Belton has strong showing at area meet

April 10, 2025

By Clay Whittington

The Belton Journal

State is one step away for multiple Belton ISD athletes.

After a season of preparation, numerous Belton and Lake Belton standouts

are just one event away from their discipline’s ultimate stage — the University Interscholastic League Track & Field State Championships.

Beginning today, their fates will be determined.

The two-day Region II-5A meet takes place at Maverick Stadium on the University of Texas at Arlington campus, where the top two finishers in each event automatically advance to state. The next best showing from across the four regional meets qualifies as a wild card entrant.

Among the local contingency will be several area champions.

Hosted by Lake Belton, the District 15/16 area meet saw Broncos senior Julian Walker win the long jump with a mark of 22 feet, 6¾ inches and junior teammate Kendrick Jones Jr. claim the gold medal in the 400-meter run, crossing the finish line in 47.25 seconds.

Furthermore, in the girls division, Lake Belton senior Abigail Rydberg cleared 12 feet, 0 inches to win the pole vault, matching the performances from Lady Tigers senior Olivia Brillhart (1st, 3,200, 11:10.59) and sophomore Damauria Nolan-Hemphill (1st, long jump, 19-4).

Although they will be favorites, they will not be the only Belton ISD products in attendance.

By placing among the top four in an area event, athletes qualified for regionals, and five Tigers advanced in six events.

Senior pole vaulter Logan Lamberte (2nd, 14- 0), junior Christian Porter (2nd, 400, 48.32; 4th, 200, 22.33), senior Joshua Roberts (3rd, pole vault, 13-0), senior distance runner John Zachary Moehlenbrock (4th, 800, 2:02.11) and sophomore Graham Chambley (4th, 110 hurdles, 15.11) extended their seasons.

The boys regional meet will also include Lake Belton sophomore Zion Harness (2nd, 100, 10.85), senior Travellis Harrison (3rd, discus, 152-10), sophomore Michael Lockett (3rd, high jump, 5-10), senior Michael Frazier (4th, triple jump, 43-7) and the Broncos 400 relay team of Josh Mallard, Christian Onchweri, Harness and Jones, who placed third (41.18) at area.

As teams, Lake Belton was seventh with 60 points, while Belton was eighth (45).

Midlothian emerged as the team champion, scoring 102 points to immediately beat out Killeen Ellison (2nd, 90) and Red Oak (3rd, 70).

In the girls division, Red Oak (1st, 116), Midlothian Heritage (2nd, 96), Midlothian (3rd, 77), Lake Belton (4th, 62) and Belton (5th, 60) occupied the top five spots.

Along with Rydberg, the Lady Broncos qualified sophomore Dannika Kelley (2nd, high jump, 5-0), junior Keely Camacho (3rd, 100 hurdles, 15.76) and two relay teams for the regional meet.

Chelsie Miller, Aleya Russell, Moriah Rydberg and Bella Garcia were second (1:40.33) in the 800 relay, while Nylah Berrian and Kennedy Hall joined Russell and Garcia to place fourth (47.80) in the 400 relay.

Nolan-Hemphill is also on the verge of state after placing third in the 100 (11.96) and 200 (25.05) at area, where Brillhart was second (5:06.68) in the 1,600.

Laila Page, a junior, completes Belton’s list of regional qualifiers after claiming the silver medal in the pole vault with a height of 10-0