FREDDY GONZALEZ | Valley Morning Star
LA FERIA — For the second consecutive season the La Feria Lionettes cross country team was crowned District 32-4A champions.
As a team, La Feria scored a total of 36 points, 17 points fewer than Grulla, which scored 53 points, to finish second.
Rio Hondo was third with 99 points, followed by Zapata (110), Hidalgo (119), Progreso (131) and Port Isabel (154).
Individually, Dariana Vasquez led the pack placing third overall (of 49 runners) with a time of 11:51. Teammate Miranda Torres came in fifth with a time of 12:20, followed by Analiza Rodriguez (8th 12:25:91), Katrina Villareal (9th 12:34), Briana Reyes (11th 12:36.81), Annabelle Rodriguez (15th 12:49) and Marina Villanueva (16th 12:51).
If the name Dariana Vazquez rings a bell, it may be because she has competed at the highest levels before. Last year, as a freshman, Vasquez came in 14th place at state while former teammate Tina Sierra finished her impressive high school career with a sixth-place finish.
“Dariana can be defined as a person that leads by example,” said head coach Gracie Campos. “She’s very quiet, a hard worker, respectful, responsible and is very dedicated. Academically, she is one of our top students and the type of player any coach would want on their team.”
By hoisting the district title, the Lionettes punched their ticket to this years Region IV-4A meet, which will be held in Corpus Christi on the 23rd of this month. Last season, the Lionettes finished second at regionals and fifth at the Class 4A state meet.
This season, Campos expects nothing less from her team.
“Our goal is to reach for the stars and if we fall anywhere in between we are going to be happy,” she said. “The girls have been working really hard, their times are dropping and they are healthy physically as well as mentally.
“I ask just about everyday ‘How you feeling? How are your legs?’ and their response is ‘good.’ I was telling another coach the other day that it’s a scary good because they’re feeling so healthy.”