ROY HESS | Staff Writer
Cross country teams at Hanna and Rivera have enjoyed a fair amount of success in recent years, and that doesn’t figure to change in 2016.
The Rivera boys were District 32-6A champions last season and the Lady Raiders had the first- and second-place individual finishers at district. At the same meet last Oct. 16 in San Benito, Hanna’s girls won district for the fourth time while the Hanna boys finished second behind Rivera.
There are a number of strong runners back for the Raiders and the Golden Eagles as the 2016 cross country season opens Saturday with meets in Edinburg and Mission.
Hanna, Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Port Isabel are among the area schools scheduled to have runners at Saturday’s meet at Ebony Golf Course that has Edinburg High as the host. A majority of area teams are expected to begin the season Aug. 27 at the Dogpound Invitational in San Benito.
“We hope for improvement and to continue our tradition of winning,” Hanna coach Olaya Teran said. “It’s tougher now with Weslaco (High) and Weslaco East in our district.”
Top runners back for the Lady Eagles are Sydney Salazar, Cecilia Tellez, Estephania Aviles and Nadia Sifuentes, who placed third, 12th, 16th and 17th, respectively, at last year’s 32-6A meet.
For the Hanna boys, the top runners are expected to be Leonel Pena, Daniel Rivera, Alonso Vidal and Julio Dragustinovis.
Three of last year’s top seven runners for the Rivera boys are returning. They are Jonathan Herrera, Ruben Chapa and Gerardo Ureno. Herrera came in second at the 32-6A meet last year as the Raiders won their second straight district title. Other runners expected to help the Raiders this season are Jovanny Gonzalez and Christian Salazar.
Also for Rivera, Andrea de la Rosa was the individual girls winner at district last season and teammate Jennifer Lopez was the runner-up. Both return and are expected to be helped by a promising group of newcomers that include Julissa Hernandez and Dominique Perales.
“If everything comes together, we have a shot to do something again,” said Raiders coach Arturo Hurtado, whose boys went to state in 2014. “With its returnees, Harlingen (High) looks like a favorite (for the boys in 32-6A).”
Here is a team-by-team look at the other squads in The Brownsville Herald’s Metro area:
LOS FRESNOS
Coach Frank Falcon welcomes back past regional qualifier Ricardo Torres, a senior, along with returning varsity teammates David Tellez, Florencio Davila and Andrew Garcia. The girls will be led by Clarissa Tellez, a sophomore, along with fellow returning varsity runners Victoria Vital, Allison Spier, Perla Briseno, Rosie Gutierrez and Cynathia Gonzalez.
Clarissa Tellez finished fifth at the 32-6A meet last year as the Lady Falcons were third as a team behind Rivera and Brownsville Veterans. Torres was seventh at district while the Falcons were sixth as a team for the boys.
“Ricardo should be battling for top five in district and make it to his fourth regional meet, and (then) hopefully state,” Falcon said. “The (boys) team will have to work a little harder to place in the top three at district.
“On the girls side, Clarissa should also finish around the top five at district and will be the leader of the girls team,” Falcon added. “Victoria Vital, a senior, will also be another one pushing to be up in the top group.”
PACE
Mario Cisneros is coaching the boys and Sergio Sandoval is coaching the girls at Pace this season as the Vikings again compete in District 32-5A.
Top boys for the Vikings include Ricardo Monsivais, Bruce Degollado, Ociel Miranda, Manuel Ponce and Chris Rodriguez.
The girls squad will include Adrianna Garcia, Megan Villelda, Lesley Amador, Lorena Perez and Crystal Eureste.
“It’s a different district now with (more) competition (from Lopez and Brownsville Veterans),” Sandoval said. “Plus there’s Edcouch-Elsa and Mercedes. We’re working hard and hoping to send some runners to regionals.”
LOPEZ
Ricky Cuvillier, Julio Perez and Miguel Chavez are among the top runners for the Lopez boys along with Ernesto Aguirre, Daniel Saldana and Samuel Alegre.
Jennifer Hernandez, Jaky Olivares and Samantha Casanova could shine for the Lady Lobos as they compete in 32-5A, their new district.
“I have high expectations for my runners,” Lopez coach Azucena Garcia said. “I believe we’re in a position to experience some success. We’re trying to turn the page and make some noise.”
BROWNSVILLE VETERANS
Just like Lopez, Veterans Memorial is making the move from 32-6A to 32-5A this school year.
Coach Jorge Medina returns some runners who did well on the 32-6A level last season as the girls finished second and the boys were fourth at district.
The Lady Chargers’ squad includes Paola Villarreal, Lizbeth Aguillon, Stephanie Ray and Natalia Ramirez. Leading the way for the Chargers on the boys side are Camilo Callejas, Carlos Rodriguez, Jesus Gracia and senior twins Joe Michael Lopez and Joe Gabriel Lopez.
“Our boys are working really hard to challenge for a regional spot,” Medina said. “The girls are a hard-working group (as well). We’re sharing a couple of our girls with the volleyball team. Our new district will be tough.”
PORTER
It’s a rebuilding year at Porter as Gerry Perez, a two-time regional qualifier, has graduated and the only returning letterman is Roberto Briseno.
Coach Clemente Delgado said current sophomores who were members of the 32-5A freshman boys championship squad last season will comprise the varsity team this year. He said everyone is a varsity newcomer on the girls side.
Veteran coach Meme Garza returns a solid group of runners for the Bloodhounds, who compete in TAPPS.
Back for the boys are Marte Rodriguez, Alejandro Juarez, Jose Luis Almanzan, Antonio Salum, Mauricio Rodriguez and David Barrios. Marte and Mauricio are brothers.
For the girls, the group includes Ceci de la Garza, Maria Jose del Tozo, Carolina Gomez, Mireya del Tozo, Gaby Garza, Camryn Gloor, Tania Garcia and Carolina del Tozo. Carolina and Maria Jose are sisters and Mireya is their cousin.
“Of the 24 teams at state, we’ve finished in the middle of the pack (in recent years),” Meme Garza said. “It’s a young team and we’re hoping to move up and have a better taste of success this year.”
PORT ISABEL
PI coach Dawn Aguilar-Snyder has positive feelings about the return of Gabby Torres, a regional qualifier last season as a freshman. Also, two juniors return. They are Susana Torres and Jeni Martinez.
“I’m excited for what this season has in store for Gabby,” Aguilar-Snyder said. “Susana and Jeni have both been working hard this summer to join Gabby at regionals.”
PI competes in District 32-4A. The Tarpons’ annual meet on South Padre Isabel is scheduled Sept. 17 and has been re-named in honor of Sylvia H. Torres, their late coach.
IDEA FRONTIER
The Frontier boys were the only area team to advance to the UIL state meet last season. They placed 10th out of 16 teams at state after winning District 32-3A for a second straight year.
Four seniors from that team graduated and another runner transferred. The ones back include Christian Davila and Irving Chavaria.
“It’s a rebuilding year for us,” coach Albert Alanis said. “We have a good group of eighth-graders coming up, so I’m excited about that. Our goal is definitely to win District (32-3A). Our big goal is to go to state again. We’re trying to keep it going. We have a school known for its academics and we want to have a solid athletic program as well.”
Also, Sabrina Garcia returns after going to state last season individually as a sophomore.