JESUS SANCHEZ | Staff Writer

The TAPPS 5A Division II championship game was a back-and-forth battle in which the San Antonio Holy Cross Knights shut out the St. Jospeh Bloodhounds 19-0 to remain undefeated Friday night at Canales Field.

“We knew coming in it was going to be a tough battle, a physical battle, and the team that made the fewest amount of mistakes walked out of here with the win,” St. Joseph coach Tino Villarreal said.

After both teams failed to score during the first half, the Knights went into the third quarter with a newfound aggression. They traveled 59 yards to score their first touchdown of the game on an 8-yard rush by Jacob Olivares.

Early in the third, the Bloodhounds showed the same level of aggressiveness and were set on coming back after Antonio del Pozo recovered a loose ball for St. Joseph on Holy Cross’ 47.

“We knew coming down here we would have to be a ball-control offense, and we were going to have to run the ball between the tackles,” Holy Cross coach Mike Harrison said. “We had a lot of pressure on the offensive line, but the kids played with a lot of poise and a lot of character. … We knew it was going to be a hard-fought ballgame and it was, but it’s nice to come out with a district title tonight.”

Unfortunately for the home team, the closest it got to scoring was the Knights’ 20-yard line. The Bloodhounds turned the ball over on downs, and Holy Cross took advantage of it to score on the following drive, with an 8-yard run by Ethan Lara.

Down 12-0 early in the fourth, Mikey Mar-Maxwell ran for 50 yards during a kick return to give the Bloodhounds the ball on Holy Cross’ 23. However, the Knights intercepted a pass from Bloodhounds quarterback Tomas Edge on St. Joseph’s first play after Maxwell’s kick return.

From there, it only took Lara four carries to travel 23 yards and score the final touchdown of the game.

The 5-foot-6 senior finished the game with 212 rushing yards on 27 carries, and Olivares tallied 60 yards in 14 runs.

“It was a hard-fought game,” Lara said. “It was 0-0 for the longest time. Our ‘D’ made a stop and we were moving the ball, but we were also making mistakes. We kind of hurt ourselves there, but we came out in the second half and we fixed some things, and that’s how we were able to come back and win this game tonight.”

For St. Joseph, Sebastian Cuellar garnered 55 rushing yards on 12 carries, Edge 15 yards on 10 carries, and Maxwell had 35 yards on five carries.

“We have to keep our head up and move on to the next game,” Cuellar said. “We’re not just going to give up just because of a loss. We have playoffs. We’re just going to keep our heads up and keep fighting, move on to the next week, and have a good week of practice and a great attitude.”

Holy Cross will head to the postseason unbeaten in district play with a 3-0 record. Harrison said the Knights will face teams that may be more talented than Holy Cross, but it won’t stop them from giving it their all.

“The Houston schools have a lot of great athletes,” he said. “We’re going to have to be physically and mentally tough, and we’re going to have to be able to control the ball and do the things that are necessary to win games by shortening them.”

For the Bloodhounds, Villarreal said the team will focus on fixing mistakes and, no matter what happens in the postseason, he knows St. Joseph won’t give up.

“Every week we are getting better, and that’s the ultimate goal,” he said. “Their heart, their passion, is unparalleled and unmatched. We just have to come in and execute our game plan and focus on details.”

St. Joseph will travel to Houston next week for its playoff game after finishing district play 1-2.

By KEVIN NARRO

Staff Writer

LA FERIA — The La Feria Lionettes are in a familiar spot, and that’s the playoffs.

La Feria has a date with Ingleside at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Kingsville King.

“We were able to scout Ingleside, we have some familiarity with them,” La Feria coach Rebea Fraga said. “It always helps to have experience. After the first loss to Hidalgo, I told the girls (that) in life we get what we need and not what we want, and maybe that is what we needed. We had no control over what any other team was doing, we were able to beat Hidalgo and won the district.”

La Feria accomplished its first goal, and that was to win a district title. The Lionettes completed a three-peat this year, and now the next step is the playoffs.

“We had a goal and we kept it,” senior Karina Diaz said. “After the Hidalgo loss we just kept working, and winning a third district title is a great feeling. I have been blessed to be a part of this program. We know that the atmosphere is completely different and it’s more competitive when you play in the playoffs.”

