Gonzales senior ends career as state champion

AUSTIN — It may have taken her four years to get here but standing on the medal stand with a gold medal is exactly where Ericka Hernandez wanted to be during her final competition as a Gonzales Apache.

Hernandez was the lone representative for the Apaches as she competed at the UIL State Track & Field meet in both the Girls Shot Put 4A event and the Girls Discus Throw 4A event. She set two goals for herself, reaching 150 feet in discus and 45 feet in shot put and accomplished one of them at the meet.

On Friday, Hernandez exceeded her goals and reached yet another personal best as she had a gold-medal winning toss of 46-3 ½ in shot put. She bested Charda Tryon from Corpus Christi West Oso High who took second with her toss of 43-4 ¼. Giddings’ Jasmine Kellar took third with her toss of 41-2.

Unfortunately, that would be Hernandez’s only medal as she faulted on Saturday in the discus toss.

She ends her Gonzales high school career with two state titles, both won this school year. Hernandez took first in powerlifting under the 220-plus weight class with her total lift of 1065 pounds.

Nixon-Smiley’s Sam Moore takes fourth

Samuel Moore was Nixon-Smiley’s lone representative at the UIL State Track & Field meet in Austin. He competed in the Boys’ High Jump 3A event on Thursday with his jump of 6-2, good for fourth place.

The senior athlete was bested by Malakoff’s Tyler Russell who had a jump of 6-10, Grandview’s Trenton Wallace who had a jump of 6-9 and Bowie’s Zeke Vaughan who had a jump of 6-4.

Junior Wildcat makes state debut

Tracy Moore made his state meet debut on Saturday as he competed in the Boys’ Long Jump 1A event. Though he was unaffected by the weather delays that occurred that day, Moore took eighth with his distance of 19-3.

Taking the win was Laneville’s Ladarius Arnett who broke the Conference 1A record with his jump of 22-2. Water Valley’s Asher Rogers also broke the record as he took second with his jump of 21-11. The previous record was set in 2013 by Bronte’s Jared Scott who at the time had a distance of 21-6 ¼.