WACO, TX — The Lamar Middle School 8th-grade track and field team put on a gritty performance this past Wednesday, March 25, at Paul Tyson Field. Competing in the Waco ISD Relays, the Bearcats clawed their way to a 2nd Place finish in the overall team standings, racking up 100 points.
While Robinson took the top spot with 195 points, Lamar successfully held off Tennyson, who finished 3rd with 72 points. The Bearcats used a balanced attack of distance endurance, explosive relay speed, and dominant field event marks to secure their podium spot.
Field Events & Relays Lead the Way
The Bearcats found significant success in the pits and at the high jump bar. Liam Izunza provided the highlight of the day, securing a 1st Place finish in the Triple Jump with a leap of 36'1. He was joined on the gold-medal hunt by Damian Mitchell-Ferris, who earned 2nd Place in both the Long Jump (18'7 ½) and the High Jump (5'2).
In the throwing rings, Noah Bolivar tossed his way to a 2nd Place finish in the Shot Put with a distance of 39'0 ½, leading a strong contingent of Lamar throwers who all placed in the top six.
On the track, the 4x400 Relay team (Raymond Velasquez, Liam Izunza, Damian Mitchell-Ferris, and Amel Salgado) capped the night with a thrilling 2nd Place finish, clocking in at 4:01.72.
Recognizing the Medalists
The following athletes earned a spot on the podium (Top 3) for their respective events:
Liam Izunza: 1st Place – Triple Jump (36'1)
Raymond Velasquez: 2nd Place – 400 Meters (1:01.27)
Noah Bolivar: 2nd Place – Shot Put (39'0 ½)
Damian Mitchell-Ferris: 2nd Place – Long Jump (18'7 ½); 2nd Place – High Jump (5'2)
4x400 Relay: 2nd Place – 4:01.72 (Velasquez, Izunza, Mitchell-Ferris, Salgado)
4x200 Relay: 3rd Place – 1:43.72 (Waller, Mitchell-Ferris, Izunza, Taylor)
Full Participant Results
Distance & Hurdles
2400 Meters: Raymond Velasquez (5th, 9:48.94), Matheo Chavana (6th, 10:14.88), Jacob Ellinger (8th, 11:28.97).
1600 Meters: Matheo Chavana (7th, 6:22.21), Jacob Ellinger (11th, 6:49.78).
800 Meters: Tristen Williams (12th, 3:03.51), Zachary Beatty (13th, 3:12.65), Andreas Reigle (14th, 3:18.34).
110 Hurdles: Riley Davis (5th, 21.39), Brayden Tobe (12th, 22.87).
300 Hurdles: Riley Davis (4th, 50.94), Brayden Tobe (11th, 55.55).
Sprints & Middle Distance
100 Meters: Harlem Taylor (9th, 12.94), Rogelio Flores Mojica (12th, 13.53), Anthony Martin (14th, 15.76).
200 Meters: Riley Davis (8th, 26.85), Rogelio Flores Mojica (9th, 27.02), Truewin Waller (10th, 27.61).
400 Meters: Raymond Velasquez (2nd, 1:01.27), Amel Salgado (5th, 1:02.27), Zachary Beatty (14th, 1:16.95).
Relays
4x100 Relay: 4th Place (49.09) – Truewin Waller, Damian Mitchell-Ferris, Liam Izunza, Harlem Taylor.
4x200 Relay: 3rd Place (1:43.72) – Truewin Waller, Damian Mitchell-Ferris, Liam Izunza, Harlem Taylor.
4x400 Relay: 2nd Place (4:01.72) – Raymond Velasquez, Liam Izunza, Damian Mitchell-Ferris, Amel Salgado.
Field Events
Long Jump: Damian Mitchell-Ferris (2nd, 18’7 ½), Liam Izunza (6th, 17’7 ½), Truewin Waller (12th, 15’9).
Triple Jump: Liam Izunza (1st, 36’1), Truewin Waller (4th, 33’5), Brayden Tobe (7th, 31’5).
Shot Put: Noah Bolivar (2nd, 39’0 ½), Anthony Martin (4th, 36’6 ¾), Martin Partida (6th, 35’1).
High Jump: Damian Mitchell-Ferris (2nd, 5’2), Truewin Waller (6th, 5’0), Brayden Tobe (8th, 4’6).
Looking Ahead
The Bearcats will look to carry this momentum into the Central Texas District Divisional Meet on April 1st. The meet will be held at Wildcat Stadium in Temple, where the stakes are high: the top four finishers in each event will earn a ticket to the Central Texas District Track & Field Championships.