Last year, La Feria beat Orange Grove in the bi-district round before losing to Somerset in the area round.

“We know what we have to do, we want to finish what we started. The experience helps a lot, we know we are capable of making the second round, and last year we came up just short, and it is a goal of ours to go on another playoff run,” Diaz said.

This year, La Feria has the seniors in place to make another playoff run.

“We have been waiting for so long to get back to the playoffs, it is exciting,” Fraga said. “We have an opportunity to repeat as bi-district champions, and that opportunity doesn’t come around too often. The districts north of us are always tough, but the girls are ready.”

By KEVIN NARRO

Staff Writer

On Sunday, the Rio Grande Valley Coaches Association released its preseason top 10 polls for boys and girls basketball, along with district predictions.

On the boys side, Edinburg Vela received the nod as the No. 1 team in the Valley. McAllen Rowe is ranked second followed by PSJA North, Weslaco High and Harlingen High to round out the top five. McAllen High, Los Fresnos Edinburg Economedes, Brownsville Veterans Memorial complete the top 9, and Harlingen South and Edinburg High tied for 10th.

Harlingen High also is favored to win District 32-6A, with multiple key players returning to the Cardinals lineup. Senior Michael Arellano will return after a knee injury that forced him to miss their regional quarterfinal game last winter.

Harlingen South is predicted to finish third in the district after missing the playoffs last season. The Hawks lost four starters from last year but do return sharpshooter Grant Lowery to the starting five.

Brownsville Hanna, Brownsville Rivera and San Benito complete the predictions for 32-6A.

Out of District 32-3A, Santa Rosa is picked to win, San Perlita is picked to win District 32-2A, and Port Isabel is picked to win 32-4A.

On the girls side, McAllen Memorial heads into the season as the No. 1 team, ahead of Edinburg High at No. 2 and Weslaco High in the third spot. Harlingen High is ranked fourth and PSJA North rounds out the top five. Harlingen South, Mission Veterans Memorial, Edinburg Vela, Brownsville Veterans and Hidalgo complete the top 10.

The Lady Cardinals return plenty of talent to their lineup, led by seniors Ariel Leal, Taegan Dickey and Alyssa Cervantes. All have a key hand in the upcoming season.

Harlingen South is projected to finish second in the district. The Lady Hawks will get a big boost when junior Karla Reyes makes her return to the lineup after a season-ending knee injury last season.

San Benito is picked to finish third in the district after a historic season last winter. The Lady ’Hounds will look to Hailey Lopez to lead the offense this season.

Los Fresnos, Brownsville Hanna and Brownsville Rivera complete the 32-6A predictions.

Santa Maria, in 32-2A, and Lyford, in 32-3A, are picked to win their districts. Port Isabel was chosen to place second and La Feria was picked to finished third in District 32-4A.

By KEVIN NARRO

Staff Writer

BROWNSVILLE — Entering Saturday night’s battle of two unbeaten District 16-5A Division I teams, it was the top-rated Mission Veterans Memorial offense that flexed its muscles against the district’s best defense in Brownsville Pace.

The big plays came early and often from Patriots senior quarterback Landry Gilpin, who accounted for six touchdowns (four passing, two rushing) en route to a crucial 48-35 road win over Pace on Saturday night at Sams Memorial Stadium. Gilpin threw for 305 yards and ran for 186 yards on the night.

On its opening drive, Mission Veterans needed just four plays to find the end zone. A 60-yard run from Daniel Cantu set up a 5-yard touchdown run from Gilpin that helped set the tone for the night.

“(Pace is) a really good football team,” Patriots coach David Gilpin said. “We couldn’t get away from them. Offensively, we did what we expected to do, and that was to put points on the board.”

Mission Veterans improved to 7-0 in district play and handed Pace its first district loss of the season in seven games. The Patriots also clinched a playoff berth and now have reached the playoffs nine out of the past 10 seasons.

“We have been keeping an eye on Pace, they are big and play physical,” David Gilpin said. “We struggled with them defensively, but our defense came up with two big stops in the second half and our offense capitalized and we were able to run away with it.”

