Ascension saw multiple athletes find the medal stand as the boys’ team finished fifth with 48 points and the Lady Cardinals scoring 46 points for a seventh-place finish.
“The Texas Panhandle weather had us ready for this meet,” Head coach David Sanders said “Despite winds, lightning and rain on Friday and drizzle on Saturday are athletes were never phased. They trusted the process and the work they had all put in. They ran through some setbacks and ended strong. I couldn’t be prouder to coach such gutsy athletes.
Elijah Lara was the highlight of the meet for Ascension Academy. The junior brought home two medals in both hurdle events while setting new records in the process. Lara won gold in the 110-hurdles with a time of 15.11 that was also good enough for a new TAPPS 2A mark.
Lara then earned silver in the 300-hurdles with a time of 41.88.
Teammate Kathleen Bartley achieved a gold medal on Thursday to open the state track meet. Bartley cleared 9-feet-6 inches to break the school record and win the pole vault event. The Ascension Academy girls mile relay team of Lexi Pennington, Gabbie Parker, Audrina Pennington and Mya Velasquez also received hardware getting bronze in the final race of the day with a time of 4:23.76.
During the TAPPS Class 3A events, Hudson Cunningham of San Jacinto Christian Academy was stellar producing a gold and silver medal. Cunningham won the 3200-meter race with a 10:07 and took silver in the 1600-meter clocking a 4:35.11.