BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
With district meets flooding teams’ schedules at this juncture in the season, a familiar reality begins to settle in: the end of the year is near.
Some coaches will ask their athletes to emphasize finishing the year on a high, while other coaches will train runners and jumpers who have a serious chance at competing on the regional or state levels.
District meets are the barometer by which coaches begin to truly compare where they were at the start of the year to where they are in the here and now.
GOMEZ GOES
PSJA Memorial boys coach Leroy Perez knows a talent when he sees one. As a track coach for more than three decades between Donna High and PSJA Memorial, Perez knows he’s fortunate to have a talent on and off the track like sophomore Cruz Gomez.
“Cruz is the runner that he is because God blessed with the ability to run, and a good work ethic as well,” Perez said. “He’s a National Honor Society kid. He comes from a modest home, and he has sights set on college and getting an education. Not only in academics, but in track and field.”
Gomez has competed in short and longer distance events and has fared favorably in both. At the Edcouch-Elsa Yellow Jacket relays on Friday, Gomez finished second in the 800-meter final. He also owns this season’s Valley’s best mark of 9:20.30 in the 3,200, a time set earlier in the season in Alice. He also owns the second-best Valley mark in the 1,600 (4:22.54). Perez likes Gomez’s leg speed and versatility but is wary of the possibility of overworking the sophomore.
“That’s something we think about quite a bit,” Perez said. “As a freshman last year, he was only 15 years old, and his average run was about 50 miles a week. This year, as a sophomore, we kept him at 55, 60 miles max. We make sure that he’s not over-raced.”
The PSJA Memorial boys will compete in the District 31-6A meet beginning at 9 a.m. today at PSJA ISD Stadium in Pharr. The veteran coach delivered some insight for his athletes before they stepped out on the track.
“We always have team meetings before practice starts and today (Wednesday), I told the group, ‘Whatever motivates you to perform your best, do that,’” Perez said. “‘If it’s slapping yourself in the face, or being goofy, or concentrating, you should do what works for you.’ I’ve learned over the years that if I try to impose my will upon them — and I’m aggressive with them — it may not work with some athletes. Whatever motivates you to do your best, do it.”
FLEXIBLE CATS
Edinburg High girls coach Alicia Ramirez doesn’t have all her eggs in one basket heading into today’s 31-6A meet in Pharr. Ramirez’s group is led by senior runner Vianney Sanchez and junior jumper Jayla Santa Maria. Sanchez, who won the 1,600 at the Edcouch-Elsa Yellow Jacket relays last Friday with a time of 5:18.17, will compete in the 3,200 district final this morning. Santa Maria won the high jump (5 feet, 0 inches) in Edcouch-Elsa, as well. But Ramirez is more impressed by the progress made by senior hurdler Marissa Arce.
“(Marissa) hadn’t done the hurdles before, and we kind of just got her started on that about three weeks ago,” Ramirez said. “She did a PR at the Meet of Champions (47.69) in the 300 and came in fourth. That was probably her second or third time running it ever. She has the chance to win district and possibly area, too.”
The three-headed Lady Bobcats attack will take the field at 9 a.m. Thursday morning at PSJA ISD Stadium.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Districts 31-6A (at PSJA ISD Stadium in Pharr) and 32-6A (at Bobby Lackey Stadium in Weslaco) will hold the 3,200 and field event finals beginning today at 9 a.m. Preliminary running events will be held as well. Both meets will hold their finals in the other running events tentatively beginning at 5 p.m. on Saturday at the same stadiums.