It was a record-setting year for Brazos’ state representatives where Halie Gonzalez medaled in the state powerlifting meet and Esmeralda Garcia set a school-record time in the 3200-meter run on the spring track circuit then followed that up with the school’s best individual finish at the cross country state championship.

Gonzalez medals at state

With personal records in all three lifts, Brazos senior Halie Gonzalez earned third place overall in the 181-pound weight class at the Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association state championships in Corpus Christi March 18.

Her 945-pound total after squatting (400), bench pressing (165) and deadlifting (380) was also only five pounds behind the second-place finisher Gabriela Munoz from Natalia and 55 pounds behind champion Samantha Gonzalez from Edinburg Idea College Prep.

Townsend lifts at state

Joey Townsend served as the Cougars’ lone representative at the Division Texas High School Powerlifting Association State Championship at the Taylor County Expo in Abilene March 15.

Townsend competed in the 165-pound weight class and earned 12th overall after he joined the comma club with lifts of 515 (squat), 250 (bench press) and 500 (deadlift) for a total of 1,265 pounds lifted.

Garcia sets 3200 record, medals on track

On the Class 3A stage of the UIL Track State Championship, Brazos sophomore Esmeralda Garcia not only medaled in her first event but broke a school record in the 3200-meter run. She followed that with a fifth-place finish in the 1600-meter run to tally eight points individually at the top meet in the state.

Her bronze medal in the 3200-meter run was garnered thanks to a school-record time of 11:30.71, which shattered her personal record by 17 seconds and set the new school record by seven seconds.

In the 1600-meter run, Garcia registered a time of 5:28.66 which was good enough for fifth place and two more individual points. She finished the day with a bronze medal, a school record and eight total points as just a sophomore.

Garcia earns best cross country finish in school history

Friday, Nov. 5, Brazos junior Esmeralda Garcia competed in her second state cross country meet and finished in second place with a time of 11:48.9 to become only the fourth individual cross country runner to medal twice at the state meet in school history. As a freshman, Garcia registered 10th in the 2019 Class 2A State Championship and is the fifth individual female state medalist in school history.

Garcia’s silver medal is the best individual finish in school history where Ginger Hoot (1987) and Patrick Krol (2007) previously held the school’s best individual finish with third-place marks in their respective races. Garcia also garnered all-state honors for a top-10 finish as well as a spot on the Cross Country Coaches Association of Texas’ Class 3A All-State Team for a top-15 finish.