By STEFAN MODRICH, Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — The Harlingen High boys and Weslaco High girls took the top spots in the team standings at the Harlingen Relays on Saturday at Boggus Stadium.
The Cardinals finished with 194 points, and the Lady Panthers finished with 160.
“We had a couple of guys that are a little injured right now,” Cardinals coach Efrain Ambriz said. “So we kind of would like to get on the mend. But not having everyone around to compete in every event, it was still a fairly good result.”
Harlingen High’s Geovany Cisneros won the 3,200 meter run with a time of 10.15.30, besting Harlingen South’s Idol Ramon by a second and a half.
“(Cisneros) is growing by leaps and bounds,” Ambriz said. “I’m really happy for the kid.”
Later on in the 1,600, they finished No. 1 and No. 2 again, but it was Ramon (4:40.57) who got the better of Cisneros (4:43.83).
The 1,600 relay also came down to the wire between the Cardinals (3:29.92) and the Hawks (3:30.15), with anchor Eric Quilantan edging South’s Sammy Ruiz in the final 50 meters.
“It felt almost like a replay of (last year’s District 32-6A meet),” Ambriz said, harkening back to the 2019 mile relay that allowed Harlingen High and South to tie atop the team standings and split last season’s district title.
Though the Cardinals lagged behind for part of the race, Quilantan said he knew he had to make his leg of the relay count.
“I knew I had to seal the deal to win the meet,” Quilantan said. “I passed (Ruiz) midrace, and I saw him come up on me. I just switched gears and finished strong.”
Quilantan (22.21) also took the top spot in the 200 for the Cardinals. While he usually runs the 400, the event that earned him a regional bid last season, the junior point guard for the Harlingen High basketball team edged teammate Pedro Luna in the 200 by a half second. He also competed in the 400 relay.
“It was my first time doing the 200,” Quilantan said. “I knew I just had to sprint the whole way and give it all I got. It’s what I do.”
Taking first place in the girls 3,200 was Weslaco High’s Destinee Longoria (12.04.87). She also won the 1,600 (5:27.61).
“(Longoria) wasn’t too happy with her cross country season,” Weslaco High coach Pablo Amaguer said. “She’s really bouncing back with her training, feeling really good about herself and getting her confidence back. She and (teammate Natalie Garcia) are training together, and they’re working hard together. For this time of year, we’re happy with her.”
Weslaco High’s Amity Ebarb (2:23.92) placed first in the 800 and the 400 (1:00.06).
“It was a good performance from (Ebarb),” Amaguer said. “She’s coming off a great sophomore year. … She’s got big things to do this year. Everybody’s going to compare what she did last year to this year. She’s got a little bit of pressure on her. I think ultimately she ran well today and did what she had to do to get through the day. I think she handled the (400 and 800) really well.”
Brownsville Rivera’s Julian Tavares (2:00.86) won the boys 800. The Raiders also took the top spot in the 800 relay (1:33.98).
Harlingen High won the boys 400 relay (42.49) and Weslaco High won the girls 400 relay (51.40), 800 relay (1:49.51), and 1,600 relay (4:08.22).
“All of our relays did a great job for us,” Amaguer said. “We don’t want things to be perfect right now, we’re not looking for perfection. We’re just looking for effort and positive attitudes, and I think we got that out of them today. We’re still a work in progress, and we’re just happy where we’re at right now.”
Hanna’s Jacqueline Mora (12.60) won the 100, and Harlingen High’s Pedro Luna (11.02) won the boys 100.
Harlingen South’s Pedro Arellano was the top finisher in the 400 (51.41), and right behind him was his Ruiz (51.67).
The Lady Hawks’ Natasha Hartman (26.71) won the 200.
Other individual winners included Harlingen High’s Sydney Portillo (17.55) in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles (50.66), and Harlingen South’s Rhandall Lopez (15.99) in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles (40.82).