NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR
EDINBURG — The UTRGV Classic track meet had a strong black and gold tint this week at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex.
Edcouch-Elsa’s girls posted five top-three finishes in a meet that attracted talent from the Valley and Corpus Christi areas. The Yellow Jackets also boast two alumni runners on the UTRGV track team, which was on site coordinating the meet, and the E-E grads made time to visit their former team.
“It’s an honor to have the kids run here,” E-E track coach Juan Aguiñaga said. “We wanted to showcase some of talent here with UTRGV, especially with the coaches out here looking at them. It’s a really awesome meet.”
Freshman Vanessa Cerda put on an exciting performance in the 800-meter run, winning with a time of 2 minutes, 24 seconds. After the come-from-behind victory, the freshman said she was glad that her third individual win came in front of good company.
“It feels good, because I was able to get my name out there,” Cerda said. “It boosts my confidence a lot, knowing I can win against really good girls.”
Cerda was a UIL state qualifier during her first cross country season and earned her first individual win during the track season with a 12:58.0 in the 3,200 on Feb. 23 at Rio Grande City.
“I take great pride in UTRGV. We’re from here,” Aguiñaga said. “We like giving them some of our talent. I’m glad we have the connection. We have Vanessa. I know they’re looking at her early, but she’s just a freshman. It’s an honor that they look at our athletes.”
Aguiñaga’s daughter, Kelly, is in her freshman track season at UTRGV. Fellow Yellow Jackets alum Krysta Martinez is in her second season at UTRGV and already has a WAC 1,500 championship to her name.
Kelly said the community values in Edcouch-Elsa make it easy to stay close with former teammates for years to come.
“The school is like a big ol’ family, and that’s what I love about it,” Kelly said. “That’s what keeps us together, just the love and support we have for each other.”
Kelly ran with Cerda’s older sister Dana for a season in high school, and the ties between Cerda and Aguiñaga are still strong.
Juan Aguiñaga had high hopes for Vanessa going back to her time in middle school.
“It’s a special connection,” Juan Aguiñaga said. “We’re all from the same town — me and my daughter and Vanessa. Our families have actually known each other for a long time.”
Kelly Aguiñaga is happy to be an inspiration to her former teammates like Shana Alvarado, Haley Villalpando and Bianca Cardenas, who all have aspirations to run at the next level. She also has a soft spot for the younger Cerda.
“I love Vanessa. She’s my favorite runner,” Kelly Aguiñaga said. “I was upset I didn’t get to run with her as a teammate because she’s a freshman, and I was already going to graduate. Knowing that I left a little piece behind, it makes me happy seeing her succeed. As an eighth-grader, she ran a 2:30, so I saw so much potential in her. She started this season at 2:30, 2:28, and then moved down to a 2:24. By her senior year, she’ll probably be at 2:10, getting state medals. I just want her to succeed.”
Cerda knows that fast times and state success won’t come easy. She finished 14th at the regional cross country meet and 83rd at the state competition with her personal record of 19:53.6
“I was really nervous at the state meet, but I got a gist of how much faster other girls are and that I have to push harder,” Cerda said.