UIL state track notes: Midlothian thrower wins back to back, Grapevine runner wins 3200

Midlothian sophomore Maddie Fey won her second straight UIL Class 5A state title in the discus on Friday. She finished with a throw of 160 feet and 3 inches, nearly 10 feet longer than the silver medalist.

“It’s an amazing feeling to come down to such a nice stadium for a high school track meet,” Fey said. “There is a little bit of pressure [trying to defend]. Everyone is going after the best, but ultimately everyone is trying to better themselves.”

Fey’s older sister, Morgan, won the 5A discus in 2019.

Morgan is now competing at Rice.

Not including the 2020 COVID season, Maddie’s win on Friday makes it three straight 5A discus state titles in the Fey family and with two more years, they look to extend that run to five straight.

Morgan Fey won it while at San Antonio Southwest.

Maddie was at Southwest when she won as a freshman last season. She also got the silver medal in the 5A shot put on Friday.

“I didn’t make it in shot last year so I was really proud of myself to come and medal, and hit a personal record,” Fey said.

3200 winner

Grapevine senior and North Carolina bound distance runner Walker St. John won the Class 5A 3200 state final on Friday. He adds to his medal count, having won the 1600 final last season as well as the 5A cross country state championship in the fall.

St. John won the race in a time of 9:07.78.

He beat the silver medalist by just over a full second.

St. John stood in sixth place after the first two laps. He got up to fifth after the third, fourth and fifth laps. St. John made his move in second with one lap to go and sprinted past silver with a final lap time of 57.35.

“It’s fantastic. I have been running off a lot of confidence this year,” St. John said. “My general race plan was to stay relaxed as much as possible and last lap, turn it up.”

Silver medal

Birdville senior Nick Loibl finished as state runner-up in the Class 5A pole vault final on Friday.

Loibl finished with a mark of 16 feet.

He was nearly knocked out during the second mark of 14 feet 6 inches when he missed on his first two of three attempts, but got it on his final try.

Loibl got 15-6 on his second attempt and 16 feet on his first attempt, but failed to get 16-3.

He was the only athlete from Birdville at state.

Bronze medal

Mansfield junior Nathan Breese got a third place finish in the boys 400 meter wheelchair race with a time of 1:04.93. He also finished fourth in the shot put and 100 meter race.

Breese got back to the state meet after participating last season as a sophomore where he took home three medals.

This story was originally published May 13, 2022 at 5:06 PM.