Four Speed School athletes across three sports won individual or team state championships this spring. The softball state championships brought home two titles to Tucson teams, with Utah Valley College-commit Abby Doughty leading her Cienega Bobcats to a win over fellow Tucson powerhouse Sahuaro. Sahuaro’s runner-up team also featured two Speed School athletes, Lauren Wedman and Bella Goerke.
Tucson’s southeast-side got a second softball championship when Noelle Kerr and the underdog Empire Ravens shocked the field in claiming the 3A title. A #12-seed heading into the postseason, Empire finished with a dominating 10-2 victory in the title game.
Meanwhile, Speed School athlete Mario Padilla joined with his Salpointe sprint teammates to win the always-thrilling 4x100m relay. In addition to the 400 relay title, Padilla and the Lancers took home 2nd place as a team. Also placing in the track championships were UHS’ Derrick Silva, taking home 4th in the 4×800 relay, and Pusch’s Lauren Corral, finishing 5th in the 4×400 relay (and 4th as a team).
The fourth state title came for Speed School athlete Mason Lee, with his Catalina Foothills team taking home the 4A tennis championship. For his part, Lee and his partner finished 2nd in 4A Doubles.
Credit is also due to the runner-up Salpointe baseball team, considered an dark horse to even qualify for the postseason. Once there, however, the Lancers – with Speed School athletes Efrain Cervantes, Damon Fairall, and Daniel Durazo on the roster – stormed through the bracket all the way to the title game, finally falling to Nogales.
