Record breaker: Mustangs’ Granados sets meet record, wins second regional title

SAN ANTONIO —Prior to the start of the Class 5A 1,600-meter run, McAllen Memorial’s Ayden Granados wrote “4:14” on his left forearm.

The time represented the regional meet record of 4 minutes, 14.99 seconds set by Boerne’s Travis Barclay in 2011 and thus Granados’ goal for the race.

Clocking it at roughly 3 minutes 12 seconds going into the final lap, Granados turned on the burners, overtaking Georgetown’s Joseph Wienen and Leander’s Jace Poole, leaving no one in his way of the gold and the record.

Granados lifted his arms and shouted as he crossed the finish line, clocking in at 4:11.69 to break the 11-year Region IV-5A meet record and win his second regional title during the Region IV-5A and 6A track and field championships Saturday at Heroes Stadium.

“I have no idea how I did that,” Granados said. “I wrote the 4:14 here (on my arm). I just told myself let’s get it. That was the main goal. My coach told me not to go for a record. We could do that at state. But he told me if everything leading up to it went right to just go for it. On the third lap, I felt everybody behind me, so I just took off. Sure enough, I hit a 4:11.”

Granados deployed a familiar strategy as his last few races during the event, sticking with the pack before making his move during the final laps. The tactic has paid dividends for the junior distance runner, winning his sixth straight race in each the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs this weekend.

He is set to compete during both events at the UIL’s state track and field championships in two weeks.

“Before championship season, it was about going out there and see what you can do,” Granados said. “Once we hit championship season, it became out sitting and kicking it in the end. I think this year has been about me learning to be more tactical.

“I’m ready to go out there, have fun and win. I want to go out and bring some titles back to the Valley.”

Granados was one of three individuals to secure outright state bids during Day 2 of the regional meet. The top two finishers in each event earn spots at state.

Edinburg North’s San Juanita Leal finished second in the Class 6A 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:57. Cedar Park Vista Ridge’s Emma Rodriguez took home the gold with a time of 4:55.65.

PSJA North’s Hector Solis muscled past San Antonio Johnson’s Tate Underwood at the finish line to take the silver during the Class 6A boys 1,600-meter run. Solis finished with a time 0f 4:12.88, with Underwood clocking in at 4:13.00. Austin Vandegrift’s Kevin Sanchez won the event with a time of 4:11.55.

Leal and Solis join Granados as two-event competitors for the state meet, both earning spots in the 3,200-meter run Friday. All three are set to make their first state meet appearances, with Solis snapping a streak of four years without advancing.

“When you go up against guys like Kevin (Sanchez) and Tate Underwood, they really put the pressure on from 0 to 100,” Solis said. “I was under the impression that I was going to make it out in a comfortable fashion. That was my original state of mind coming into the last 200. Then I heard a pair of cleats behind me. I just knew it was going to come down to the last 50 meters. My mindset was you just can’t lose and be shutout anymore.”

Other athletes remain in the hunt for spots at the state meet, with the UIL selecting one additional qualifier from each class in every event to compete as a wildcard.

Harlingen High’s Faith Franklin made a strong case for a wildcard bid during the Class 6A 100- and 200-meter dashes, taking home the bronze in both events. Franklin recorded a time of 12.13 in the 100-meter dash, while finishing the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.31.

Sharyland High’s Lisandro Lopez also earned a pair of bronze medals to keep him in the running for a wildcard bid. Lopez finished behind Buda Johnson’s Joshua Blalock (39.16) in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 39.46. He narrowly missed out on the silver in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.97, just .03 seconds behind Corpus Christi Moody’s Clarence McGill (14.94).

“I’m happy but I also feel like I could have done better,” Lopez said. “I hit a lot of hurdles, but I just kept on going, trying to go faster. I could have done better with my teammate, but no matter what happens it’s been a good season.”

Other possible wildcard options include McAllen Memorial’s Sebastian Salinas and La Joya Palmview’s Destiny Quintanilla. Salinas finished in third during the Class 5A boys 800-meter run, while Quintanilla picked up her second bronze medal of the meet, coming in third during the Class 5A boys 1,600-meter run.

McAllen High’s boys and girls 4×400-meter relay teams each capture the bronze in their respective finals.

The University Interscholastic League’s state track and field championships are set for May 12-14 at Mike A. Meyers Stadium in Austin.

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