AUSTIN – The Richland Springs Coyotes sent just five athletes – Brice Roesler, Cohen Ethridge, Evan Deeds, Ethan Deeds, and Layne Ward – to compete in seven events at the UIL Class A Track and Field State Championships at Myers Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas Saturday, but still earned six medals – including three state championships.
Throughout most of the event, the Coyotes had generated more points than any Class A boys team at the meet – until the final race. Holding an eight-point advantage with 69 points, Richland Springs was surpassed by Gordon, which won the 4×400 relay for 20 points that pushed its tally to 81, and dropped the Coyotes to second place overall.
Still, gold medals were secured by Roesler in both the shot put and the discus, as well as Ward, Deeds, Deeds and Ethridge in the boys 4×200 relay. Ethridge added silver medals in the long jump and 300-meter hurdles, and the 4×100 relay of Ward, Deeds, Deeds and Ethridge collected a bronze medal.
Roesler, with a best effort of 55-1.5, repeated as the state champion in the shot put. He led from the start in defense of his title with a 51-2.25 hurl out of the gate, but his best throw came on his second attempt. Runner-up Aden Rhiver from Leakey was the only competitor to surpass Roesler’s first effort with a 52-11.25 on his fourth try.
A year ago, Roesler won the shot put title with a best effort of 51-3.
With a top throw of 165-8 in the discus, Roesler essentially locked up the gold medal on his first throw , which traveled the winning distance. All of his efforts surpassed 159 feet, which were better than anyone else in the field, as Nathaniel Sansom of Whitharral (153-7) placed second.
In 2025, Roesler came in fourth at state in the discus with a 148-8 best effort.
In the winning effort by the 4×200 relay, the Coyote foursome was clocked at 1:30.29, as the nearest competitor was Gordon (1:30.81).
Ethridge came in second in the long jump with a best effort of 22-7.75, which occurred on his fourth jump. Ethridge held the top spot in the standings until state champion Kalob Runnels of Fannindel passed him on the fifth leap with a winning distance of 23-8.
Then in the 300-meter hurdles, Ethridge was timed at 38.5, which was only bested by the state meet record performance of Gordon’s Stryker Reed (37.24).
Richland Springs began the running finals Saturday with a third-place performance in the 4×100 relay at 43.57. Finishing ahead of the Coyotes were gold medalist Strawn (43.38) and silver medalist Hamlin (43.43).
Ethan Deeds also turned in a sixth-place performance for the Coyotes in the pole vault (13-0).
More information on the other medal performances from local athletes at the Class A state track meet can be found HERE.
Complete state results for all local Class A entrants are as follows:
1st Place
- Richland Springs’ Brice Roesler in the boys discus (165-8)
- Richland Springs’ Brice Roesler in the boys shot put (55-1.5)
- Richland Springs’ Layne Ward, Evan Deeds, Ethan Deeds and Cohen Ethridge in the boys 4×200 relay (1:30.29)
- Blanket’s Kannon Kensing in the boys 100 meters (10.96)
- Blanket’s Kannon Kensing in the boys 200 meters (21.95)
- Zephyr’s Aaron Fagan in the boys 3200 meters (9:48.81)
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2nd Place
- Richland Springs’ Cohen Ethridge in the boys long jump (22-7.75)
- Richland Springs’ Cohen Ethridge in the 300-meter hurdles (38.5)
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3rd Place
- Zephyr’s Aaron Fagan in the boys 1600 meters (4:35.41)
- Richland Springs’ Layne Ward, Evan Deeds, Ethan Deeds and Cohen Ethridge in the 4×100 relay (43.57)
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4th Place
- Brookesmith’s Brooklyn Haby in the girls 300-meter hurdles (47.67)
- May’s Kobey Morris in the boys discus (144-2)
- Sidney’s Kallin Woodley in the girls 800 meters (2:26.58)
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5th Place
- Blanket’s Alex Valdes in the boys 800 meters (2:04.8)
- Cross Plains’ Rylen Reed in the boys 110-meter hurdles (15.66)
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6th Place
- Richland Springs’ Ethan Deeds in the boys pole vault (13-0)
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7th Place
- May’s Lauren Hicks in the girls long jump (16-5)
- May’s Aubree Gerhardt, Lauren Hicks, Chloe Lord, and Jordyn Gerhardt in the girls 4×400 relay (4:25.03)
- Blanket’s Leo Valdes in the boys 800 meters (2:06.77)
- Priddy’s Trapper Schoenhals in the boys discus (137-7)
- Cross Plains’ Colton Wedeking in the boys triple jump (43-0)
- Sidney’s Kallin Woodley in the girls 400 meters (1:03.7)
- Rising Star’s Laynee Allgood in the girls 1600 meters (5:35.7)
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8th Place
- May’s Chloe Lord, Jordyn Gerhardt, McKenna Landes, and Lauren Hicks in the girls 4×100 relay (51.74)
- Rising Star’s Laynee Allgood in the girls 800 meters (2:34.45)
- Cross Plains’ Rylen Reed in the boys 300-meter hurdles (42.0)
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9th Place
- Blanket’s Leo Valdes, Kannon Kensing, Mason Beck, and Alex Valdes in the boys 4×400 relay (3:37.42)
- Panther Creek’s Adan Wyatt in the boys triple jump (40-10)
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Did Not Finish
- Cross Plains’ Alivia Allison in the girls 300-meter hurdles
