By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
The Hanna cross country team is somewhere between reloading and rebuilding as its boys and girls squads begin quests for repeat district championships in 2014.
The new cross country season starts today for Rio Grande Valley teams at the Dog Pound Invitational in San Benito.
Hanna’s boys and girls won District 32-5A championships last season and will be competing against basically the same schools, except Porter and Pace, in District 32-6A this year. Hanna’s boys had won the 32-5A title seven out of the past eight years as Harlingen High captured it in 2012, while the Hanna girls were 32-5A champions the past two years.
As always, Hanna’s runners have some high expectations for themselves this season, considering their past successes.
“We need to have dedication, consistency and just the willingness to win,” Hanna senior Naomi Lucio said when asked about the factors that could make the Lady Eagles’ season successful again. “I feel like we can do some good things. We have some new freshmen coming in that will be helping us a lot. We hope that they’ll be able to step up and fill in for the ones who helped us last year but have graduated.”
Added Mariana Sanchez, also a senior, “We feel we have a team that is very promising, and we’re excited about that. It’s tough because I have high expectations, not only for myself but for the team as well. We have done well in previous years, and now I’m expecting the same or even better with our new runners this year.
“We have to work as a team,” Sanchez added. “That’s a very big key for us. Having that teamwork is important, plus having that determination of not wanting any other school come before us. It’s just about hard work, determination and wanting it. It does come down to that, who wants it more it the end.”
Sanchez finished second individually in the 32-5A girls race one year ago. Lucio was fifth. Sofia Salinas, now a sophomore, came in sixth.
Other runners who figure to challenge for a top-five spot on the Hanna girls squad include senior Janet Adame, junior Carolina Moreno and freshmen Audren Pineda, Scarlett Salazar and Estephania Aviles.
“Like always, it’s going to be tough (to win the girls district again),” said Hanna coach Olaya Teran, who is now entering her third season directing the cross country runners. “I think we are contenders because we have some strong runners. We’ll see how they perform and everything.
“It’s going to be pretty tough to win again (for the boys in district),” she added. “Probably Harlingen (High) is going to be strong. We’re kind of rebuilding (on the boys team). We have some strong runners. If they work as hard as we think they will, we should have a solid team. Right now I have a good group of five runners. Three of them are seniors and the other two are juniors.”
The senior boys are Rey Alvear, Dominic Castellanos and Jorge Serna. The juniors are David Martinez and Victor Rodriguez.
The key loss due to graduation for the Hanna boys is Juan Uribe, a district and regional champion in 2013 who advanced to the cross country state meet and placed 12th. Uribe also advanced to state in track and took fourth in the 3,200 meters. He’s now running at Texas A&M.
Alvear and Castellanos finished fifth and sixth, respectively, last year at the 32-5A meet to help the Eagles regain the district title from Harlingen High.
“To be able to see my teammates come back together again (for cross country) is an amazing feeling,” said Alvear, a four-year participant on the varsity. “There’s an aroma and an atmosphere (of running competition), and it feels great. I just want to get the season started already.
“We have some great potential this year,” he added. “Individually, we always have a few runners who can probably qualify to the regional meet. As a team, I feel we have the possibility of getting another district title. It’s going to be a tough season, I can tell you that, but we have a good chance.”
Teran said the top boys teams in 32-6A would appear to be Harlingen High, Rivera and Brownsville Veterans Memorial. For the girls, she said Brownsville Veterans and Rivera could be top contenders. Teran also said Los Fresnos’ boys and girls could figure into the mix.
“There’s going to be a lot of strong competition,” she said.