MARK MOLINA | Staff Writer
LA FERIA — The boys can’t have all the fun at this weekend’s UIL state track and field meet, and La Feria Lionettes’ distance runner Tina Sierra doesn’t intend to be left out.
Sierra is the only La Feria girls athlete heading to this weekend’s meet after winning the 3200-meter run with a time of 11:42.25.
“The season felt great and I feel like I tried a lot harder this year,” Sierra said. “Everyone else was focusing and it made me want to focus even more.”
This year, Sierra has been one of the top distance runners the Valley has to offer and is ranked No. 3 in the Valley’s Best mythical standings with a time of 11:07.10. Sierra set that time at the Meet of Champions in Weslaco.
Since then, Sierra hasn’t been able to match it, but is confident getting near that time will propel her to a good day at the state meet.
“I feel like I peaked early in the season,” Sierra said. “I feel I can do more when it comes to the state meet, but I’ll just have to see what happens.”
In a season where Sierra captured district gold as well as regional gold, head coach Graciella Campos feels that she has already proven that state hardware is attainable. It’s just a matter on how Sierra reacts.
“She has already proven that she can be the best in her division,” Campos said. “Her chances are basically up to her. If she can run the best that she has run this year, there’s no doubt that she’ll come home with the gold. At the end of the day, you have to run that day.
“If she puts her mind to it and goes out there and is a true competitor, it’s going to fall her way.”
Sierra is set to run at 9:20 a.m. Friday at the Mike Myers track complex on the University of Texas campus.