Aledo runners shine at Texas Relays

Competing in the arena they hope to return to in a month, five Aledo athletes stood out against some of the best competition the United States has to offer in the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays on April 4 at Mike A. Myers Stadium at the University of Texas in Austin.

The foursome of senior Sofia Brandenburg, freshman Holland Gladchuk, junior Mayden Mitchell, and senior Mykel Murry won the Girls 4x800-meter relay. Meanwhile, junior Tyler Connelly finished second in the Boys 3200.

The quartet of Ladycats blistered the track with a time of 9 minutes, 19.30 seconds. They easily outdistanced runner-up Salado by more than 11 seconds.

Connelly clocked a time of 9:09.90.

“The 4x800 is not a sanctioned UIL event, so it is not part of ‘normal’ track meets. Three of these girls run on the 4x400 (Murry, Mitchell, and Brandenburg), but this is the first time they have all run the 4x800 together,” said Aledo coach Mike Pinkerton. “It was quite the accomplishment for them.  

“I’m extremely proud of the work that these young ladies have put in all year - the team as a whole as well.”

Brandenburg, Mitchell, and Murry were also part of the Ladycats cross country team that advanced to state for a fourth straight season in 2025, finishing third. Connelly led the Bearcats to a program-best fourth place team finish in their third straight appearance at state cross country while finishing third individually.

Pinkerton, who is also the head cross country coach, said of Connelly, “Tyler is really peaking at the right time. His 9:09 is going to be hard to beat, and he is only going to get faster.”

Hornet Relays

In their final competition before the District 5-5A Meet the Aledo Bearcats and Ladycats had strong showings in the Donnie Ostermann Hornet Relays on April 2 in Azle. 

The Bearcats posted a runner-up finish with 117.33 points, behind only Hurst L.D. Bell with 148. The Ladycats scored 85, topped only by Abilene Wylie with 158 and L.D. Bell with 101.

Both Aledo junior varsity teams won their divisions. The boys scored 249 points to easily outdistance Birdville with 133, while the girls scored 166.34 to edge Wylie with 156.25.

Individually, Kantyn Kasich won the pole vault competition and Jake Lancaster topped the discus for the Bearcats varsity. Also, the Bearcats’ 4x200-meter relay won.

Alexa Plantz in the 100 dash and Addie Fields in the pole vault won their events, as did the 4x200 relay. 

The JV boys won 10 gold medals in their dominant performance, while the JV girls won five.

The first day of the District 5-5A Meet was being held at press time, with the second day concluding on Friday, April 10. The top four finishers in each of the varsity events will advance to the Area 5/6-5A Meet April 17 at Denton Braswell High School. 

From there, the top four finishers in each event move on to the Region I Meet May 1-2 in Lubbock, where the top two finishers in each event will qualify for state (along with one wild-card entry from across all regions throughout the state) May 14-16 at the University of Texas in Austin.

Donnie Ostermann Hornet Relays

April 2 at Azle

Running events in meters, field events in feet

Top Aledo results

Varsity boys

Team score: 117.33 points, second place.

100: 5. Joe Ingram, 11.21.

200: 5. Izarion Roberts, 22.89.

1600: 3. Noah Lay, 4:36.79.

3200: 3. Andrew Walsh, 10:39.87.

110 hurdles: 4. Briley Perkins, 16.03; 6. Vander Newton, 16.23.

300 hurdles: 6. Perkins, 41.78.

4x100 relay: 42.80, third.

4x200 relay: 1:29.39, first.

4x400 relay: 3:25.39, second.

High jump: 4. Caden Cunningham, 6-2.

Pole vault: 1. Kantyn Kasich, 15-0; 3. Lukas Green, 14-0.

Shot put: 2. Carson Dempsey, 50-8; 4. Jordan Cooper, 48-0.

Discus: 1. Jake Lancaster, 150-10; 3. Christian Sandoval, 143-4; 5. Cooper, 133-7.

Varsity girls

Team score: 85 points, third place.

100: 1. Alexa Plantz, 12.54.

400: 5. Emma Davis, 1:01.88.

800: 2. Cecilia Frank, 2:21.24.

100 hurdles: 3. Savannah Thompson, 16.09.

300 hurdles: 5. Thompson, 53.55.

4x100 relay: 50.25, fifth.

4x200 relay: 1:44.83, third.

High jump: 2. Payce Kinman, 5-4; 3. Sawyer Voight, 5-2.

Pole vault: 1. Addie Fields, 11-6; 2. Claire Campbell, 11-6; 5. Kara Overstreet, 10-0.

Triple jump: 6. Thompson, 33-6.5.

Discus: 3. Adrianna Lambert, 98-8.

JV boys

Team score: 249 points, first place.

100: 3. Kingston Parks, 11.59; 4. Lawrence Keys, 11.66.

200: 2. Maddux Nurse, 23.72; 5. Sawyer Smith, 24.12.

400: 1. Keys, 53.35.

800: 3. Brody Bruno, 2:12.35; 4. Holt Huxel, 2:12.40.

1600: 1. Jonah Clary, 4:49.43; 2. Maddox Murry, 4:49.91; 3. Huxel, 5:01.17.

3200: 1. Murry, 10:35.63; 2. Clary, 10:36.03; 3. Bruno, 11:03.43.

110 hurdles: 1. Spencer Thompson, 16.50; 4. Preston Tubbs, 16.88.

300 hurdles: 1. Sky Bradford, 42.43; 2. Tubbs, 43.86; 4. Thompson, 44.15.

4x100 relay: 44.19, first.

4x200 relay: 1:32.47, first.

4x400 relay: 3:43.10, third.

High jump: 2. Evan Endsley, 5-8.

Pole vault: 1. Zackery Redmond, 12-6; 2. Nick Leite, 12-6.

Long jump: 3. Grayson Isbell, 19-8.5; 6. Rudy Hubbard, 19-2.

Triple jump: 1. Isbell, 41-6.5; 3. Blaze Harden, 37-0.5; 5. Hubbard, 36-9.75.

Shot put: 1. Omari Din-Mbuh, 44-3.5; 6. Kaden Palmquest, 37-7.5.

Discus: 2. Ledger Hudman, 116-7; 5. Jace Kelso, 104-11; 6. Liam Winton, 102-0.

JV girls

Team score: 166.34 points, first place.

100: 3. Elsie Reed, 13.18.

200: 3. Carli Yanci, 28.07.

400: 4. Victoria Lawrence, 1:06.15.

800: 2. Abigail Rivas, 2:36.48; 3. Lawrence, 2:37.82; 5. Stella Lamb, 2:39.26.

1600: 1. Lamb, 5:55.34; 2. Arwen Sensenig, 5:56.88; 6. Lily Elgin, 6:20.65.

3200: 1. Lamb, 13:30.11; 3. Holly Thomas, 14:12.79; 4. Elgin, 14:33.81.

100 hurdles: 1. Chloe Salling, 16.94; 2. Violet Salling, 17.46.

300 hurdles: 2. C. Salling, 52.04; 4. V. Salling, 52.71; 5. Kinsley Tipton, 53.48.

4x100 relay: 52.90, fourth.

4x200 relay: 1:52.78, third.

4x400 relay: 4:27.92, third.

Pole vault: 1. Savanna Shackelford, 9-6; 3. Teagan Olea, 7-0; 3. Elizabeth Gamez, 7-0.

Long jump: 3. Reed, 15-1.5.

Triple jump: 1. Reed, 33-11.

Shot put: 6. Isla Revard, 25-11.75