DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Natali Gonzalez could not contain herself.
While the La Joya Palmview senior probably didn’t run the race of her life at the Mission “Fly Like An Eagle” Invitational on Saturday morning, she came close.
“Mom!” Gonzalez gushed to Monica Flores after learning of her 18:37.9 time to win the varsity girls 5K division. “Almost a minute off (her previous best time) … Who does that? Who does that?”
Gonzalez shrunk into her mother’s arms and the two embraced, a defining celebration for what each hopes is a defining year.
While most runners and teams competing at Kenneth White Junior High had their minds on their respective district meets in two weeks, Gonzalez’s was on a bigger picture.
She wants a trip to state. She also wants to run for UTPA. All of that drove Gonzalez toward her first-place finish, smashing her previous personal record by almost a minute and allowing her first meet championship since her freshman year.
“I’ve been working so hard, and to think where I was four years ago and to finally be here, it’s like, wow,” an elated Gonzalez said. “Going into this year, I wanted to be focused. I want to go out with a bang.
“I want it to be when people look back at me, they think, ‘Wow. That girl was wow.’”
Running has always been in Gonzalez’s blood. Her aunt Pamela Flores was a former cross country and track and field coach at La Joya High. When Gonzalez was 3 years old, she would run with Pamela Flores’ varsity teams at meets.
“This started way back, when she was 3 or 4 years old, running with varsity girls at meets my sister went to,” Monica Flores said. “It’s been her life, it’s in her genes.
“It’s a family bonding thing and we’re united through this.”
Gonzalez has run varsity for the Lobos since her freshman year, when she finished fourth overall in district. Since then, her career has been full of ups and downs.
With the 6A district meet on the horizon, Gonzalez wanted a race to be proud of going in, unlike the Meet of Champs race two weeks ago when a brief letup at the end prevented her from finishing on the first team.
“Coach was like, ‘Nat, she’s (second-place finisher Isabel Mendoza of Sharyland Pioneer) right behind you,’ so I just sprinted,” Gonzalez said of Saturday’s race. “All I could think about was the Meet of Champs, where I was about to cross the finish line and it was boom, boom, boom. Girls just crossing right before me. That left me in tears.
“So I just sprinted today. I gave it my all.”
Gonzalez has certainly put in the time. Last week, she was one of two Palmview runners to compete at the McNeil Invitational in Round Rock. Gonzalez had the opportunity to see the type of competition she hopes to see at state.
She left central Texas inspired, adding that she was “so grateful for the experience.”
“It’s her senior year, so obviously the commitment is greater,” Palmview coach Claudia Bazan said. “She knows what’s at stake, and that’s what’s driving her.”
In the varsity boys 5K division, there was no such emotion. Mission Veterans Memorial senior G.J. Reyna once again dominated the field with a 15:33.6, as cool as can be wearing black sunglasses, winning his fourth meet this season.
Reyna is running for a return trip to the state meet, where he finished 18th last season with a 16:32.92, and desires a top-five finish. His belief this season has been that a time under 16 minutes would accomplish that.
“There’s a lot that’s different from last year to this year,” Reyna said. “Experience is the main thing. I’m a lot smarter, more aware. I’m stronger. I’m faster. And now it’s about applying all that.”
Mission Veterans Memorial coach William Proctor agreed his star runner is a young man on a mission.
“He’s stronger and he’s more confident,” Proctor said. “He’s aware of his abilities, but he’s also running smarter. He knows what he has to do to get the job done.”
Aside from Reyna’s accomplishment, the Patriots, ranked seventh in Class 5A in the state by the Texas Cross Country Coaches Association, won first place as a team. Three other Patriots finished in the top 10 individually.
“I felt like we’ve been missing something lately,” Proctor said. “We started real strong this season, then we kind of got complacent. I know we’ve been physically ready. It was more about the mental side.
“I just wanted them to run hard today, compete, and they did. They ran the way I wanted them to, and they probably even exceeded my expectations.”
Mission “Fly Like An Eagle” Invitational
At Kenneth White Junior High
Saturday’s Results
Boys
Team Results — 1. Mission Veterans Memorial, 35 points; 2. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 44 points; 3. La Joya Palmview, 56 points; 4. La Joya High, 104 points; 5. McAllen Rowe, 141
Individual Results — 1. G.J. Reyna, Mission Veterans Memorial, 15:33.6; 2. Victor Bocanegra, La Joya Palmview, 15:39.1; 3. Martin Baez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 15:47.4; 4. Fabian Garcia, Mission Veterans Memorial, 15:54.4; 5. Mischel Lara, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 15:55.8; 6. Jose Aleman, Sharyland Pioneer, 16:03.2; 7. Tristen Robles, La Joya Palmview, 16:04.7; 8. Martin Garcia, Mission Veterans Memorial, 16:08.6; 9. Floretino Castillo, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 16:09.6; 10. Jesus Mata, Mission Veterans Memorial, 16:13.9; 11. Jorge Santoyo, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 16:14.1; 12. Jesus Jaime, La Joya Palmview, 16:18.5; 13. Eliseo Rodriguez, La Joya Palmview, 16:26.6; 14. Ricardo Mendoza, La Joya High, 16:29.9; 15. Alvaro Mendez, Mission Veterans Memorial, 16:30.8; 16. Joey Martinez, La Joya High, 16:31.0; 17. JR De Ochoa, Mission Veterans Memorial, 16:33.5; 18. Eric Chavez, Mission Veterans Memorial, 16:33.5; 19. Jorge Perez, Mission High, 16:36.1; 20. Oscar Torres, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 16:39.7.
Girls
Team Results — 1. La Joya Palmview, 34 points; 2. Sharyland Pioneer, 50 points; 3. PSJA Memorial, 71 points; 4. Mission Veterans Memorial, 114 points; 5. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 140 points; 6. McAllen High, 164 points; 7. Edinburg Vela, 165 points.
Individual Results — 1. Natali Gonzalez, La Joya Palmview, 18:37.9; 2. Isabel Mendoza, Sharyland Pioneer, 18:41.9; 3. Lizette Chapa, Sharyland Pioneer, 18:50.7; 4. Briana Robles, La Joya Palmview, 19:08.7; 5. Violet Torres, PSJA Memorial, 19:28.6; 6. Yareli Tamez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 19:28.6; 7. Mia Hinojosa, La Joya Palmview, 19:34.8; Valerie Gutierrez, Grulla, 19:35.1; 9. Stephanie Ovalle, PSJA Memorial, 19L36.1; 10. Julissa Montoya, La Joya High, 19:53.3; 11. Naila Flores, La Joya Palmview, 19:55.5; 12. Alexandria Canchola, McAllen High, 19:58.9; 13. Kasandra Rodriguez, PSJA Memorial, 20:05.5; 14. Nadia Gutierrez, Sharyland Pioneer, 20:12.0; 15. Ana Maldonado, La Joya Palmview, 20:13.9; 16. Maria Gonzalez, Mission Veterans Memorial, 20:25.5; 18. Joanna Alanis, Edinburg Vela, 20:31.9; 19. Lupe Cruz, Mission Veterans Memorial, 20:41.7; 20. Lauren Garza, Sharyland Pioneer, 20:49.7.