Late in the first quarter, Pace’s Jose Banda found Ilijah Solis open in the end zone to cut the lead to 13-7.

Landry Gilpin responded with a 78-yard score and, on the next drive, hit Leo Cantu on a 51-yard strike to build a 27-7 lead.

The Vikings hung around, and Banda hit Carlos Pulido on a 27-yard score that trimmed the lead to 27-14 late in the second quarter.

But for every left hook Pace threw, Mission Veterans had an answer. Landry Gilpin responded with his second passing touchdown of the half, extending the lead to 34-21 at halftime.

Leo Cantu was a key part of the Patriots’ aerial attack, with eight catches for 196 yards and three scores. Running back Daniel Cantu ran wild on nine carries, with 111 yards rushing.

“Since September we have been working, we have stayed healthy and fresh, and at this point we feel great going forward,” David Gilpin said. “We don’t have a built-in rivalry in this district. Most of our boys are not too familiar with most of these teams. That has been the issue for us, but it is the same for most of the district.”

The Vikings’ offense still managed to get its rushing attack going in the loss. Brandon Zapata led the ground game with 12 carries, 167 yards and one touchdown.

The Patriots head into the final two weeks with a matchup against La Joya Palmview in Week 10 before their regular season finale against Brownsville Lopez.

By KEVIN NARRO

Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — The postseason is here and the Harlingen South Lady Hawks are alive and well.

After Tuesday’s emotional win against Brownsville Hanna, the Lady Hawks savored the moment but were quickly back at work Wednesday.

“We had a great week of practice,” South coach Anissa Lucio said. “We are excited to be in the playoffs, the kids have worked hard and we are taking this playoff run very seriously.”

The Lady Hawks went three-deep the last time they were in the postseason (2011). That year, South beat Brownsville Rivera and upset state-ranked Sharyland High before bowing out to Los Fresnos in the regional quarterfinals.

In Year 2 under Lucio, the team has shown growth, maturity and the ability to finish matches. While the team has grown up before our eyes with just two seniors, seven juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen, the Lady Hawks have built a strong foundation not just for 2018, but for the future.

“We feel we are ready,” Lucio added. “We have accomplished so much this season, and we have gained confidence for not only this year, but for next year as well. We are right where we need to be.”

South sat 1-5 midway though the district season and was still mathematically alive for the playoffs.

After losing to San Benito and Los Fresnos, South found itself in a hole with three games remaining.

The Lady Hawks responded by beating Rivera at home and then went on the road and swept Harlingen High, and then beat Hanna in the regular season finale.

South’s win against Hanna gives the squad plenty of confidence heading into its Class 6A bi-district match against Edinburg High.

The Lady Bobcats drew the No. 1 seed and finished as co-district champions out of District 31-6A.

“We played them earlier in the year, and (Edinburg High is) a tough team,” Lucio said. “Both of us have gotten better since we last played.”

On Tuesday, the Lady Bobcats will enter the friendly confines of Harlingen South, where it is expected to be a packed house, particularly in the student section.

Fans can look at it as a “12th Man” factor, and it is something the Lady Hawks feed off of.

“We have such great support from our students and our administration,” Lucio said. “The student section is great, and it is something the girls look forward to.”

FREDDY GONZALEZ | Staff Writer

RAYMONDVILLE — The Raymondville Bearkats continued to flex their offensive and defensive might against the Port Isabel Tarpons on Friday evening at Burnett Stadium.

Raymondville scored three quick touchdowns during the first quarter as the Bearkats defeated the Tarpons 48-0 to remain undefeated in district action.

After the game, the message remained the same for Raymondville coach Frank Cantu: “Keep believing.”

With one more game on the regular season schedule (against the Progreso Red Ants next week) the Bearkats are in the driver’s seat to grab their first district title in recent memory.

“I’m just so proud of the way the guys came out tonight, and they executed well,” Cantu said. “The guys had a rough practice Monday because of the rain, but we had a really good practice Tuesday and Wednesday, and we saw what we wanted to see. We are just so happy that we’re healthy and that we are ready to go.

