By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
Comstock’s Junior Sebastian Talamantez took two seconds and the boys 4 x 400 relay team finished fifth in the UIL Class 1A State Track and Field Championships Saturday in Austin.
Talamantez started the day when he earned a silver in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 9:54.75, finishing four seconds behind state champion Ryker Haiala of Cumby Miller Grove and 14 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Brett Macias of Neches. (See story here.)
Later in the evening, Talamantez would pick up his second state runner-up spot of the day, finishing the 1,600 meter in 4:36.90, about two seconds behind state champ Hailala.
“It was a really good race,” said Comstock Track Coach Lee Abbey. “They stayed together in a pack and then Sebastian and Hailala broke from the pack and fought it out until the end.”
The boys’ 4 x 400 relay team of Jerry Ibarra, Edgar Crane, Talamantez and Jordan Allen was a true dark horse, Abbey said.
“I think they are going to surprise some people tonight,” Abbey predicted hours before the race.
When the starter’s gun sounded, they powered around the track and finished the relay in 3:32.40, 14 seconds behind state champion Gordon. While fifth place wasn’t a spot on the award stand the team wanted, it was still better than most projected.
“I was happy for the school to get a relay team to the state meet,” Abbey said. “I know the boys really wanted it. They gave it all they had, and that’s all a coach can ask for. ”
Abbey said he was very pleased with the entire track team’s performance this season. “The 4 x 400 relay team won every meet they were in up until the regional meet in Seguin. We had some real good athletes on the boys and girls side. Getting to that State Meet is something that only few get to experience in Texas. I”m just proud of everything they accomplished.”
The writer can be reached at JoelaLangton@gmail.com.
