By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer
One of the burdens of consistent success is the pressure of high expectations.
Coming off another pair of District 32-6A titles, that is exactly what Hanna cross country coach Olaya Teran’s squad will be facing at the University Interscholastic League Region IV championship meet Monday at the Dr. Jack A. Dugan Family Soccer and Track Stadium on the campus of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
For her top runners in the boys and girls divisions — John Abrego and Magali Osowski, respectively — to earn a trip to the state meet in Round Rock, they will need to improve upon their times from the district meet. Abrego, the overall district champion, led the field with a time of 16:03.6, but Teran said he likely will need to finish at his goal of a sub-16 minute 5K to qualify for the state meet. Osowski placed third at district with a 20:51 5K. Teran said her top runner expects to run at a faster pace in the 3,200 meter race at the Corpus Christi regional.
“ It’s going to be difficult,” Teran said. “(Abrego) is going to have to run a very tough race, and the competition will be tough and it should prepare him (for state). Hopefully he’ll have a good outcome and (obtain a personal record).
“ I think (Osowski) can go under 20 (minutes). It’s a new experience for her, and for (Brissa Stinson). She’s never run at the regional course. But they’re competitors. So hopefully they and (Alexia Perez) can run together.”
Teran noted that Perez, one of most her experienced runners, competed at the regional meet last season and made significant strides at this year’s Round Rock Invitational.
Abrego’s top local competition, aside from teammates Felipe Parra and Marcos Tellez, the third- and fourth-place finishers at district, respectively, is San Benito’s Joaquin Medina, the individual runner-up at the district meet. The Greyhounds’ boys team finished third in the team standings at district behind runner-up Harlingen High.
Los Fresnos is sending three individual qualifiers to the regional, including Jasmine Ponce and Natalie Guillen in the girls division and Michael Paredes in the boys division.
Other East Valley teams and runners to watch for include Valeria Gamez and the Brownsville Veterans Memorial girls, who captured their first District 32-5A championship Oct. 17, and the San Perlita boys, winners of four straight District 32-2A titles.
Lopez’s Kenya Gonzalez and Porter’s Estrella Medellin also will be competing as individual regional qualifiers alongside Gamez in the 5A girls varsity division.
In District 32-4A, La Feria will send 18 boys and girls to the regional championship. Raymondville’s Jacqueline Mendez earned an individual berth.
District 32-3A will be represented by girls division champion Santa Rosa and individual boys division qualifier Derek Guerra.
Also in 32-3A, Brownsville IDEA Frontier will be sending 17 boys and girls to the regional. Mariana Espinosa and Sandra Garza will compete as individuals for Brownsville Jubilee.