The Lytle Varsity Track and Field team traveled to Seguin May 1-2 to compete in the UIL Region IV Track and Field Championships. The Pirates had 11 regional qualifiers this year and represented Lytle with pride. Three will be headed to the state meet.
May 1 – Finals
Jacob Cantu (9th) and Adrian Reyna (10th) started things off in the 3200m run. Cantu placed 3rd with a time of 9:46.29, while Reyna finished 7th in 9:57.56.
May 1 – Prelims
The 4x100m relay team of Chase Guevara, Angel De La Rosa, Christopher Jacques, and Jewell Hicks finished 9th in the prelims with a time of 45.22, narrowly missing the finals by one place.
In the 400m dash prelims, Jewell Hicks placed 1st with a time of 50.67.
The 4x400m relay team of Chase Guevara, Jewell Hicks, Clayton Jopling, and Sebastian Garcia placed 3rd in the prelims with a time of 3:32.98.
May 2 – Finals
Field events got things started. In the discus, Noah Smoot placed 5th with a throw of 134 feet, 5 inches. In the long jump, Angel De La Rosa placed 12th out of 16 with a jump of 19 feet, 10 inches.
On the track, Sebastian Garcia competed in the 800m dash. Entering the race, it was expected to be a highly competitive field with only the top two advancing to state. Garcia placed 3rd with a time of 1:55.48, a three-second improvement from his previous personal best. While he did not earn an automatic bid, he secured a wild card spot by posting the fastest time among all third-place finishers across the four regions. Garcia is a 2026 State Qualifier.
In the 400m dash, Jewell Hicks placed 1st with a time of 49.47. The race came down to the wire against San Antonio Cole’s Nasir Tapia. After falling short in previous matchups, Hicks executed the race plan perfectly earning lane four in the finals with Tapia in lane five. Hicks got out aggressively and maintained his lead, holding off Tapia in the final 10 meters to become the Region IV Champion. Hicks is a 2026 State Qualifier.
In the 1600m run, Jacob Cantu and Diego Reyna competed in a strong field. The pace went out fast, with a 62-second first lap and 2:08 at the half. Both runners were in contention midway through the race. With 500 meters remaining, Cantu made his move and never looked back, winning the race in 4:21.93. He also broke the regional record previously set by Poth’s Wyatt Hoover (4:23.92) in 2022. Reyna placed 5th with a time of 4:32.18, closing out an outstanding career as a Pirate. His leadership and impact on the program will be remembered. Cantu is a 2026 State Qualifier and currently ranks 3rd in the 1600m across all classifications in Texas.
In the final event, the 4x400m relay team of Chase Guevara, Jewell Hicks, and Clayton Jopling placed 6th with a time of 3:27.91 in a highly competitive race. Although they fell short of advancing to state, this group leaves behind a lasting legacy as the Lytle High School record holders with a time of 3:23.62. We are grateful for everything they contributed to the program.
Your 2026 state qualifiers will compete at the UIL State Championships at the University of Texas at Austin on May 14.
- Coach Benavides
