|
Only have a minute? Listen instead
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Valley athletes have struck gold often during distance running at the UIL track and field state meet. Since 1954, 27 individuals have finished at the top of the podium, bringing home a combined 41 gold medals.
Raymondville’s Melton Soward and Harlingen High’s Leonard Penny became the first two to take home gold in a distance event at the state meet, finishing in first during the 1954 state meet in the 800- and 1,600-meter runs, respectively, according to Valley track and field historian Carlos Vela.
PSJA High’s Maggie Salinas was the first girls distance state champion, taking the gold in the 800-meter run in 1980.
More recently, PSJA Memorial’s Cruz Gomez captured the state title in the boys’ 3,200-meter run in 2019, while Edinburg IDEA Quest’s Valery Tobias capped her high school career with three straight state championships in the 800-meter run from 2016-2018.
A new wave of Valley athletes are looking to etch their name among the Valley’s great distance runners, with nine athletes set to compete in distance events during the 2022 UIL state track and field championships beginning today Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.
“I’m very happy to see that. I hope the numbers keep increasing,” Gomez said. “This is what I envisioned back when I was still in high school. It used to just be a little bit of us going. But every time the Valley sent athletes to the state meet, we were showing out. … It just makes me very happy to see that more athletes are getting out of the region and making it to state. It’ll lead to more exposure to bigger universities and things like that.”
The Valley’s string of success has led to a surge in distance athletes signing to run at the NCAA Division I level.
PSJA North’s Hector Solis signed his letter of intent to run for the Texas Longhorns earlier this year, joining Gomez, Tobias, Edinburg North’s Beth Ramos and Weslaco High’s Amity Ebarb on the team.
McAllen High’s Sabrina Garza and Sharyland High’s Diego Heredia each signed with Texas A&M this week, while Mission High’s Rogelio Aguirre committed to the University of Texas-Arlington in November.
Donna High’s Kevin Hernandez, Edinburg Economedes’ Dianett Garcia and Sharyland High’s Danielle Salinas all signed to compete at the University of the Incarnate Word.
Like Gomez, Tobias said the success at the state and regional level has helped Valley athletes earn the exposure they deserve.
“We didn’t get to go to big meets when I was in high school,” Tobias said. “The only big meet we would go to was state or regionals. That’s why it was so important because it was the meet where you’d see college scouts. That was a challenge in high school. We didn’t have facilities like other schools. But as long as you have the drive and discipline, the opportunity would be there.”
The success continued during Day 1 of the UIL state track and field championships, with La Feria’s Liana Navarro coming in third during the Class 4A 3,200-meter run Thursday.
Navarro, who was making her second state meet appearance, finished in 11 minutes, 10.09 seconds, nearly six seconds faster than the fourth-place competitor.
Class 5A athletes will look to add to the Valley’s medal collection during Day 2 of the state meet, with three individuals set to run today.
McAllen Memorial junior Ayden Granados highlights the group, fresh off a pair of regional titles in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs during the Region IV-5A meet April 30.
Granados enters the state meet ranked No. 1 in both events based off each athletes qualifying times from their respective regional meets. He’ll look to become the third boys RGV athlete to earn gold in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs during the same year. Santa Rosa’s Miguel Zamorano and Marc Prado accomplished the feat in 1996 and 1998, respectively.
“It’ll be amazing to be one of those people that get remembered,” Granados said. “I’ve heard them talk about the Cruz Gomez era and the Ariel Galvan era. It would be nice to hear them say the Ayden Granados era. That would be everything. To be out there and be compared to athletes from the past and then show what we can do now. It sparks a flame for me to try harder and really push it and leave it all out there.”
Donna High’s Kevin Hernandez joins Granados in the 3,200-meter run, coming in second during the Region IV-5A meet. Meanwhile, La Joya Palmview’s Destiny Quintanilla earned a spot in the state meet as a wildcard in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.
In Class 6A, Edinburg North’s San Juanita Leal and PSJA North’s Hector Solis will compete in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs. Leal, a sophomore, and Solis, a senior, are making their first state meet appearances.
Solis is hoping to join PSJA North’s Wesley Keating as the school’s second distance running state champion, with Keating coming in first in the 3,200-meter run during 2001 state meet. Earlier this year, Solis broke Keating’s 21-year school record in the event by .5 seconds.
“I know a lot bout Wesley,” Solis said. “We’ve talked a lot leading up to the state meet. Joining him as a state champion, it’ll show the Raider program is rich in developing distance runners. It would be stellar. There aren’t many words that function to describe it.”
Lasara’s Selissa Gonzales’ also qualified for the state meet, set to compete in the Class 1A 800-meter run.
Class 1A and 6A athletes are scheduled to run during Day 3 of the state meet beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.
“They shouldn’t feel scared to be running against other people from bigger schools in Texas,” Tobias said. “Valley athletes are just as talented as any other athlete there. Once they step on the line, it’s anybody’s game. Whatever they want to do, they got it.”
