By MARK MOLINA | STAFF WRITER
Andrea de la Rosa’s senior track & field season at Rivera has been, like most of her four-year running career, dominant.
She showed that again at last week’s District 31/32-6A area meet with wins in the 3,200-meter run (11 minutes, 27.94 seconds) and in the 1,600 (5:38.72), qualifying her for the Region IV-6A meet this weekend at Heroes Stadium in San Antonio for the fourth consecutive season.
De la Rosa has yet to break through to the state meet but is hopeful that this will finally be the year, despite having some bittersweet feelings heading into the weekend.
“ I feel confident because I’m going to try my best, but I also feel sad because it’s my last year,” the senior runner said. “It really went by fast.”
De la Rosa has been as good as there is in her signature events, failing to take gold in both events just once this season.
Her only hiccup came in the form of a second-place finish at the Meet of Champions.
Despite being a force, de la Rosa said her senior season has been highlighted by her team.
The Rivera senior has stood tall as a supportive teammate and a veteran leader to the underclassmen.
“ It’s been my best year so far because of my races, but because (my team) has bonded together,” the senior said. “It’s been a strong team and it’s been an experience. There are newcomers every year, and we always try to make them feel at home and that they can count on us.”
Sophomore Bethany Guzman, who qualified to the regional meet in the 800-meter run, said having de la Rosa around really has been beneficial to her growth this season.
“ She’s always motivating me and always pushing me and telling me to do my best,” Guzman said. “She’s always right there screaming at my face while I’m running. She’s also helped me a lot with my arms. I’m always getting tense, and she’s always there telling me to relax. I guess sometimes it’s kind of hard for me to just relax and do my race, but she’s always there reminding me to. That helps a lot.”
De la Rosa’s need to be a good teammate even let her open up her horizons a little bit, trying her hand in the 1,600 relay on a couple of occasions, most notably at the area meet while battling an illness.
It has been out of necessity for the most part, but the Lady Raiders’ senior has enjoyed every bit of it.
“ I was sick, I had the flu, but I ran the mile, two-mile and went to help my team in the 4×400 to try and help my team,” de la Rosa said. “We didn’t qualify for the 4×400, but we tried. It’s the only relay I’ve done is the 4×400, but I love that relay. I love the feeling afterward, it’s amazing.”
Normally, the sprinting style of relay races is not de la Rosa’s style, but being able to work on it this season has paid off, improving her kicks at the most vital points of her distance races.
“ It’s helped me a lot,” she said. “My endings are always really strong and I feel stronger at the finish. In the two-mile, it helps the entire time and during the final two laps, I am able to kick it in and I don’t get as tired as I used to get. In the mile, it really helps the entire way. I feel like the mile is the fastest race I have run, but you have to have a lot of conditioning, so (working on sprints has) helped me.”
Heading into the weekend, de la Rosa will have a final chance to break through to the state meet in Austin.
She’s not going to guarantee a spot, but she’s definitely confident in her ability to do so and said concentration is key.
“ Definitely this year, I want to make it to state,” she said. “I know I have the potential to make it to state. I really need to stay focused on my goal, but that’s about it.”
NOT ALONE
De la Rosa will not go it alone this weekend, as several Lady Raiders will join her at the area meet.
In the 100, sophomore Faith Lara qualified after placing third with a 12.56 at the area meet, and Guzman also took home a bronze in the 800 (2:27.28).
Senior Ashley Hinojosa also will be on hand after finishing in fourth at area in the long jump (15 feet, 8.25 inches).
The Lady Raiders also qualified their 800 relay team after the group of Leilani Cruz, Hinojosa, Alexis Sayas and Lara finished third (1:49.53).