“We have to just keep believing because we are so close (to winning the district title outright), and we have one more game to go. We have to go play hard and get that district championship. We haven’t been in this situation in a while, and we’re just so proud that we have the opportunity to bring it home.”

The victory extends Raymondville’s win streak to seven games and guarantees the Bearkats at least a share of the District 16-4A Division II crown.

From the get-go, senior Marcus Capetillo gave the Bearkats’ faithful a reason to celebrate. Capetillo took Raymondville’s first handoff of the game and went 59 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

However, things went from bad to worse for Port Isabel, as Raymondville’s Zaraivion Armendarez and Xavier Ledesma each found paydirt to give the Bearkats an early 21-0 lead with 6:05 remaining in the first quarter.

During the second period, the Bearkats’ offense continued to flourish. Raymondville’s Jacob Posas found Justin Cantu for two touchdowns as the Bearkats entered the half with a commanding 34-0 lead.

After the break, Raymondville continued to distribute the ball and keep the Tarpons’ defense guessing. Posas finished the game with 152 yards rushing and one touchdown, and he passed for another 148 yards and three touchdowns by completing 9 of 15 attempts. Capetillo rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries.

“We’ve got some people and we shared the ball a little bit more,” Cantu said. “I thought Capetillo had a really good game rushing the ball, as did Jacob Posas with his long TD run (88 yards). We’ve got several ways to score, and we’ve been blessed to be able to have that.”

The loss dropped the Tarpons to 4-4 overall and 1-1 in district action, snapping the Tarpons’ three-game win streak.

Raymondville’s defense continued to play lights out and held the Tarpons to 234 yards, down from the Tarpons’ average of more than 400 yards during the past three games.

“When the offense comes out clicking on all cylinders, it makes it a little easier for the defense to go,” Cantu said. “Then we also had a lot of stops back to back and then we got our confidence going, and all that put together just sealed the deal for us.”

Next week, the Tarpons play host to Rio Hondo at 7:30 p.m. at home.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — For the first time since 2011, the Harlingen South Lady Hawks are heading to the playoffs.

After winning the first two sets, Harlingen South held off a furious Brownsville Hanna rally.

The case was simple for Harlingen South, win and they would be in. Hanna, meanwhile, was playing for a district title with their playoff spot already secured.

Leading 14-13 in the fifth set, South junior Mikela Mireles served up the match-winning kill to give the Lady Hawks’ a dramatic five-set win, 25-18, 25-21,19-25,10-25,15-13, and punch their postseason ticket, making the South gym into a madhouse.

“Our goal was not to give up,” South coach Anissa Lucio said. “We knew we were going to get a tough team tonight and we knew what was on the line, and our girls just finished. After the fifth set it was us just understanding how to control our side, and our girls did that and they played together towards the end.”

With the whirlwind district, South controlled its own destiny; such was the case with Brownsville Rivera, which locked up its playoff spot with a win over Harlingen High.

Rivera and South ended up with 4-6 records and will have a coin flip to decide which team will be the fourth and third seeds. South will meet either Edinburg North or Edinburg High in the bi-district round, depending on the seeding.

“This is something the girls have worked for since the offseason,” Lucio said. “They deserve it, they were so determined, and that is what we needed, they really wanted to finish and they really wanted to make the playoffs.”

Mireles, who also happened to turn 17 years old Tuesday, celebrated her birthday and a win. The junior stepped in for one of her best outings of the year with a 32-kill, 25-dig performance.

“This is amazing to be able to make history and make the playoffs,” Mireles said. “We won in five sets, and it is an amazing feeling, I’m so proud of my team and we knew we had to keep pushing, we knew what we had to do. The celebration was crazy.”

The resurgence from Harlingen South has been an impressive one. After going 1-5 through the first round of district play, the Lady Hawks turned things around by winning three straight and are playing their best volleyball of the season at the right time.

“We have come a long way, and we all have fought very hard,” said Mya Aguirre, who checked in a solid outing with 11 kills, 23 assists and 13 digs. “I’m proud of my team. I wouldn’t have any other group of girls by my side.”

The loss for Hanna locked up the district title outright for Los Fresnos, which swept San Benito to end its season. Hanna will be the No. 2 seed and will meet Edinburg Vela in the bi-district round next week.

