Girls Regional Recap: 800m & 1600m State Qualifiers Set After Weather-Delayed Weekend
We wrote the 3200m recap on Friday. Then the weather showed up.
Torrential rain in the Houston area forced Region 3 to push all preliminary rounds to Saturday and finals to Sunday — a scramble that tested athletes, coaches, and meet directors alike. But across all four regions and both classifications, the girls 800m and 1600m state fields are now set. Ninety-six spots. Some filled as expected. A few eyebrow-raisers. Here’s your full breakdown.
Quick reminder on the format: the top two finishers per region earn automatic berths (marked with an x below). One additional wild card — the fastest third-place time across all four regions — also advances (marked y). Third-place finishers not picked up by the wild card go home.
Girls 800m — Class 5A
Region 1 | Fort Worth Area
Aaliyah Williams of White Settlement Brewer led the way with a 2:13.66 regional win, dropping well below her 2:14.04 season best. Rhyan Dollar-Daugherty of Joshua ran 2:14.95 to claim the second auto spot — a solid 1.6-second personal best. Sofia Brandenburg of Aledo finished third in 2:15.39 but will need to wait and see whether her time holds up as the wild card across all 5A regions.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | Aaliyah Williams | White Settlement Brewer | 2:13.66 | 2:14.04 | 2:14.04 |
| 2-x | Rhyan Dollar-Daugherty | Joshua | 2:14.95 | 2:16.59 | 2:16.59 |
| 3 | Sofia Brandenburg | Aledo | 2:15.39 | 2:17.14 | 2:17.14 |
Region 2 | Dallas Area
Adelaide Wortman of Dallas Highland Park won in 2:13.50 — just off her 2:13.15 personal best and a strong statement from one of the DFW area’s premier 800m runners. Amy Vazquez of Tyler, who carries a 2:13.15 PB herself, ran 2:14.03 for second. Mary Michael Todd of Lufkin (2:16.39) rounds out the group.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | Adelaide Wortman | Dallas Highland Park | 2:13.50 | 2:16.86 | 2:16.86 |
| 2-x | Amy Vazquez | Tyler | 2:14.03 | 2:13.15 | 2:13.15 |
| 3 | Mary Michael Todd | Lufkin | 2:16.39 | 2:17.09 | 2:17.09 |
Region 3 | Houston Area (Weather-Delayed)
The delayed Region 3 meet produced clean racing once the skies cleared. Alaya Stewart of Fort Bend Marshall won in 2:14.89, well under her 2:16.27 season best. Addisyn Haskins of Georgetown East View took second in 2:15.50. Hayden Helms of College Station A&M Consolidated — who owns a 2:13.95 personal best — ran 2:15.67 for third.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | Alaya Stewart | Fort Bend Marshall | 2:14.89 | 2:16.27 | 2:16.27 |
| 2-x | Addisyn Haskins | Georgetown East View | 2:15.50 | 2:16.53 | 2:16.53 |
| 3 | Hayden Helms | College Station A&M Cons | 2:15.67 | 2:14.65 | 2:13.95 |
Region 4 | San Antonio Area
The fastest 5A regional by a significant margin. Presley Merkens of Boerne won in 2:12.34, and Savanah Moya of New Braunfels — who owns a 2:10.64 personal best — ran 2:12.54 for second. Moya was sixth a year ago at State. The real story here: Lilly Koenig of Smithson Valley finished third in 2:13.57 and claimed the wild card spot with the fastest 5A third-place time. Koenig, who doubles in the 1600m, was already expected to be a state-meet player — she just had to earn it the hard way.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | Presley Merkens | Boerne | 2:12.34 | 2:14.09 | 2:14.09 |
| 2-x | Savanah Moya | New Braunfels | 2:12.54 | 2:14.73 | 2:10.64 |
| 3-x | Lilly Koenig | Smithson Valley | 2:13.57 | 2:12.45 | 2:11.24 |
Koenig’s 2:13.57 is the fastest third-place time across all 5A regions and earns the wild card berth. She is also the top returner from 2025, having finished 4th in the 800m final at State.
Girls 800m — Class 6A
Region 1 | Lubbock/DFW Area
One of the races of the weekend. Grace McIlvain of Carroll won in 2:10.11, dipping well under her 2:12.20 season best. Taylor Peck of Prosper ran a near-identical 2:10.47 in second, and Saina Awalegaonkar of Flower Mound clocked 2:10.51 for third. Three girls under 2:11 from a single regional — that’s a loaded field, and all three advance automatically. Region 1 sent the three fastest 6A 800m times of the entire weekend.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | Grace McIlvain | Carroll | 2:10.11 | 2:12.20 | 2:12.20 |
| 2-x | Taylor Peck | Prosper | 2:10.47 | 2:15.56 | 2:15.56 |
| 3-x | Saina Awalegaonkar | Flower Mound | 2:10.51 | 2:15.27 | 2:15.27 |
Awalegaonkar’s 2:10.51 earns the wild card as the fastest third-place time across all 6A regions.
