Calallen, 6-8; 2, Cleveland Sampleton, Lockhart, 6-6; 3, David Monroe, Calallen, 6-4; 4, Herbert Patridge, P-C, 6-2; 5, Israel Garcia, Roma, 6-2; 6, Tim Keller, Austin Anderson, 6-2.
   Long jump - 1, Jonte Buhl, P-C, 22-8; 2, Justin Franks, Lockhart, 21-10; 3, Drew Woerner, Fredericksburg, 21-9 1/2; 4, Sam Jones, Del Valle, 21-8; 5, Joey Puente, P-SJ-A, 21-4; 6, Bryant Baker, Fredericksburg, 21-3 1/2.
   Triple jump - 1, Sampleton, Lockhart, 45-4 1/2; 2, Woerner, Fredericksburg, 45-1/4; 3, Travis Gibson, New Braunfels Canyon, 44-6; 4, Quinton Smith, Cedar Park, 44-3; 5, Ervin Dickerson, Beeville, 43-10 3/4; 6, Albert Garza, P-SJ-A, 43-4 1/2.
   Pole vault - 1, Wes Simpson, Marble Falls, 15-0; 2, Matt Weirich, Fredericksburg, 14-6; 3, Chris Weirich, Fredericksburg, 14-0; 4, Cliff Cunningham, Calallen, 13-6; 5, (tie) Paul Turner, Lockhart and Fred Cadena, Roma, 13.
   Girls
   Discus - 1, Amanda Moravits, Boerne, 123-3; 2, Michelle Crimmins, FB, 119-10; 3, Lamecca Jefferson, Beeville, 110-7; 4, Brandy Williams, Del Valle, 108-2; 5, Christa Siebold, New Braunfels Canyon, 108-0; 6, Brittany Tuck, Austin Lake Travis, 105-11.
   Shot put - 1, Jefferson, Beeville, 39-11 1/2; 2, Maxine James, Belton, 38-2 1/2; 3, Lilia Rivera, Fredericksburg, 38-1 1/2; 4, Ashley Harcastle, Belton, 38-1 1/2; 5, La Kesha Greigs, S.A. Sam Houston, 38-1/2; 6, Crystal Lopez, Los Fresnos, 37-11.
   High jump - 1, Jocelyn Stevens, Schertz Clemens, 5-6; 2, Helen Breyfogle, Buda Hays, 5-4; 3, Christyn Schumann, Dripping Springs, 5-4; 4, Shellie Wade, Kerrville-Tivy, 5-2; 5, (tie) Nicole Surman, Rockport-Fulton and Krista Grantham, New Braunfels Canyon, 5-0.
   Long jump - 1, Jessica Spence, P-C, 17-3 3/4; 2, Cahthi Netemeyer, Los Fresnos, 17-5; 3, Amber Everett, P-C, 17-3 3/4; 4, Cody Birk, R-F, 16-9 1/2; 5, Lauren Steven, Schertz Clemens, 16-7; 6, Brittney Foseberg, Smithson Valley, 16-2 1/2.
   Triple jump - 1, La Donna Moore, Austin Reagan, 37-11 1/4; 2, Tokini Benibo, Calallen, 37-2 1/2; 3, Stevens, Schertz Clemens, 37-2 1/2; 4, Tanya Hays, S.A. Sam Houston, 36-11; 5, Netemeyer, Los Fresnos, 36-5; 6, Cayce Smith, R-F, 35-4 3/4.



Staff writer Javier Becerra can be reached at 886-3734 or by e-mail at becerraj@caller.com

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