By FREDDY GONZALEZ

Staff Writer

CORPUS CHRISTI — Plenty of Rio Grande Valley runners left their mark on the UIL Region IV cross country meet Monday in Corpus Christi.

Some took home first-place medals and third-place medals, while others even made school history. For most, the idea of qualifying for the UIL state meet early next month was enough to celebrate.

In Class 6A, Brownsville Rivera’s Andrea de la Rosa proved she was a woman on a mission. The senior runner, who has dominated the local circuits this season, took home the third-place medal with a time of 16 minutes, 52.14 seconds. De la Rosa finished two seconds behind the second-place finisher (Taigen Galvan, 16:50.13) and 12 seconds behind Laredo Nixon’s Alexa Rodriguez, the winner.

For de la Rosa, this is the second time she has finished in third place (first was as a sophomore), and it will be her third consecutive appearance at the state meet.

“I’m feeling a little sentimental because it was my last regional appearance in my high school career, because these past four years have gone by really fast,” de la Rosa said. “It feels great when your name is called (on the podium), and it feels like an accomplishment.

“I feel both nervous and great about qualifying for the state meet because it’s my last year and I’m just going to try my best.”

Among teams, the Weslaco High Lady Panthers finished in the top spot with 82 points. Destinee Longoria placed seventh, Amity Ebarb took ninth, and Samantha Cienfuegos was 27th place to secure the first-place finish. The Lady Panthers finished ahead of second-place Spring Branch Smithson Valley (103 points) and third-place Austin Westlake (115).

In Class 5A, the Edcouch Elsa Lady Yellowjackets made history by becoming the first cross country team to make the state meet. The Lady Yellowjackets finished third place with 95 points, behind Boerne (first place, 45 points) and Dripping Springs (second, 83).

“The coaching staff is extremely proud of them,” E-E coach Juan Aguinaga said. “They put it together at the right time, ran aggressively and really wanted to make history.”

Vanessa Cerda finished in seventh place, Kennedy Villalpando placed 12th, Natali Mireles took 17th and Haley Villalpando was 19th to secure the third spot for Edcouch Elsa. On the boys side, Albino Rodriguez (10th), Dominik Medrano (11th), and Kristian Martinez (15th) all secured spots in the state meet as well.

Mercedes also will be sending three runners to the state meet. On the boys side, Lupe Reyes finished ninth and Julian Fuentes placed 14th, and on the girls side Soledad Cruz took fifth place.

In Class 4A, La Feria’s Dariana Vasquez continued to dominate. After finishing first at district, the junior followed it up by finishing first in the regional meet. Vasquez finished with a time of 10:59.59, just ahead of second place Jaci McGregor and third-place Emma Stauber. Last season, the junior finished third in the district and regional meets.

“After crossing the finish line (looking at the clock next to it, and watching my friends cross one by one), I was overwhelmed with accomplishment,” Vasquez said. “I thought of all the time we have put into this passion of ours and finally knowing we had something to show for it. Being rewarded made everything worthwhile.”

The Lionettes also were rewarded for a strong showing, finishing second with 132 points in the team results.

The La Feria boys team also qualified for state with a fourth-place finish.

Also on the boys side, the Progreso Red Ants dominated, earning a first-place finish with 61 points. Jonathan Vega finished third, Gerardo Gallardo placed eighth, and Hector Perales (13th), Alex Pecina (19th), Greg Rangel (33rd) and Samuel Cerda (44th) helped secure the top spot for the Red Ants.

In Class 3A, Brownsville IDEA Frontier finished third to secure a spot at state for the second consecutive year. Frontier finished with 189 points, just behind second-place San Antonio Cole (133) and first-place Lytle (92).

“Conditions were perfect for running,” Frontier coach Albert Alaniz said. “The course was a bit muddy but the weather held up and our kids ran well. Our goal was to always make it back to state, but I don’t believe it’s become a tradition just yet. Each year it gets tougher and tougher for us to advance, and this year was no different.

“We just squeezed in there by a margin of two points. All of our kids marked their best times of the year, and that is exactly what it took to get back to Round Rock.”

