PHARR — Sharyland Pioneer’s Trevor Huddleston, Evan Thompson and Cole Woydziak set a goal of sweeping the top three spots at the podium sometime this season.
Through eight meets this year, the Diamondbacks’ trio came close twice, with Huddleston missing out on a spot on the podium during the Edinburg CISD Cat Relays and Woydziak placing fourth at the Rio Grande City Rey Ramirez Relays.
The Diamondbacks’ trifecta completed the sweep Monday, claiming the top 3 spots in the shot put during the District 31-5A meet at PSJA Stadium.
“We were looking to get a PR and move on to the area meet,” Thompson said. “I’m proud of our guys, though. When they first came in, our goal was to get a clean sweep. It’s been a struggle the past few meets. But this meet, we finally got over the hump. We’re just happy to do it.”
Sharyland Pioneer’s sweep was highlighted by Thompson, who took the gold with a personal best throw of 54 feet, 2 inches. The junior thrower’s mark ranks No. 1 in Region IV-5A according to Athletic.net.
Huddleston earned the silver with a throw of 46-01.75, with Woydziak finishing third with a mark of 45-03.75. McAllen Memorial’s Marco De Ochoa also earned a spot at next week’s area 31/32-5A meet, recording a throw of 44-09 to finish fourth.
The District 31-5A meet is set to continue at 6 p.m. Wednesday with the running event finals. The top four finishers from each event advance to the area meet.
TRIPLE CROWN
PSJA Memorial’s Rolando Maldonado went 3-of-3 during his events Monday, earning individual district championships in the high jump, long jump and triple jump.
“To be honest, I was reaching more for PRs than district titles,” Maldonado said. “But I feel really good. It’s all worth it. All the effort I put, the blood, sweat and tears. It was all worth it today.”
The senior jumper cleared 6 feet, 2 inches during the high jump to earn gold, topping McAllen Rowe’s Jesus Moreno (6-00) and McAllen High’s Nicholas Karam (6-00).
Immediately after winning the high jump, Maldonado hopped into the long jump, flying to the top with a jump of 21-04.5, nearly one foot further than McAllen Rowe’s Andres Espinoza, who finished second with a mark of 20-05.25.
Maldonado also earned the gold during the triple jump with a mark of 42-06.25. Sharyland High’s Darrel Perkins finished second (41-09.75), with McAllen High’s Erasmo Alvarado (40-09.25) earning the bronze.
QUEEN OF THE SOUT(WEST)
PSJA Southwest’s Ana Rodriguez dominated the girls throwing events Monday, taking the gold during the shot put and discus.
Rodriguez set a new personal best during the discus throw, recording a mark of 130-07, which ranks No. 3 in Region IV-5A according to Athletic.net.
The senior added more hardware during the shot put, tallying a 36-09.5 mark for the gold. McAllen High’s Yaresi Ozuna (34-10.5), Celina Saenz (33-10.5) and Lauryn Menchaca came in second, third and fourth, respectively.
RAISING THE BAR
The boys pole vault became a one-man show Monday, with all eyes on Sharyland Pioneer’s Rosendo Melendez.
With no vaulter clearing beyond 12-06, Melendez continued to raise the bar alone, attempting vaults as high as 16-00. The senior pole vaulter failed to clear the 16-00 mark, but still set a new meet and personal record, finishing first with a vault of 15-06.
Melendez’s mark tops the previous meet record set by PSJA Memorial’s Derek Barrios in 2019. Melendez is Region IV-5A’s second-best pole vaulter according to Athletic.net, trailing only Gregory Portland’s Jacob Thomas (16-03).
