Posted: Tue, 4 May 2010 10:31 PM - 8,425 Readers

By: Rick Cantu

Brittany Roberts lifted the weight of the world off her shoulders Monday with a ball of steel that weighs 8 pounds, 13 ounces.

After finishing second in the shot put the past two years at the Region IV track and field meet at Alamo Stadium, the Connally High senior became a Class 5A meet champion with a toss of 42 feet, 7 1/2 inches to earn a trip to the state meet, May 14-15 in Austin.

When a visitor suggested Roberts must have had "unfinished business" entering regionals, she pointed at a teammate's T-shirt with that phrase spread across his back.

"I'm still not done," Roberts said, referring to her appearance at the upcoming state meet.

Speaking of Connally, no one looked more imposing than Cougar senior Anthony Bryant, a 6-3, 220-pound freight train who qualified for today's finals with a blazing sprint of 10.94 seconds in the 5A 100 meters. An outfielder with the Cougar baseball team, Bryant had only competed in one track meet — the District 25-5A championships — entering regionals.

Bryant's friends call him a "freak," a compliment for the versatile athlete who recently signed a baseball scholarship with Southern Cal. Not surprisingly, he played wide receiver for Connally's football team, too.

Roberts and Bryant were among a large group of Central Texans who fared well in the opening day of the regional meet, which resumes today with field events at 9:30 a.m. and running events at noon.

Joining Roberts as opening-day gold diggers were Demi Payne of New Braunfels, who won the 5A pole vault at 12 feet, 1 1/2 inches, and LBJ senior Kierra White, who took first in the 4A triple jump at 37-103/4 . They were joined by a pair of New Braunfels Canyon girls in 4A: Chamaya Turner won the discus at 144-11 and Britney Carter took the high jump at 5-5.

Austin High junior Rachel Baptista earned her second berth to the state meet by finishing a strong second in the 5A 3,200 meters. Hendrickson's Shavona Tavarez finished second to White in the triple jump with a leap of 36-2 1/4.

Among the qualifiers for today's finals is Dripping Springs junior Bailey Johnson, a two-time state meet qualifier. Running with a wrap around her left knee — a constant reminder of when she dislocated her kneecap during basketball season — she easily qualified for the 4A 300-meter hurdles, winning her heat in a season-best 45.93 seconds. Johnson also ran anchor on the 800-meter relay team that qualified for today's finals.

LBJ senior Marvellous Ikeuwumere lived up to her first name with a pair of impressive victories, winning heats in the 4A 100 meters in 12.26 seconds and the 200 meters at 25.15. Anderson senior Kelti Rippenhagen easily won her heat in the 5A 100 meters, crossing the tape at 15.15 seconds .

Among the Central Texas 4A athletes who will compete in regional finals today are Keeley Wagner of Lake Travis and Killeen's Bria McIver (100 hurdles); Lake Travis' Andy Erickson (200 meters); Hendrickson's Joshua McKinney and McCallum's Mercedes Perry (400 meters); Killeen's Jaquail Haskins (100 meters); Aaron Reyna of Lampasas (110 hurdles); Chamaya Turner of New Braunfels Canyon (shot put); and Killeen's Drevan Anderson-Kaapa and Reagan's Robert Algere (800 meters).

Among the area 5A athletes who advanced to today's finals are Anderson's Sasha Gibson and Connally's Megan Matthews (100 meters); Bowie's Justin Romero , Austin High's Rajeem Garnett and Bowie's Hannah Setterquist (800 meters); Bowie's Jillian Guerrero (triple jump); and Westlake's Van Gramann and Pflugerville's Drew Travis in the 400 meters.

* photography by John Davenport