Region 2 | East Texas/Woodlands Area
Darasimi Odelowo of The Woodlands is the name to know. She entered regionals as the class’s fastest qualifier with a 2:08.79 season best, then ran 2:13.36 for second — a performance that was controlled at best. She’s clearly capable of something special in Austin and is the only retuner from last year’s State 800m. Daniela Baeza of Longview won the regional in 2:13.26. Madison Akers of Wylie East (2:14.03) finished third and just misses the wild card.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | Daniela Baeza | Longview | 2:13.26 | 2:13.70 | 2:13.70 |
| 2-x | Darasimi Odelowo | The Woodlands | 2:13.36 | 2:08.79 | 2:08.79 |
| 3 | Madison Akers | Wylie East | 2:14.03 | 2:16.27 | 2:16.27 |
Region 3 | Houston Area (Weather-Delayed)
McKale Lee of Alief Taylor won in 2:09.08 — just off her 2:08.50 season best and one of the fastest regional times in 6A. Samantha Cravin of Shadow Creek ran 2:12.22 for second. Casey Scherpereel of Katy Taylor (2:12.97) holds the third spot but won’t advance to state. Lee, who also qualified in the 1600m, is shaping up as one of the most versatile distance runners in the field.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | McKale Lee | Alief Taylor | 2:09.08 | 2:08.50 | 2:08.50 |
| 2-x | Samantha Cravin | Shadow Creek | 2:12.22 | 2:13.63 | 2:13.63 |
| 3 | Casey Scherpereel | Katy Taylor | 2:12.97 | 2:12.11 | 2:12.06 |
Region 4 | San Antonio/Austin Area
Sophia Lopez of Round Rock Stony Point won the regional in 2:11.51, continuing what has been a remarkable season — she also qualified in the 1600m and enters state as one of the most complete distance runners in 6A. Ivy Parada of Round Rock ran 2:13.79 for second. Aaralyn Julian of San Marcos finished third in 2:18.50 and will not advance.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | Sophia Lopez | Round Rock Stony Point | 2:11.51 | 2:13.63 | 2:13.63 |
| 2-x | Ivy Parada | Round Rock | 2:13.79 | 2:15.57 | 2:15.57 |
| 3 | Aaralyn Julian | San Marcos | 2:18.50 | 2:18.61 | 2:18.61 |
Girls 1600m — Class 5A
Region 1 | Fort Worth Area
Molly Garrison of Aledo dominated Region 1 with a 5:02.82 — nearly seven seconds ahead of the field and well below her 5:09.81 season best. She is the top returner from a year ago, having placed on the podium in third in 2025. Garrison’s teammate Holland Gladchuk also qualified through Area (5:10.58), giving Aledo a stacked pair heading to Austin. Madison Carroll of White Settlement Brewer ran 5:09.97 for the second auto spot.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | Molly Garrison | Aledo | 5:02.82 | 5:09.81 | 5:09.81 |
| 2-x | Madison Carroll | White Settlement Brewer | 5:09.97 | 5:14.90 | 5:14.90 |
| 3 | Holland Gladchuk | Aledo | 5:10.58 | 5:13.14 | 5:13.14 |
Region 2 | Dallas Area
Sofia Dominguez of Lucas Lovejoy owns a 4:58.50 personal best — one of the fastest in the 5A field — and ran 5:03.29 to win Region 2. Jenna Jacobsen of Midlothian Heritage, who carries a 5:01.56 PB, ran 5:04.39 for second in what looks like a deliberate early-season effort. These two will be on the podium watch in Austin. Presley Robertson of Frisco Wakeland (5:07.73) rounds out the regional qualifiers.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | Sofia Dominguez | Lucas Lovejoy | 5:03.29 | 5:12.94 | 4:58.50 |
| 2-x | Jenna Jacobsen | Midlothian Heritage | 5:04.39 | 5:27.00 | 5:01.56 |
| 3 | Presley Robertson | Frisco Wakeland | 5:07.73 | 5:11.50 | 5:11.50 |
Region 3 | Houston Area (Weather-Delayed)
The best 5A 1600m regional, top to bottom. Eva Cragnolino of Austin LASA — who holds a 4:48.10 personal best — won in a controlled 4:53.43. Cragnolino, the defending 3200m champion placed sixth a year ago in the 1600m. Morgan Nelsen of Hendrickson took second in 4:54.21. Haylee Hughes of Lake Creek ran 5:00.55 for third and advances as the wild card: her time is the fastest third-place mark across all 5A regions.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | Eva Cragnolino | Austin LASA | 4:53.43 | 5:04.39 | 4:48.10 |
| 2-x | Morgan Nelsen | Hendrickson | 4:54.21 | 5:06.34 | 5:01.81 |
| 3-x | Haylee Hughes | Lake Creek | 5:00.55 | 5:07.53 | 4:59.58 |
Hughes’ 5:00.55 is the fastest third-place time across all 5A regions and earns the wild card berth.
