By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
The Hanna boys and girls will try to repeat as district champions during Friday’s District 32-6A cross country meet at BrownsvilleSportsPark.
The meet at the BSP soccer complex will begin with the varsity girlsrace at 9 a.m. The varsity boys run next, followed by the subvarsity races.
One year ago in District 32-5A, the Golden Eagles took home boys and girls team titles at the meet in Los Fresnos. It was the seventh time in the past eight years the Hanna boys were district team champions, and the Hanna girls captured the district title for the second straight season.
Hanna and the other Brownsville schools, with the exception of Pace and Porter, are now in 32-6A. The Hanna girls still have a strong team, but the Hanna boys were hit hard by graduation. Regardless, both Hanna squads are nurturing hopes of continuing their tradition of district success.
The top three varsity teams for boys and girls advance to the Region IV meet Nov. 1 in San Antonio. The top 10 individual varsity finishers also advance.
“Yes, I do think my team is ready,” Hanna coach Olaya Teran said. “I have a young team, so hopefully they can pull through.
“We have three freshman girls running at the varsity level, so it might be a bit tough to ask, but they are hard-working girls that have run really well this season,” Teran added. “In the boys division, hopefully we can qualify (for the regional meet). My seniors need to pull through. They have the ability.”
Hanna’s Juan Uribe and Los Fresnos’ Jenny Zapata were last year’s individual champions in 32-5A. They have graduated and received scholarships to run in college.
The Hanna girls, led by Mariana Sanchez and Naomi Lucio, figure to be challenged for the 32-6A team title by Brownsville Veterans Memorial, and possibly Los Fresnos and Harlingen High.
The Rivera boys, led by Cristian Machuca and Anthony Garza, appear to be the favorites in their 32-6A division with possible challenges from Brownsville Veterans, Hanna, Harlingen High and San Benito .
“I feel my boys are ready,” Rivera coach Arturo Hurtado said. “They’ve been running well all season, so I don’t see why they wouldn’t do well at the district meet.”
After he won the varsity boysrace at the recent Brownsville ISD meet, Rivera’s Garza said, “We’ve got to work harder, and we’ve got to work together. All of us can do it. We can be at the top. I would just say the Raiders are coming. We want to go to state.”
At the regional meet, the top four teams and the top 10 individuals not attached to the top four teams advance to the UIL state meet Nov. 8 at Round Rock.