BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
SAN ANTONIO — Alexandria Cruz wasn’t worried about the competition. She was more concerned with her allergies.
The Edinburg High senior distance runner spent the week leading up to Saturday’s finals in the Region IV track and field championships at Alamo Stadium suffering through clogged sinuses which hampered her breathing. She spent time on the track as well as the doctor’s office.
“I had bad headaches and felt really weak,” Cruz said. “I was really focused on my breathing, I took my allergy medicines, hit up antibiotics, my doctor even gave me a shot. He said, ‘Don’t take medication after Thursday night, I don’t want it to affect you.’”
No side effects were visible Saturday as Cruz competed in the Class 6A 800-meter and 1600-meter runs. She won gold in the 800 with a time of 2 minutes, 10.79 seconds before setting a new Valley-record in the 1600 with a second-place time of 4:54.14.
“It’s like another victory for me,” Cruz said. “I’m really happy with that and the time I was able to hit today. Two (personal records), two medals, and now I’m going to state for the first time ever. It feels amazing.”
The previous Valley record was set in 1991 by Edinburgh High alum Sonia Sepulveda with a time of 4:54.58.
All athletes and relay teams who placed in the top-two in their respective events automatically qualified for the UIL state track meet which run from May 14-16 in Austin. 22 Valley-athletes from Class 5A and 6A will make the trek to the state capital.
Both races featured something Cruz has craved all season, competition. The 800 saw her and Dominique Allen of Converse Judson battle for the gold during the race’s final 300 meters with Cruz edging her by .79 seconds.
“It was what I really wanted,” Cruz said of her first-place effort. “It’s what I knew was going to happen at the meet, and I knew I had to go out there strong and battle through the first 200 (meters) because they were going to try and box me in. I didn’t want to get boxed in. I didn’t want that disadvantage of getting boxed in and then trying to get around them. I ran strong and safe and tried to stay up front. Hopefully I’ll have more competition at state. I’m ready.
Cruz will attend the University of Texas and compete on the Longhorns track team in the fall.
TWO HIT RECORDS
The Weslaco High girls 4×400-meter relay team broke two records in as many days at the regional meet. The foursome ran a 3:55.02 during Friday’s preliminaries to best the previous record set by PSJA High in 1991 by .33 seconds. As an encore, the team broke their own record during Saturday’s finals in 3:50.07. The time was good enough for second place and the team’s first trip to the state meet.
“That was big time,” coach Pablo Almaguer said. “To run a time like that, I have no words. I’m shaking. That puts us up there with the state’s best. I’m shaking.”
Freshman Eleanor Arndt served as the first leg and is the only underclassmen on the team.
“We worked so hard, and to be one of the teams from the Valley to go to state, it’s mind-blowing and it’s a blessing,” Arndt said. “I just love my team so much. From last year, we lost so many seniors and we didn’t think we were going to be as good as we were last year. We pulled a good team together, and we’re better than we ever were.”
Weslaco hovered in the top four through the race’s first three legs. Stephanie Sauceda, a junior, pulled her team within 10 meters of Smithson Valley, setting up anchor Angela Villareal to pass from third into second with the first 100 meters of the final lap.
“Stephanie changed the game for us,” Almaguer said. “For her to go out and run a (56-second split) was crazy. She got the stick, and she gave us a just a chance, and that little girls ran the fastest she has all season.”
A JUMP, A QUARTER, A SPRING
Donna High’s Vince Castillo is going back to Austin to compete for a third-straight championship in the 5A 300-meter hurdles. The senior won gold Saturday with a new Valley’s best time of 37.92. Castillo’s best time in the event is a 36.71 which he ran in 2013.
La Joya Juarez-Lincoln’s Yariel Matute finished second in the Class 6A 400-meter run, setting a new Valley’s best and personal record in 48.92. The senior runner will compete at state for the first time.
“I gotta thank the guy behind me for making my go so fast,” Matute said. “I knew he was there, I could hear him behind me and I didn’t want this to be the end of my season.”
Harlingen South senior Cierra Pena qualified for state in the 6A 100-meter dash after finishing second in 12.44. Pena will also compete in the long jump after placing second on Friday with a try of 17 feet, 4.25 inches.