Region 4 | San Antonio Area
Lilly Koenig of Smithson Valley is having herself a weekend. After claiming the 800m wild card, she won the Region 4 1600m outright in 4:54.57 — a big drop from her 5:08.62 season best, though nowhere near her 4:46.58 personal best. There’s more in the tank. Savanah Moya of New Braunfels — who also qualified in the 800m — ran 4:59.29 for second and is making a return trip to Austin in this event as well. She was fourth at the State Meet a year ago in the 1600m. Sophia Simpson of McAllen took third in 5:01.14 but will not advance.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | Lilly Koenig | Smithson Valley | 4:54.57 | 5:08.62 | 4:46.58 |
| 2-x | Savanah Moya | New Braunfels | 4:59.29 | 5:09.12 | 4:53.74 |
| 3 | Sophia Simpson | McAllen | 5:01.14 | 5:03.85 | 5:03.85 |
Girls 1600m — Class 6A
Region 1 | Lubbock/DFW Area
Adeline Bennett of Flower Mound won Region 1 in 4:46.40 — a significant drop from her 4:54.84 season best and within striking distance of her 4:47.75 personal best. Macy Wingard of Denton Braswell, one of the state’s most decorated distance runners and a familiar name on these pages, ran 4:47.88 for second. Wingard holds a 4:42.80 personal best and is clearly pacing into championship season. She is also the top returner from last year’s State Meet, having finished seconds. These two are going to make the 6A 1600m very interesting in Austin. Kylie Vega of El Paso Eastwood rounded out the regional with a 4:58.13.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | Adeline Bennett | Flower Mound | 4:46.40 | 4:58.85 | 4:47.75 |
| 2-x | Macy Wingard | Denton Braswell | 4:47.88 | 4:51.71 | 4:42.80 |
| 3 | Kylie Vega | El Paso Eastwood | 4:58.13 | 5:16.07 | 5:03.35 |
Region 2 | East Texas/Woodlands Area
Bridgeland sent three runners to regionals and all three advance — a remarkable team performance. Rowan Saacke won in 4:51.92, Hope Smith took second in 4:51.97, and Susana Rawls ran 4:56.80 for third, earning the wild card as the fastest third-place time across all 6A regions. The Bears are going to Austin as a crew. Saacke finished fourth a year ago at State.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | Rowan Saacke | Bridgeland | 4:51.92 | 4:58.68 | 4:44.32 |
| 2-x | Hope Smith | Bridgeland | 4:51.97 | 4:59.06 | 4:54.06 |
| 3-x | Susana Rawls | Bridgeland | 4:56.80 | 5:01.83 | 4:58.30 |
Rawls’ 4:56.80 earns the wild card as the fastest third-place time across all 6A regions. Bridgeland goes three-for-three.
Region 3 | Houston Area (Weather-Delayed)
Sophie Peterson of Houston Memorial won in 4:57.49 — a solid early-season performance given her 4:52.24 personal best suggests she has more to give. McKale Lee of Alief Taylor doubled back from her 800m effort to run 4:57.99 for second, confirming her status as one of the most impressive multi-event runners in the state. Kate Rogers of Katy Cinco Ranch ran 5:00.46 for third but will not advance.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | Sophie Peterson | Houston Memorial | 4:57.49 | 5:18.35 | 4:52.24 |
| 2-x | McKale Lee | Alief Taylor | 4:57.99 | 5:05.00 | 5:04.24 |
| 3 | Kate Rogers | Katy Cinco Ranch | 5:00.46 | 5:06.17 | 4:59.64 |
Region 4 | San Antonio/Austin Area
Another big weekend for Sophia Lopez. After winning the 800m, she ran 4:53.73 to win the Region 4 1600m — a near-seven-second drop from her 5:00.92 season best. She is state-final material in both events. Tibbie Mustacchia of Austin Vandegrift ran 4:53.35 for second — her own season-best drop — and Kallie Van Prooyen of San Antonio Churchill (4:57.31) rounds out the regional.
| Place | Athlete | School | Regional | SB | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-x | Sophia Lopez | Round Rock Stony Point | 4:53.73 | 5:00.92 | 5:00.92 |
| 2-x | Tibbie Mustacchia | Austin Vandegrift | 4:53.35 | 5:12.02 | 5:12.02 |
| 3 | Kallie Van Prooyen | San Antonio Churchill | 4:57.31 | 4:59.88 | 4:59.88 |
Names to Watch in Austin
A few threads worth following to the state meet:
Darasimi Odelowo (The Woodlands, 6A 800m) — Her 2:08.79 season best is the fastest in either classification. She ran 2:13 at regionals. That gap is a feature, not a bug.
