By JOSHUA McKINNEY, Staff Writer
Metro-area runners shined during the 61st annual Sams Relays on Saturday at Sams Memorial Stadium.
Rivera’s Anthony Garza was the meet’s highest points earner in the boys competition, and Los Fresnos’ Alyssa Salazar tied with Eleanor Arndt of Weslaco High as the girls top points earner.
Weslaco High (girls) and Sharyland High (boys) won the meet’s team championships.
Salazar won medals in four events: gold in the 300-meter hurdles (48.86), silver in the triple jump (34 feet, 8 inches) and bronze in the 100-meter hurdles (17.22) and the 4×400 meter relay.
She didn’t expect to finish as the meet’s co-leader in points earned, but medals in four events is a sign of a good day.
“I was actually surprised,” Salazar said. “I didn’t think I ran to my fullest today, and just to know that hard work paid off is rewarding.”
Garza won the 1,600 (4:28.55) and anchored Rivera’s second-place 4×400 to take individual top honors at the meet.
Garza is looking to run a 4:20 in the 1,600 by the end of the season but needs a stronger field to push him there.
“I did good,” Anthony Garza said. “Actually, it was a little bit easy. It wasn’t that tough, but I had a (personal record in the 1,600).”
Gaby Garza, a sophomore from St. Joseph Academy, broke the meet record in the 100 hurdles (14.45) and won gold in the 100 (12.54). She ran a state-best 12.21 in the 100 last week, getting her season off to a sublime start.
“I thought I did pretty good, especially after coming back for the 100 after running the 100-meter hurdles,” Gaby Garza said. “I ran those races back-to-back with about a five minute rest, so I think I did pretty good.”
The Metro area had one other double-gold winner in the Sams Relays.
Los Fresnos’ Christian Perales won the boys 100 (10.82) and 200 (22.22).
Marcelino de la Fuente, Sharyland High boys track coach, liked his team’s results in the meet after a sixth-place finish in the Steve Stark Relays last week.
“This is our second track meet,” de la Fuente said. “We didn’t have a full team, but they showed up and ran extremely well. I’ve very, very proud of all my team today. They did a great job.”
Sharyland High won gold medals in the triple jump (Blake Klein, 42 feet 2 inches), the 4×100 relay and the 4×200 relay.
Weslaco High won gold in six events on its way to the girls meet championship. Weslaco High won the 4×100, 4×200 and 4×400, and took home individual gold medals in the 800 (Stephanie Sauceda, 2:23.47), pole vault (Sydney Salinas, 11 feet) and long jump (Arndt, 17 feet 4 1/2 inches).
“Early in the year, we just want to get some good work in and to be put in a situation like this, where we were pretty much tied with Los Fresnos heading into the mile relay. It was good to see the girls go out there and compete,” Weslaco High coach Pablo Almaguer said. “It’s early in the year for us. We want to get good work in and quality work in. I thought the girls ran really well today. It’s our first prelim and final meet.”
Joshua McKinney covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @joshuabvherald.