Fort Worth runner makes school history at UIL state track and field meet

Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis sophomore Angel Sanchez was running just his sixth 3200 meter run ever, but made school history on Thursday at the UIL state track and field meet.

Sanchez came in second in the Class 4A 3200 meter final at Mike A. Myers Stadium, earning the silver medal, the first track state medalist in DHJ history.

“It’s amazing to be down here. It’s an amazing feeling,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez finished in a time of 9:24.11 and only trailed state champ Hudson Bennett (Burnet, 9:22.86).

“My plan was to go with the pack the first six laps and the final two laps, to go at it,” Sanchez said. “Whatever I had left and that’s what I did.”

Sanchez was in fourth place after the first of eight laps and again midway through the race. But Sanchez got up to second after laps five and six, and then sat in first place by 0.20 seconds entering the final lap.

Sanchez finished the final lap in 1:00.55 while Bennett finished it in 59.10.

“I’m happy with the outcome. I did what I set out to do, to get to the podium and place,” he said. “I’m happy with it.”

Later on Thursday night, Sanchez came back to win the 1600 meter final. It was also history as it was the first gold medal in DHJ track program history.

Sanchez finished in a time of 4:18.86 and got some revenge as he beat out Bennett.

“I was just focusing on the finish line,” Sanchez said. “I just put everything on the line.”

After two laps, he was third. He moved up to second with one lap to go.

“It was one of the happiest moments of my life,” Sanchez said. “It’s amazing. It’s crazy. It still feels like a dream.”

This story was originally published May 12, 2022 at 12:27 PM.