Lyford’s Dulce Rodriguez finished eighth to secure her spot in the state meet. The senior posted a time of 11:38.78 to be able to head to Round Rock next month.

And in Class 2A, another well-known name will be making her trip to the state meet. La Villa’s Robbie Sue Espericueta finished third for the second consecutive year with a time of 11:36.96. It was a personal best for the senior.

“She had a good race,” La Villa coach Joseph Garcia said. “We said we were not going to worry about the time and just focus on qualifying for state, which she did, and in doing so she ran her personal best time.”

By MARK MOLINA

Staff Writer

For just the second time in eight seasons, the Hanna boys and girls teams will head to the Region IV-6A cross country meet as District 32-6A champions.

It was a pleasant surprise, to say the least.

“We have girls who are experienced and are seniors, so we knew had a good chance to win district,” Hanna cross country coach Olaya Teran said. “Nothing is for sure sometimes, but the girls were able to do it. While watching the boys race, I thought Harlingen High had gotten it, but then we were told that we had won by four points. It was a really good race. It’s been, like, six years since both teams have won and it feels really good — I’m really happy.”

The Golden Eagles turn their attention to the regional meet at the Islander Cross Country course located on the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Dugan Track and Soccer Stadium.

They should have plenty of momentum heading to Corpus, as the girls had six runners place in the top 15 at district and the boys had five finish in the top 20.

Senior Nadia Sifuentes placed second, completing the San Benito course in 21 minutes, 12.8 seconds.

Cecilia Tellez placed sixth (22:11.5) and Alexia Perez was ninth (22:40).

For the boys, it was freshman John Abrego coming up big with a fourth-place finish (17:39.7), followed by Felipe Parra (17:52.7) in sixth and Marcos Tellez (18:13.5) in seventh.

Teran believes that her team is capable of topping those district times if the weather and course, which is different this year than in the past, cooperates with them.

“We’re hoping maybe we have faster times at regionals, but it’s going to be wet and muddy, and it’s not a very good course,” the Hanna coach said. The course (map) used to go like in a snake through some of the hills, but now it goes around them. In a prior meet this season it had been flooded, and rain is expected this time around.”

Another team riding high into the regional meet is District 32-3A boys champion IDEA Frontier. Frontier has won the district title four out of the past five seasons and is advancing to the regional meet for the fifth straight year.

Coach Albert Alanis said the school’s campus size has a lot to do with the recent success.

“We have tried to establish a good running program here since we have K-12 here,” Alanis said. “We have a middle school feeder right on the same campus, and we’re always trying to bring in freshmen and make sure they’re prepared for varsity running. Every year we have a good team. This was the first year … we had nine teams in our district, up from five. It was unfamiliar, but the kids went out there and did well.”

Alanis expects his team to do well and is expecting to get back to the state meet for the third time in five seasons.

Frontier dominated the district meet as sophomore Victor Leos won with a time of 17:43.5, followed by junior Jose Mendieta in second (17:54.7).

All seven Frontier runners finished in the top 20.

Other Metro-area teams runners heading to the 6A meet include district champion Andrea de la Rosa of Rivera, who has yet to lose a race this season.

She will be joined by teammate Bethany Guzman, who placed seventh at district, and Los Fresnos’ Clarissa Tellez, who placed third to qualify.

For the boys, Rivera’s Julian Tavares will aim for state after a third-place finish at district.

The top four teams qualify for the state meet as well as the top 10 individuals not on a team.

The Brownsville Veterans Memorial girls team also will be in Corpus after a second-place finish at district.

Valeria Gamez placed fifth, Loren Averyt was sixth and Christian Pena took 10th. They will be joined by Porter’s Estrella Medellin, who finished eighth at district.

In the boys race, Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Demian Rodriguez snuck into the regional meet with a 10th-place finish.

By FREDDY GONZALEZ

Staff Writer

The Harlingen High boys and girls cross country teams will be competing at the Region lV meet this morning at the Texas A&M Corpus Christi campus.

The Cardinals’ boys team is led by senior Danny Diaz, and the girls team is led by senior Michelle Medina.

The Valley Morning Star had a chance to talk to the pair and ask some questions before their regional meet.

