BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
Edinburg High’s Alexandria Cruz will make her first trek to the UIL state track meet this weekend at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin. The senior runner will compete in the Class 6A 800-meter and 1600-meter run.
Once exclusively a distance runner, Cruz took up the 800 this season to better her chances of advancing to the state level. She won gold in the event at regionals on May 2 in San Antonio with a time of 2 minutes, 10.79 seconds. But with the added success comes the added pressure of running a middle and long-distance race with little down time.
“I’ll only have about two hours between races on Saturday,” Cruz said. “After the 800 I’ll have my cool-off time, which is 35 to 40 minutes. Then I’ve got my stretches for the mile, which is about an hour or so. Those two hours isn’t as long as it sounds. The time goes by pretty fast.”
Cruz set a new Valley record in the 1600 in San Antonio with a second-place time of 4:45.14. The previous record of 4:54.58 was set by Sonia Sepulveda, also an Edinburg High alum, in 1991. Cruz’s best time in the 800 of 2:10.79 is the third best in Valley history. The Valley record is 2:08.50 and was set by Maggie Salinas of PSJA High in 1981.
Though this is Cruz’s first trip to the state meet, it will not be her first time running at Mike A. Myers Stadium. She has participated twice in the Texas Relays in Austin, and will run for the University of Texas beginning this fall. The Longhorns use the stadium as their home track.
“I’m not really going with any pressures or nerves right now,” Cruz said. “I’m more excited than I am nervous. Knowing that I’ve competed there, it makes me feel more excited.”
OTHER STATE FINALISTS
Sharyland Pioneer’s Nora Monie will have two chances to win gold at state when she competes in the Class 5A girls shot put and discus throw. Monie, a senior who will attend the University of Houston in the fall, enters the discus with the best seed mark of 136 feet, 8 inches, and has the second-best seed mark in the shot (44-03).
Edinburg Vela high jumper Brendon Rivera will compete for a state title in Class 5A at 1 p.m. on Friday. Rivera’s seed mark of 6-10 is the best among his competitors. The senior holds the Valley’s best mark in the high jump with an effort of 7-02.
La Joya Juraez-Lincoln senior Yariel Matute represents the Huskies in the Class 6A 400-meter run at 7:45 on Saturday. Matute placed second in the event at regionals with a time of 48.94, the Valley’s fastest time on the season.
Roma senior Kassy Rocha will compete in the Class 5A girls triple jump after placing second at regionals (36-06.75).