BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
WESLACO — When distance runner Juan Manzano graduated, it was a big loss for Weslaco High and teammate Tony Sanchez.
Manzano is now a sophomore runner at UTRGV.
“They (Juan and Tony) both ran cross country when Juan was a junior and Tony was a freshman,” Weslaco High boys track coach Gustavo Cabrera said. “Juan was the one who would always push him and give him advice. He was almost like another coach to him.”
“Juan (Manzano) graduated after my sophomore year,” Sanchez said. “Coming into my junior year, I was by myself. My team was there, but they weren’t on the level that Manzano was. He was one of the top runners in the Valley. He was my motivation. When he left, I wanted to step up and be that person for the rest of the team.”
Sanchez competes primarily in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter races for the Panthers. After going through his first two seasons without an individual win in any race, Sanchez broke through as a junior to win the mile race at the 2018 Meet of Champions and the two-mile race at the 2018 Harlingen Relays.
“Juan didn’t really say anything, but it felt like a passing of the baton,” Sanchez said. “I was a captain as a sophomore, but when he left, we needed to be better and I needed to be better.”
Sanchez also qualified for last year’s 800-meter run at the UIL Region IV meet in San Antonio.
“It’s like you’re one of the best in the Valley and all of sudden you’re going up against more competition,” Sanchez said. “It was my first time there and I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know how fast they would take off until they took off. That experience has really helped me this year because now I take off faster in my races so I can keep up with the pace in San Antonio. Hopefully, that’ll help me make it to state.”
“He’s a four-year letterman. When he was a freshman, he was a little kid with a bunch of seniors. But we noticed something really special with Tony early on,” Cabrera said. “His work ethic is second-to-none and his times have dropped drastically these last two years. He’s matured a lot. Along with that, his work ethic has improved.”
His senior season is off to a roaring start. Sanchez has won the 800-meter race at four different meets, the 1,600-meter race at three meets and the 3,200-meter race twice. He pulled off the victorious trifecta at the Weslaco ISD Jimmy Platt Invitational on March 9.
“Usually, the distance runners only run in the 16(00) and 32(00) but not the 800,” Sanchez said. “Most of those distance runners have a lot more recovery time, but it’s more of a challenge for me. Even on a meet day, there isn’t a lot of time for me to recover. We did a tune-up meet last week and I only had five minutes to rest after I ran the 2-mile. I was surprised to win the 800 because I didn’t think I had that in me. This year, I’ve had to train harder than I ever have before. Being able to prepare for three events is way more challenging than preparing for two.”
If the right opportunity presents itself, Sanchez would like to run at the college level in Texas. UTRGV, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, University of the Incarnate Word, Louisiana-Monroe and Texas A&M-Kingsville have reached out to him, so far.
“I’d prefer to stay in Texas if I can,” Sanchez said. “Having the opportunity to go anywhere is nice for any runner. It’s a dream for a lot of us. When I hear about a school, I want to see what their engineering program is like because I want to get an engineering degree. I’m set to graduate with an associate degree before college and I want to see where my credits can transfer.”
Sanchez will compete in all three races at the District 31-6A meet held inside the familiar confines of Bobby Lackey Stadium today and Saturday in Weslaco.
The 2-mile race will take place today, while the 800 and 1,600-meter races will be Saturday.
“Both the boys and girls have a good chance of winning district championships this week. We just have to show up tomorrow (Thursday) and Saturday,” Sanchez said. “Honestly, the races being on different days is great for me because I’ll get more rest. In the 2-mile, I just aim to win it and not aim for a time. Since I’ll have a whole day of rest before Saturday, I think I can go all out for the 2-mile and still have fresh legs for the 800 and the mile. Hopefully, I can win all three, as well.”
“We’re hosting the district (31-6A) meet and also the (31/32-6A) area meet,” Cabrera said. “We’ve reminded the kids that we’re supposed to protect our house. We’re at home. What else do we need? We don’t have to drive anywhere else. We run here every day. Our kids should know this track like the back of their hand. It’s going to be a good meet.”