Danny Diaz

Q: Explain how you train for cross country? How many miles a week do you run?

DANNY: Well, first of all, the most important thing to train is your mind. If cross country was easy everybody would do it. This sport is mostly, mainly, based on your mindset; if your mindset is great, then you will excel in this sport. The mileage we run isn’t too crazy, but it’s just the right amount of miles you need for race day.

Q: What is your favorite sports quote?

DANNY: “Don’t let fatigue make a coward out of you,” Steve Prefontaine. This quote is always in my head during hard runs and even during races. What it means is that you never give up on what you’re chasing, no matter how tired and dead you feel.

Q: What are some goals you have set for yourself this season?

DANNY: Well, starting off the season I wanted to lead my team to glory. I never had goals individually, I was thinking about the team. My goal this season is to take them far into the season.

Q: What are some of your preparations or rituals that you have leading up to an event?

DANNY: Days before a meet is coming up I try to do the basic preparations a distance runner prepares for. Drink water, eat right, and no going out. My personal rituals consist of eating pizza the day before, always. Usually runners will drink beverages with tons of electrolytes. Water is my go-to drink always, nothing special, just plain water.

Q: If you could have dinner with anybody, who would it be and why?

DANNY: If there was one person I would like to just sit down and have a nice meal with, it would be Steve Prefontaine. He’s been an inspiration to me and runners everywhere. To sit and just hear would just be a dream come true.

Michelle Medina

Q: What is the toughest part of cross country?

MICHELLE: The toughest part of cross country would be eventually realizing that it’s a constant mental game of breaking barriers, learning to overcome doubt and fear, and finally going through the pain to reach your “second wind.” Also, having the determination and being committed to go the extra mile to succeed. Another would be being consistent not only at practice but especially at the races, when your coaches expect you to (be at a) certain time for the first miles and then take off the last. Also having to learn to believe in yourself, trusting the process and being confident, but not to the point to where you underestimate others. Lastly, having self-discipline to go out at practices and races and follow through the plan. At the end of the day running is all mental, and learning to master it to become mentally strong day by day.

Q: What are some of your preparations or rituals that you have leading up to an event?

MICHELLE: Some preparations I take for upcoming events would be to go back to past races, revise my total times and splits, as well staying up to date with the times my competitors hit as well. I usually go back and examine my past races carefully to figure out exactly where I need improvement or where mistakes were made. I set short-term goals for the upcoming events and have self-discipline to follow through and achieve them. The main factor is having a set goal for the next races, and (setting) up a plan a week in advance just so I can remind myself what I’m working for that particular week.

Q: This is your senior year. What are you going to miss the most about your high school career?

MICHELLE: For it being my senior year, I will be missing my team and coaches the most since I am the only senior on the girls side. I am very grateful for my coaches, who give us their time and are always trying to help us improve not only as athletes but as individuals. I will definitely miss the times we’ve had and times they’ve been there on the down lows. As for my team, I love working with them and how they have similar goals in mind as I do. They’ve come so far and have had success as individuals; I can only imagine what they will do after I’m gone. We’ve gotten closer not only as a team but as family, and I am very grateful to have had them for my last ride of cross (country). It’s a shame I will be graduating because I would’ve loved to continue to succeed with them and grow our bond stronger.

Q: If you had a time machine and could go anywhere for 20 minutes, would you go to the future or to the past?

MICHELLE: If I had a time machine to travel 20 minutes into time, I would travel both ways, past and future. I’d go the past to tell myself to believe in myself, to not underestimate others, and to make it worth it now because there’s no coming back. Also, to make as minimal mistakes as I possibly could and to let go of the fear of hurting, because that’s what was holding me back from seeing my potential. Then I’d travel to the future just to see if I really do reach all the goals I set for myself and if I’ve turned running into a career.

Q: Do you aspire to run at the next level?

MICHELLE: Yes, I definitely aspire to run at the next level as it’s been my dream since freshman year, and ever since then it’s become a goal. Although, the goal before that is obtaining the times I need to receive a scholarship. I am very hopeful that I continue what I started as it’s become my passion, as I’ve learned many things that I could apply to real-world situations. Running is life, and it’s something I couldn’t live without.