David Lewis pic: H.M. King High School Senior David Lewis (right) won the Shot Put title - with a throw of 56’-3.5” - at the Region IV track and field meet held in San Antonio earlier this week. Lewis is scheduled to compete at the University Interscholastic League state meet to be held in Austin May 14-15. Standing next to Lewis is Head Track Coach Eddie Rios Jr. Senior David Lewis, of H.M. King High School, won the Shot Put title (with a throw of 56’-3.5”) at the Region IV track and field meet held in San Antonio earlier this week. By doing so, Lewis was awarded an invitation to compete at the University Interscholastic League state meet to be held in Austin May 14-15.

“It is a great feeling knowing I am going to state,” Lewis said. “The competition at region was rather tough.

The top four guys in our district were the ones I was very worried about, no one else really showed up.”

The H.M. King senior previously won the Shot Put title (with a throw of 56’-6.5”) at the District 31-4A meet held in Calallen in mid April. Though proud of his two championships, Lewis knows winning the state crown will be no easy task.

“I expect it to be very tough,” Lewis said. “My coach told me that right now I am somewhere in fourth or fifth place so I am going to have to do my best to win.”

Head Coach Eddie Rios Jr. said Lewis (the school’s first state qualifier in boys track since 1995) seized the region title from the get go.

“He went out and won it on the very first throw,” Rios said. “He did better in a couple of throws after that, but his first throw just set up everything.”

Researching Lewis’ state adversaries, Rios is confident Lewis is right up there with them.

“We have already been looking at the results in other regions,” Rios said. “A couple of the other competitors have distances of 57’ and 58’, which David is capable of. As long as he comes out and does his best then he should definitely have a shot.”

Approaching the final competition at the tail end of his high school career, Lewis is both thrilled and a tad downhearted.

“I’m kind of excited while also sad about it,” Lewis said. “Participating in sports here has been both fun and exciting.”

Freshman Jasmine Richardson also had an impressive showing at the region meet where she finished fifth in the 200-meter Dash and sixth in the 100-meter Dash.

Richardson, Hannah Peterson, Madeline Abrigo and Larissa Quintanilla finished twelfth in the 400-meter Relay.