April 20, 2023

Fourteen student-athletes in the Dripping Springs High School track and field program have qualified for the Region IV-6A Meet after placing in the top four of their respective events at the District 25/26 Area Meet on Wednesday, April 19 at East View High School in Georgetown.

Sophia Farris highlighted the meet for the Tigers by qualifying for regionals in three events and capturing area championships in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles. Farris set a school record in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.428 to break a 15-year-old DSHS standard. In the 300-meter hurdles, she timed 43.36 for the championship sweep. Farris also recorded a fourth-place finish in the long jump with a leap of 17 feet and a quarter inch.

In the pole vault, Ian Jones captured the area title with a height of 14 feet six inches. Mai Zimmerman took home fourth place for the Tigers after clearing 10 feet to also punch a ticket to the region meet.

Ava Williamson claimed first place and set a school record in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet seven inches. In 2022, Williamson was a ninth-place finisher at the UIL 5A State Meet. Tomsen Vickery qualified for regionals following a runner-up finish in the discus with a throw of 159 feet two inches. 

On the track, the girls’ 4x200-meter relay of Arantza Gil, Kaleigh Howell, Ellie Hodsden and Chloe Fredenburg recorded a second-place finish with a school-record time of 1:43.94 to earn a regional berth. The boys’ 4x200 relay team of Gunnar Betts, Garon Duncan, Boston Papp and Nick Tyndall also earned a qualifying spot with a fourth-place finish in 1:30.22.

In the 300-meter hurdles, Gage Groce rounded out the regional qualifiers by finishing first with a time of 38.58.

In the team standings, the girls placed fifth in the 17-team field with 60 points while the boys finished seventh with 37 points. 

The Region IV-6A Meet will be held April 28-29 at Heroes Stadium in San Antonio. 

REGIONAL QUALIFIERS

Girls

Sophia Farris - 100-Meter Hurdles, 300-Meter Hurdles, Long Jump

Ava Williamson - High Jump

Mai Zimmerman - Pole Vault

4x200-Meter Relay (Arantza Gil, Ellie Hodsden, Kaleigh Howell, Chloe Fredenburg)

Boys

Gage Groce - 300-Meter Hurdles

Ian Jones - Pole Vault

Tomsen Vickery - Discus

4x200-Meter Relay (Gunnar Betts, Garon Duncan, Boston Papp, Nick Tyndall)