By BRAD KEITH
TheFlashToday.com
AUSTIN (May 12, 2017) — Blake Aragon skied over the bar at 6 feet, 8 inches to win the state championship in the 4A boys high jump Friday at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
The junior is the first boy from Stephenville to win gold at the UIL Track & Field State Meet since Clayton Harmon won the shot put in 2001.
Aragon cleared the winning height on his second attempt, then watched nervously as Ronnie Jackson was unsuccessful on his third attempt at 6-8, securing Aragon the title. He skipped 6-10, which he cleared to establish a new school record at the 8-4A district meet, instead missing on all three attempts at 7-0.
“I spent the last week and a half just visualizing me on the podium and achieving this goal,” said Aragon of focusing himself mentally for the state meet. “I feel like historically it’s a big achievement, both to break the school record and then to go to state and win it. With the record, I think that made a lot of people believe I would win state and I didn’t want to let them down, so I’m just so happy with how it all turned out.”
Argon entered the year with a personal record of just 6-2, his opening height at the state meet.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled, especially for Blake and (high jump coach Joe Carter),” said Stephenville boys track and field head coach Kreg Kimple. “They’ve done a great job all year, and it’s really amazing where Blake started, being a 6-2 high jumper last year, and today he’s a state champion.”
The nine-contender field dropped like flies, with five missing at 6-4 moments after clearing 6-2.
But Aragon just kept soaring.
At least until the bar went to 6-6 and the intensity went up a notch at the north end of the beautiful University of Texas soccer and track stadium.
“With Blake, I knew he had to clear the first jump because it’s a different height than he typically comes in on. Once he cleared that and put the state meet nerves aside, he was good to go,” said Carter. “When it got down to three competitors left, he looked at me and said, ‘We’re going to win this.’ That’s just the competitor in him.”
Aragon and missed his first two attempts at 6-6, watched as bronze medalist Coleson McCraw failed on is final try, then cleared the bar to stay alive.
“I got really hyped up every time somebody missed because it got more real, and I was just focused on finishing strong and being the best,” said Aragon.
Jumping first, Jackson put on the pressure by clearing 6-7 on his first attempt. But as he did all day, Aragon answered the challenge with authority, advancing past that height on his first attempt as well.
Both knocked down the bar on their first tries at 6-8. Jackson missed on his second try while Aragon stood waiting. And even after he cleared the bar to set off a roar from his few dozen supporters looking on from the grand stands, he had to wait agin.
But Jackson dislodged the bar once more, settling for silver as the Stephenville faithful roared again, and both Aragon and high jump coach Joe Carter gave fist pumps with smiles spreading ear-to-ear.
Aragon did touch the bar at 6-8, but not heavily enough to dislodge it.
“My hair touched,” he said with a laugh after taking the top spot on the medal podium, one of the most sacred places in all of Texas High School sports. “My hair touched it, but I’m pretty sure that’s it.”
Aragon stands 6-5, but does appear closer to 6-7 or 6-8 with his tall hair. He was standing well above eight foot atop the medal podium with the stadium and Austin skyline, including the State Capitol rotunda in the background.
“I can’t describe how it feels to be honest,” said Carter, who has coached successful high jumpers such as Becca Hall and his daughter, Jordan, on the girls side and regional medalist Josh Nowell on the boys side. “Jordan being out here was awesome for me, obviously, and then Blake just put the icing on the cake. Just to compete at this level is awesome, but to win here is really a special experience that is still kind of sinking in.”
Aragon said he felt the support of friends and family throughout the competition.
“People came from school, a lot of my close friends, who had said they were coming to support me,” he said. “My dad drove all the way from Colorado to see me jump today, and he did it at regionals, too.”
Aragon added to a long list of Stephenville groups and individuals to win state championships during the spring semester. In addition to theater, FFA and dance titles, the girls soccer team won its first state championship one month to the day before Aragon struck state gold.
“Stephenville is the City of Champions,” boasted Carter. “It runs throughout the community and into the school system. It’s a great atmosphere because the competitiveness in everything we do is just phenomenal.”
Kimple couldn’t agree more.
“It’s been great seeing so much success in so many things,” the head coach said. “This is a great end to what was such a great track season and the best spring semester I’ve ever been a part of at Stephenville.”
Aragon was one of three Stephenville performers on Friday. Kylee Ponder will close the book on the school’s track and field season when she competes in the 100 meter dash at 7:05 p.m. Saturday.
Jordan Carter, daughter of coach Joe Carter, finished seventh by clearing 5-2 in the girls high jump, and Nadine Arredondo was eighth in girls discus with a best throw of 115-4 earlier Friday.
Parker Wood of Hico did not record a height in the 2A boys pole vault Friday morning. Hico will be represented Saturday by Shelby Polk in the 100 meter hurdles and 300 hurdles.
Lingleville reached state in all three girls relays. The 1A and 5A running is ongoing Friday evening. The Lady Cardinals were ninth in the 4×100 meter in 53.58 seconds and still have the 4×200 and 4×400 ahead.
TheFlashToday.com photos by BRAD KEITH
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