Lilly Koenig (Smithson Valley, 5A 800m/1600m) — Won the 1600m outright and earned the 800m wild card in the same weekend. Her PBs of 2:11.24 and 4:46.58 make her a legitimate title contender in both. Also the top returner in the 800m from 2025 in 5A.
McKale Lee (Alief Taylor, 6A 800m/1600m) — Region 3’s delayed weekend didn’t slow her down. She ran fast in both events and will be on the podium watch in Austin.
Macy Wingard (Denton Braswell, 6A 1600m) — A 4:42.80 personal best with more championship racing ahead. She ran 4:47 at regionals. That’s not her ceiling.
Bridgeland (6A 1600m) — All three Bears advance. Saacke carries a 4:44.32 personal best. This could be a team podium story at state.
Eva Cragnolino (Austin LASA, 5A 1600m) — Her 4:48.10 PB is the fastest in the 5A field. She ran 4:53 in a controlled regional. The ceiling is high.
The UIL 5A and 6A State Meet takes place May 15-16 at Myers Stadium in Austin.
State Qualifiers at a Glance
Girls 800m — 5A
| Athlete | School | Regional Time |
|---|---|---|
| Presley Merkens ✓ | Boerne | 2:12.34 |
| Savanah Moya ✓ | New Braunfels | 2:12.54 |
| Adelaide Wortman ✓ | Dallas Highland Park | 2:13.50 |
| Lilly Koenig ★ | Smithson Valley | 2:13.57 |
| Aaliyah Williams ✓ | White Settlement Brewer | 2:13.66 |
| Amy Vazquez ✓ | Tyler | 2:14.03 |
| Alaya Stewart ✓ | Fort Bend Marshall | 2:14.89 |
| Rhyan Dollar-Daugherty ✓ | Joshua | 2:14.95 |
| Addisyn Haskins ✓ | Georgetown East View | 2:15.50 |
✓ Auto qualifier · ★ Wild card
Girls 800m — 6A
| Athlete | School | Regional Time |
|---|---|---|
| McKale Lee ✓ | Alief Taylor | 2:09.08 |
| Grace McIlvain ✓ | Carroll | 2:10.11 |
| Taylor Peck ✓ | Prosper | 2:10.47 |
| Saina Awalegaonkar ★ | Flower Mound | 2:10.51 |
| Sophia Lopez ✓ | Round Rock Stony Point | 2:11.51 |
| Samantha Cravin ✓ | Shadow Creek | 2:12.22 |
| Daniela Baeza ✓ | Longview | 2:13.26 |
| Darasimi Odelowo ✓ | The Woodlands | 2:13.36 |
| Ivy Parada ✓ | Round Rock | 2:13.79 |
✓ Auto qualifier · ★ Wild card
Girls 1600m — 5A
| Athlete | School | Regional Time |
|---|---|---|
| Eva Cragnolino ✓ | Austin LASA | 4:53.43 |
| Morgan Nelsen ✓ | Hendrickson | 4:54.21 |
| Lilly Koenig ✓ | Smithson Valley | 4:54.57 |
| Savanah Moya ✓ | New Braunfels | 4:59.29 |
| Haylee Hughes ★ | Lake Creek | 5:00.55 |
| Molly Garrison ✓ | Aledo | 5:02.82 |
| Sofia Dominguez ✓ | Lucas Lovejoy | 5:03.29 |
| Jenna Jacobsen ✓ | Midlothian Heritage | 5:04.39 |
| Madison Carroll ✓ | White Settlement Brewer | 5:09.97 |
✓ Auto qualifier · ★ Wild card
Girls 1600m — 6A
| Athlete | School | Regional Time |
|---|---|---|
| Adeline Bennett ✓ | Flower Mound | 4:46.40 |
| Macy Wingard ✓ | Denton Braswell | 4:47.88 |
| Rowan Saacke ✓ | Bridgeland | 4:51.92 |
| Hope Smith ✓ | Bridgeland | 4:51.97 |
| Sophia Lopez ✓ | Round Rock Stony Point | 4:53.73 |
| Tibbie Mustacchia ✓ | Austin Vandegrift | 4:53.95 |
| Susana Rawls ★ | Bridgeland | 4:56.80 |
| Sophie Peterson ✓ | Houston Memorial | 4:57.49 |
| McKale Lee ✓ | Alief Taylor | 4:57.99 |
✓ Auto qualifier · ★ Wild card