MISSION — Since the beginning of his sophomore season, hardly anything has been able to slow down Mission High’s Rogelio Aguirre.
The Eagles’ star distance runner was making strides in all of his events, establishing himself as a household name throughout the Rio Grande Valley before Mission’s track season was cut short last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now a junior, nothing has stood in Aguirre’s way.
“It’s been pretty difficult given the circumstances, but overall, my goals have been to train hard and go out and get ready for the big ones,” he said.
“It’s (about) wanting to make a name for myself and just making others proud. I know there are family and friends who are looking up to me, so I wouldn’t want to let them down. That’s my drive.”
Aguirre unstoppable for the Eagles on the track this season, winning and setting new personal records in each of his three events: the 800, 1600 and 3200 meters.
After being denied the chance to compete in the District 31-6A meet last year, Mission’s star distance runner stole the show at 31-6A meet when he got his opportunity two weeks ago, winning three individual district championships in the three longest races of the day.
Aguirre helped lead the Eagles to a second-place team finish and capture seven individual district titles and headlines a talented group of track and field athletes representing Mission heading into the area meet Thursday at PSJA Stadium in Pharr.
“Knowing that all that hard work is paying off and just makes me want to keep going,” he said. “It’s amazing. Last year, I didn’t get to go (compete at) district, so making area is something I’m grateful for because it’s something I’ve been looking forward to possibly winning, if I could make it into the regional level.
Aguirre left his competition in the dust at the district meet, posting a new PR in the 800 and winning the 1,600 and 3,200 district titles by 14 and 38 seconds, respectively, the two largest margins of victory in any races at the 31-6A meet.
His determination has helped his teammates elevate their performances to another level and left an impression on Mission’s entire track and field program.
“That’s what you call true leadership,” Mission High head coach Danny Longoria said. “A true leader will never look down on their teammates and pick them up when they need it. That’s Roy.
“He’ll encourage when they need encouragement and he’ll celebrate when they celebrate even the smallest wins. To me, a young man like that is a true leader for doing everything the right way. He doesn’t miss workouts, he’s always on task in school and he’s an excellent student-athlete and a good person.”
The Eagles will also be led into the area meet by a trio of district champs who also double as decorated multi-sport athletes.
Tajh Jones and Jose Tovar — all-district honorees at wide receiver and defensive back, respectively, on the football field — have thrived for Mission in their return to track and field.
Jones had been battling an ankle injury since the end of football season, rebounded with the help of his coaches to become one of the RGV’s premier sprinters and jumpers this track season.
“The season started out kind of slow,” Jones said. “I felt pretty good but started off a little bit slow with just jumping. That got me into the groove of things. I did a lot of low impact stuff, the coaches really go with that and they know how to train us.”
Jones’ methodical approach to building up intensity as the season progressed has paid off.
He took first place in the 100-meter dash in a competitive field at the 31-6A meet after posting a new PR of 11.25 seconds. Jones also qualified for regionals by finishing second in the long jump and taking home the triple jump district title where he posted another personal best.
His triple jump mark of 41 feet and 9 inches at the district meet topped the nearest competitor by nearly 2 feet. Jones, however, feels that he can top those marks again heading into the area meet and advance to regionals.
“Going into this area, I feel stretched and loose. My legs feel fantastic,” he said. “You’ve got to have a positive mindset the whole time and go into every race, every jump with a positive mindset. You just have to keep telling yourself that you’re going to do good.”
Tovar, meanwhile, qualified for the area meet as one of the Valley’s most accomplished hurdlers who is coming off a performance where he posted some of his best times of the season.
Tovar, who was also recently picked to participate in the RGV Basketball Coaches Association Senior Showcase, won the district title in the 110-meter hurdles by three-hundredths of a second and posted a PR in the 300-meter hurdles to finish second.
“It feels really good when you’re going into the top ones, but that doesn’t stop me from pushing myself and going all out,” Tovar said. “I feel really confident. Hopefully, I’ll be advancing (to regionals), too. That’s the plan and I feel pretty good.”
He enters the area meet as another favorite along with Jose Ortiz, Mission’s top thrower, who qualified in the discus and took home a district title in the shot put with a 47-foot toss that registered as a new PR.
“Them being individual district champions made me proud of their resilience,” Longoria said. “Joey Ortiz won the shot put and came in fourth in the discus, but not only did he do that, but he was also a pitcher for our baseball team and our goalie for soccer. How much more proud could I be for these kids?”
Aguirre, who qualified for the state cross country meet in the fall, will be the tone-setter for Mission.
The Eagles’ junior is not only determined to get to regionals and beyond, but to continue to win all of his events and put Mission track and field on the map.
“The best part is that he runs the first race of the day in the 3,200, so the rest of the guys will see his demeanor,” Longoria said. “He’s going to attack the 3,200 and show them how it’s done because times are out the window. Now, it’s about championship racing. … Him being the first race really allows the rest of the competitors to see Roy’s demeanor, the way he attacks it, the way he carries himself and the way he prepares.”
“It’s a dream come true going out and representing Mission,” Aguirre said. “It’s just an amazing feeling, knowing that you’ve come this far and like people are cheering you on. … I know that I put into work, and I have what it takes to be among the best.”
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Twitter: @ByAndyMcCulloch
