New Deal girls, Slaton boys win Abernathy's A-Town Relays: Results, takeaways

ABERNATHY — With district track and field meets less than two weeks away, teams from around the South Plains descended upon Antelope Stadium for the A-Town Relays on Friday.

The New Deal girls and Slaton boys took home the team titles, each winning at least one relay race.

Isaias Gallegos, Slaton boys relays chasing high bar

How does one follow history? Slaton is soon to find out.

The Tigers earned the boys program's first state medal last season with a runner-up finish in the 800-meter relay. Slaton also qualified in the 400 relay, finishing fifth.

Half of the silver-medal relay is back, but the half that graduated included anchor and 200-meter state qualifier Ethan Anzley.

The Tigers got a glimpse Friday of what this year's group can do. Even if their coach felt they should've been disqualified.

Slaton's Isaias Gallegos, Zamion Davila, Xzavion Whaley and Z'Qedrian Whaley finished first in the 400 relay in 43.90 seconds. Tigers coach Ryun Martinez said officials missed an exchange-zone violation on the final leg.

"I felt like we got lucky," Martinez said. "In my eyes, I think that was a DQ. … I told the kids, 'Hey, that one y'all got away with.' But in my eyes, that's second place or a DQ."

The Whaley brothers, Thomas Cardenas and Collin Simmons teamed to win the 800 relay, and Gallegos won the 100 (10.60) and 200 (22.15) to power Slaton. The Tigers (132 points) beat out New Deal (123½) and Roosevelt (122).

It was a personal-record 100 for Gallegos, who also placed third in the triple jump. He said as a senior he's accepted a leadership role, especially in bringing along the freshman Z'Qedrian Whaley. Friday was the first time those four had run together.

Gallegos said a return trip to state is the goal.

"(State) changed our mindset a lot, really," he said. "We want to compete at the best level we can. We always try to compete to be the best in region or best in state. I know it's going to take a lot. It's not that easy to make it to state."

New Deal's Macie Burkhead ties personal best

Macie Burkhead didn't have her best day at the area meet last year. Since then she's been working to make up for it.

The New Deal sophomore threw a PR 35 feet, 5½ inches to win the shot put Friday. It was her second shot-put win of the season, two weeks after placing second at the Lions' home meet.

Burkhead earned the district title in shot put and place second in the discus last year before bowing out at area.

"Learning gliding and full-spinning has been a little bit of a challenge here and there," Burkhead said. "But I think it's gonna help in the long run. When I get it down, I'm gonna get (my throws) there and it's gonna be good."

The shot put was one of six event wins for the New Deal girls. That included the 1,600 relay to close the day. The Lions placed second to New Home in the other two relays.

New Deal totaled 192 points, followed by New Home (166) and Abernathy (102).

Ropes freshman Kaden Riker throwing like an upperclassman

Kaden Riker showed a natural ability when he started throwing discus. He credits coaching along the way, and now the Ropes freshman is competing with the big boys.

Riker is thriving, too. In his first varsity meet Friday, he won the discus with a launch of 127-2.

"I started after Christmas, seventh grade," Riker said. "Ever since then, I guess I've just kept getting better. Hard work pays off after a lot of repetitions. … I have long arms, and that helps a lot with discus."

Riker said he spent a lot of his spring break working on his craft. That resulted in about a 20-foot increase to his PR in Abernathy. He wants to reach the regional meet and throw 140 before his debut season is over.

"I hope to throw farther every meet," Riker said. "It's me versus myself."

Abernathy A-Town Relays

BOYS

Team standings: 1. Slaton 132; 2. New Deal 123½; 3. Roosevelt 122; 4. New Home 70; 5. Abernathy 68½; 6. Ropes 64; 7. Floydada 38.

GIRLS

Team standings: 1. New Deal 192; 2. New Home 166; 3. Abernathy 102; 4. Roosevelt 68⅔; 5. Slaton 54; 6. Ropes 16; 7. Floydada 11⅓; 8. Claude 10.

Individual results to be updated.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Abernathy A-Town Relays results, takeaways: New Deal, Slaton teams win