The Harlingen South track & field team departed for the UIL 6A regional meet Thursday morning with its sights set on San Antonio’s Alamo Stadium and, hopefully, state.
South’s head coach Ralph De La Rosa took nine athletes to compete in nine different events — four in field events, four in running events and one 4×400 relay team. And with a large contingent of underclassmen on the squad, De La Rosa is not worried about his team showing up.
“The way we’ve focused and prepared for this is that this is not a vacation,” he said. “We are going to compete and it’s another competitive meet. But I think the sophomore and the underclassman are going to really try and make a name for themselves.
“Our job right now is to run on Saturday and that means you’re in the top eight, so if you can be in the top eight with this bunch then you’ve done something.”
One person in particular De La Rosa is hoping does well today is Marcus Ramirez, who had a pole vault jump of 14-00.00 in last week’s area competition.
“In our field events, Marcus with his best jump of the year could possibly be number one in the region,” said De La Rosa. “But a lot of guys in district or in area meets don’t vault their best because they’re just trying to vault to get to regionals. So sometimes the numbers can be a little deceiving, but we know what we can do and we just need to do it.”
Despite not being able to repeat as area champions, the team is motivated to advance to state.
“Right now our team is pretty excited about going to regionals,” said Noah Perez. “But we’re going to compete and we’re looking to place, and get some of us to state.
“Coach has always said that we just asked for our chance and now we have to go out there and give it our best.”
“This is not just your district and your area anymore, now it’s the region’s best that are coming together,” added Abraham Villafranca. “Now we just have to focus on ourselves and try our best.”
On the girls side, the Lady Hawks’ Caroline Grannum was the lone qualifier for the regional tournament after the freshman’s 37-foot triple jump in the area meet was enough to break the previous record of 36-8 set by Los Fresnos’ JaleahCalvillo in 2015.
However, as coach Dolores Cruz explained, the 37-foot jump wasn’t even her personal best.
“If she is jumping well then she has a chance of making the top three,” Cruz said of Grannum. Hopefully she is going to PR and hopefully she will hit 38 feet and I think that might be good enough for third place.”
