Cove baseball/track competes for state titles this week

By TJ MAXWELL

Cove Leader-Press

Three Cove baseball teams and a dozens track athletes begin their quest for a state title in their respective sports this week.

The undefeated Copperas Cove Rangers 14-and-under baseball team got their state chase underway last night with an opening round contest against the Groesbeck Mayhugh squad to begin the 11-team Texas Teenage Baseball Association State Tournament held in Groesbeck.

A win for the Rangers would give them a Wednesday matchup at 3:30 p.m.with the sole survivor out of the Bartlett Bulldogs, Brownwood Cubs and Roscoe Astros. A loss would set up a Tuesday matchup against the loser of the Alto/Early Orange clash.

Visit the TTAB website at http://www.texasteenage.org/files.aspx/2017%20Boys%2014U_Groesbeck_State... for updated brackets daily.

The 10U Astros and Red Sox also began their quest for a title as hosts of the 14-team TTAB 10U Tight Base State Tournament at City Park in Copperas Cove.

The Astros also began their quest for state yesterday with a matchup with Coryell County rival Gatesville Muegge Heating and Air at 4 p.m. and the Red Sox got their state bid underway at 6 p.m. against the Whitehouse Warriors.

An Astros win would put them right back in action with an 8 p.m. contest against the winners of Gatesville First Baptist and Kerens. A loss would give them a Tuesday 4 p.m. pairing with the loser of the Gatesville/Kerens matchup.

With a win, the Red Sox would move on to face the survivor of the Mexia Sterling/Teague Skinner clash also at 8 p.m. last night (Monday). A loss would set up a 4 p.m. clash today with the loser of the Mexia/Teague contest.

Visit the Cove Parks and Recreation website at http://teamsideline.com/sites/copperascove/schedule/161965/10U-state-tou... for updated scores and schedules.

Also beginning their quest for state gold are a dozen Cove tracksters at the 2017 Texas Amateur Athletic Federation Summer Games of Texas in McAllen beginning Thursday.

Cove’s Shontez Simmons took first place in two sprint events to qualify for the state meet. He finished first in the 16-and-under 100-meter dash with a time of 11.29 seconds and first in the 200m dash with a time of 22.6. Simmons qualifying time gives him the ninth seed in the 100m dash but Simmons is the third seed in the 200m behind Caleb Boger (21.43) and Stacy Sneed.

Kyle Stifflemire also claimed gold with a 14 feet, 3 inch mark in the 18U pole vault and Amy Pritchard won the 14U won the girls’ high jump with a mark of 5-feet to earn a state berth.

Stifflemire’s 14-3 mark puts him tied for a second-seed with Kyler Friebele (14-3) and behind Randon Gray (14-6).

Pritchard enters tied with four other athletes for second at 5-feet with Kinteza Lee leading the way (5-2). Pritchard is also a 16th seed in the 300m intermediate hurdles.

Zulma Obiedo also swept in the distance events. She finished first in the 16U 3,200m run with a time of 12:50 and also won the 1600m run to qualify for state in both events. She enters as the fourth seed in the 3,200m run. Isabel Borrego holds the top time of 11:39.02. She enters as the seventh seed in the 1,600m run also behind Borrego (5:29.89.

Kameron Jenkins also collected a pair of gold medals on the way to state. He finished first in the 100m dash and 400m dash in the 12U division. He enters state sixth seed in the 400m dash with a time of 1:02.44 behind Zachary Hunter (58.20) and is the 10th seed in the 100m dash with a 13.11 mark. Santana Quinn holds the top time at 12.47 seconds.

Kyra Gaston also qualified in three events. She finished 2nd in the 14U girls’ 800m run with a time of 2:39:41, finished second in the triple jump with a mark of 31-feet-10 and finished fourth in the 400m dash with a time of 1:03.35. She enters fifth in the triple jump, 15th in the 800m run and 18 in the 400m dash.

Kellen Avritt finished second 16U pole vault with a mark of 11-feet-6 and Tim Doyle cleared 11 feet to qualify. Avritt enters as the sixth seed and Doyle enters at 12.

Reginald Mouton ran a sub two-minute 800m run to claim a sliver medal and state berth with a 1:58 mark in the 18U division. Mouton enters as the fourth seed behind Jake Merrill (1:54.71).

Mikayla Roberts finished third in the 80m hurdles with a time of 15.57 while Ashli Hawkins advanced with a third place finish in the 16U 200m dash and fifth place 100m dash. Roberts enters as a sixth seed and Hawkins enters as a 25th seed in the 100m dash and a 21 seed in the 200m dash.

McKenzie Agnello placed third in the 16U discus with a throw of 104’ 11” and placed fifth in the shot put with a toss of 35-feet-3 to earn a trip to McAllen. He enters as the 16 seed in the discus and a 20 seed in the shot put.