Girls win Regional track, send 10 competitors to State

The Salado Lady Eagles delivered a dominate performance at the Region III-4A Track and Field Championships held May 1–2, capturing the team title in decisive fashion and qualifying a strong roster for the upcoming state meet.
Salado racked up 114 points to easily outdistance runner-up Huffman Hargrave (48) and third-place Katy Freeman (44), showcasing depth, speed, and record-breaking performances across multiple events.

Salado Lady Eagles are 4A Region III Track Champions. Shown above are (front row, from left) Ayvah Smith, Paige Stock, Payton Ortega, Cade Harris, Hayden Griesemer, Jemma Camp; (back row, from left) Coach Nick Zajicek, Coach Justin Edmondson, Malaysia Phillips, Kamree Shaw, Presley Ortega, Kaylee Bragg, Annalee Bryant, McCall Boyd, Coach Corey Baird, Coach Brent Reynolds. (Courtesy Photo).

A total of 10 Lady Eagles earned spots at state, highlighted by two relay teams that rewrote the school record books. The 4×100-meter relay team of Paige Stock (freshman), Kamree Shaw (sophomore), Ayvah Smith (freshman), and Payton Ortega (senior) sprinted to a second-place finish while setting a new school record of 47.35 seconds. Malaysia Phillips (freshman) served as alternate.
In the 4×400-meter relay, the quartet of Paige Stock, Presley Ortega (sophomore), Kaylee Bragg (junior), and Annalee Bryant (sophomore) also placed second and set another school record with a time of 3:55.45. Jemma Camp (freshman) was listed as the alternate.
Sophomore standout McCall Boyd delivered a dominant distance double, claiming regional titles in both the 3200 meters (11:05.34) and the 1600 meters (5:06.0), cementing her status as one of the area’s premier runners.
Annalee Bryant added to her impressive meet with a second-place finish in the 800 meters (2:16.36), while freshman Paige Stock continued her breakout performance by taking second in the 400 meters with a time of 56.7 seconds.
In field events, Kaylee Bragg secured a third-place finish in the high jump, clearing 5 feet, 6 inches to earn a wild card berth to state.
The Lady Eagles also saw several other standout efforts. The 4×200-meter relay team of Ayvah Smith, Malaysia Phillips, Kaylee Bragg, and Payton Ortega placed third while setting a new school record of 1:41.7. Ortega also earned third in the triple jump with a leap of 37 feet, 6.75 inches.
Cade Harris (senior) turned in strong performances, finishing fourth in both the 3200 (11:22) and 1600 (5:14) meters.
Additional contributors included Annalee Bryant, who placed fourth in the pole vault (11-0), Hayden Griesemer (fifth in the 800 meters, 2:21.9), and Sydney Engleking (sixth in the 800 meters, 2:24).
With momentum on their side and a deep roster of talent, the Lady Eagles now turn their focus to the state meet, where they will look to build on an already historic season.