Austin County’s four high schools were well represented at state championships throughout the 2021 calendar year. From powerlifting, to track, to volleyball, to cross country, to football, locals competed against the best of the best this year.

Marek lifts at state

Bellville had a lone representative at the Division 2 Texas High School Powerlifting Association State Championship at the Taylor County Expo in Abilene March 15.

Alex Marek represented the Brahmas in the 198-pound weight class and finished fourth overall with a total of 1,485 pounds lifted between squat (585), bench press (315) and deadlift (585).

Sealy, Bellville run in Austin

Sealy and Bellville sent representatives to the University Interscholastic League’s track and field state championships May 6 at Mike A. Myers Stadium at the University of Texas at Austin.

On the Class 4A stage, Sealy junior Breanna Brandes competed in the pole vault and finished seventh overall at 11’ 6”. Bellville’s Tyler Fishbeck, Trevon Green, Richard Reese and Robert Briggs (4x100-meter relay) earned fifth and set a season record in 41.87 seconds and Kirby Marik (high jump) registered ninth at state at 5’.

Lady Knights finish fourth

The Faith Academy Lady Knight volleyball squad finished its season with a fourth-place finish at the Texas Association of Independent Athletic Organization’s (TAIAO) 1A State Championship held at Round Rock Sports Complex.

Faith Academy earned its way to the Class 1A Gold Bracket but fell to the Brazos Valley Mustangs to miss the championship game. In the consolation match, the Lady Knights fell in four to the KOR Knights.

Brahmanettes fall in state semi

For the second year in a row, the Bellville Brahmanette volleyball squad fell in their state semifinal match, this time against Decatur, Nov. 18. The Eagles went on to beat Celina in the finals to claim the Class 4A State Championship.

Bellville senior Lexi Higgins – a Blinn College commit – was named to the all-tournament team as selected by the Texas Girls’ Coaches Association. The Brahmanettes finished the season with a 40-8 overall record and closed in the top four of the TGCA state rankings.

Faith runners repeat as state runners-up

Nov. 6, the Faith Academy boys’ cross country team repeated as runners-up at the TAIAO Cross Country State Meet.

The Knights were led by Joshua Bright in fourth (18:40) and Beck Briggs in fifth (19:08). John Poorman finished 14th (20:03), Eli Kubicek followed in 15th (20:08) and Maury Cano registered 30th (22:27).

Summer Bright ran her best race of the season and placed sixth in 14:22 as the Lady Knights’ lone runner.

Sealy finishes 16th at state, Meiers represents Bellville

The Sealy Tiger cross country teams both finished 16th in their respective races at the Class 4A State Championship meet Nov. 6 in Round Rock. It was the first time since 1991 that any team represented Sealy at state and it was the first time since 1990 that both teams qualified for the last meet of the year.

Bellville senior Lawson Meiers also represented Austin County at the state meet as an individual qualifier for the Brahmas and finished 61st overall.

Freshman Ria Torres was the Lady Tigers’ top finisher in 78th and senior Xavier Olvera finished first for the Tigers in 50th.

Knights finish as state runners up

Four years removed from not fielding a team due to a lack of participation, the Faith Academy Knight football team fell just short of a state championship against the Northside Lions Nov. 27 at Allen Academy’s Baker Field in Bryan with a 63-54 final score in the Texas Association of Independent Athletic Organization’s (TAIAO) 6-man Division 2 final.