LA FERIA — Rio Grande Valley track & field athletes from Class 4A and below competed in the preliminary portion of the Meet of Champions on Friday at La Feria.
Qualifiers advance to the finals held today at Bogus Stadium in Harlingen.
The top four finishers in every competition besides the 2-mile, mile and 800-meter runs qualify for the finals. Athletes in the 2-mile, mile and 800-meter runs have already qualified for today’s races because of their times throughout the season.
La Feria’s Mia Trevino cruised to a first-place finish in the two-mile run. The sophomore looks likely to continue the tradition of fantastic La Feria long-distance runners.
“I felt pretty good compared to the last meet,” she said. “This meet was hot, but I did not feel it when I was running.”
Port Isabel’s Madison Ramos competed in the high jump. She finished third in state for 4A in the high jump last year. The Meet of Champions is a good meet for her to gauge the competition in the region.
“I am feeling pretty confident,” she said. “I do have a personal goal of clearing 5-8 this year, but we will see. I am proud of how I have come so far this year.”
San Isidro’s Jaime Mendoza qualified for the finals in the triple and long jump.
“I feel like my performance was good today, but I can only make it better (today),” he said. “I had a busy schedule, but I am getting into it right now. It is only getting better from here.”
Lyford’s Mark Marroquin and Port Isabel’s Gilbert Medina and Daniel Zamarron will join Mendoza in the triple. Marroquin also qualified for the long jump along with teammate Justin Vela. Progreso’s Daniel Trevino rounds out long jump qualifiers.
Grulla’s Melanei Davila, La Feria’s Ashley Reath, Raymondville’s Avery Knight and Progreso’s Sophia Pecina qualified in the girls triple jump.
Pecina also qualified for the long jump. She is joined by La Feria’s Keira Castillo and Kaya Dickerson, as well as Brownsville St. Joseph’s Elise Esparza.
