HARLINGEN — Running events took center stage during Day 2 of the Area 31/-32-5A and 6A meet, with athletes fighting for a spot in next week’s Region IV-5A and 6A championships in San Antonio.
The top four finishers from each event earn a spot at the regional meet next week, with the top two finishers at regionals advancing to the state meet in May.
From Harlingen High’s Faith Franklin to PSJA High’s Jaime Lopez, here is a look at some of the top performer’s from Thursday’s Area 31/32-5A and 6A running finals.
SAN JUANITA LEAL, EDINBURG NORTH
Leal secured the distance running triple crown during Thursday’s Area 31/32-6A running finals, winning her third straight 1,600-meter area title, while adding her first 800-meter run area championship.
The pair of first-place finishes brought her gold medal count to three during the area meet, also winning the 3,200-meter run during Day 1.
The Texas A&M signee turns her attention to next week’s Region IV-6A championship with a good chance to make it three straight meets with a triple crown, ranking in the top two in the region in all three events this year.
FAITH FRANKLIN, HARLINGEN HIGH
Franklin’s final meet in the Rio Grande Valley was a spectacle, setting area meet records in each of her three appearances.
The Vanderbilt signee opened the day by blazing past the competition in the 31/32-6A 400-meter dash in a time of 53.12, breaking her own area meet record set last year.
A few races later Franklin set another record, clocking in at 23.99 during the 200-meter dash to break her own mark set in 2022.
Franklin capped her final local meet by anchoring Harlingen High’s 4×400-meter relay team, helping the Cardinals finish in 3 minutes, 57.01 seconds to break an area meet mark of 3:58.05 set by Weslaco High in 2017.
Harlingen High’s sprinter enters next weekend’s regional meet ranking in the top 2 in each of her qualifying events.
SOPHIA FLORES, McALLEN HIGH
It was an eventful two-days for McAllen High’s sophomore sprinter, qualifying in four events for next week’s Region IV-5A championships.
After earning a regional berth in the long jump during Wednesday’s field events, Flores put on a show during Day 2, earning a trio of podium finishes during the running finals.
The Bulldogs sprinter opened yesterday’s meet by anchoring McAllen High’s 4×100-meter relay team, leading McHi to the gold and an area meet record.
She added an individual area meet record during the 100-meter dash, finishing in 12.15 seconds to break a mark of 12.31 set by Rio Grande City’s Daniela Muniz in 2019.
Flores just missed out on a third gold medal during the 200-meter dash, finishing just 0.4 seconds behind Edinburg Vela’s Zia Casas for second.
The sophomore is now set on qualifying for her first state meet, just missing out last year in the 100-meter dash after finishing third at regionals.
SARAH SANUSI, HARLINGEN HIGH
While Harlingen High’s Faith Franklin is amid her swan song of a decorated career, another Cardinals sprinter is just getting started.
Sanusi, a freshman, has made serious waves during her first varsity season, winning her first district title in the 100-meter dash during last week’s 32-6A meet.
The continued that early career success during this week’s area championships, adding another first-place finish to her resume in the same event.
Sanusi was also a part of Harlingen High’s regional qualifying 4×200 relay team, anchoring them to a third-place finish in the event Thursday.
The freshman sprinter is now gearing up for her first regional appearance of her career.
YAZMIN GUERRA, PSJA SOUTHWEST
During Day 1 of the Area 31/32-5A meet, McAllen High’s Dana Rojas Vazquez got the best of Guerra in the 3,200-meter run, with Rojas Vazquez winning the event followed by the Southwest distance runner in second.
Thursday belonged to the Javelinas’ junior, however, with Guerra holding off Rojas Vazquez for the gold in the 1,600-meter run. Guerra finished in 5:06.33 for the win, with Rojas Vazquez finishing in 5:07.25 for second.
The win by Guerra secured back-to-back area titles for the junior, sending her to her third straight regional meet. Guerra’s time also set an area record, breaking the previous best of 5:09.23 set by Edcouch-Elsa’s Krysta Martinez in 2014.
She’ll look to make it out of regionals for the first time in her career next week, set to compete in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.
HECTOR SUAREZ, PSJA MEMORIAL
Coming off a pair of district titles during last week’s meet, Suarez looked primed for another big day heading into yesterday’s running finals.
The senior hurdler took care of business in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles for a second straight meet, repeating as area champion in both events during Thursday’s running finals.
Suarez has no earned back-to-back district and area titles in both events, securing his second straight regional berth.
The Wolverines athlete is looking for more this year, in search of his first state meet appearance during his senior year.
Suarez is in position to reach that goal, entering next week’s regional championships ranked in the top 2 in the region in both events.
OSIEL CANTU, PSJA HIGH
It was a dominant day for PSJA ISD hurdlers during yesterday’s running finals, with Cantu making it a clean sweep of the boys 5A and 6A hurdling events.
Cantu, who finished as runner-up in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles a year ago, claimed the top spot in the podium in each event this season in comfortable fashion.
The senior hurdler beat out San Benito’s Josiah Castillo for first in the 110-meter hurdles by 0.7 seconds, finishing in 15.00 for the gold. He added his second first-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles, clocking in at 39.77 to beat Harlingen High’s Noah Huerta (40.89) for first.
Like Suarez, Cantu will be in search of his first state meet appearance during next week’s regional meet in San Antonio.
JAIME LOPEZ, PSJA HIGH
Lopez earned a pair of regional berths during Friday’s running finals, blazing past the competition in the 31/32-6A 100- and 200-meter dash.
His win in the 100-meter dash marked his second straight area title in the event, while his victory in the 200-meter dash marked the second area title of his career.
Lopez set personal bests in both events Thursday, clocking in at 10.85 in the 100 and 21.92 in the 200.
The Bears senior is now set to make the second straight regional meet appearance of his career.
ANGEL RODRIGUEZ, SHARYLAND PIONEER
Rodriguez punched his ticket to next week’s regional championships during Wednesday’s field event portion of the area competition, coming in first in the long jump and fourth in the high jump.
He added two more regional spots during Thursday’s running finals, earning a pair of gold medals during the event.
The sophomore athlete beat out the competition during the 400-meter dash, finishing in 49.91 seconds for the win.
He added his fourth regional spot during the final race of the night, anchoring the Diamondbacks 4×400 relay team to a win. Pioneer’s time of 3:21.55 set a new area meet record, breaking Corpus Christi Ray’s mark of 3:23.97 set in 2014.
Rodriguez enters next week’s meet ranked first in the region in two events, holding the top mark this year in the long jump and the 400.
JESUS H. RODRIGUEZ, EDINBURG ECONOMEDES
Rodriguez had been knocking on the door of an area title for the past three years. As a sophomore he finished fourth in the 800-meter run, just missing out on a regional berth.
Last year he finished second in the same event, making his first regional meet appearance.
This year Rodriguez is headed back to the regional meet, only this time with the title of Area 31/32-6A champion.
The senior mid-distance runner beat out Edinburg North’s Diego Torres for first in the event, clocking in at 1:57.38.
Rodriguez is set to compete in a pair of events during next week’s Region IV-6A championships in San Antonio, also qualifying in the 1,600-meter run.
For a look at the results from all of this week’s area meets featuring RGV competition, click here.
