BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

RIO GRANDE CITY — Track and field teams from District 31-5A demonstrated their various strengths during the first day of their district meet Tuesday afternoon at Joe R. Sanchez stadium.

The Sharyland Pioneer Lady Diamondbacks collected three gold medals, including two from senior Nora Monie, who was victorious in the girls shot put (40 feet, 6 3/4 inches) and discus throw (135-06). Senior Lizette Chapa won the 3200-meter run with a mark of 12 minutes, 3.46 seconds.

“It was a good race for me,” Chapa said. “It wasn’t my best time, but it was the goal I wanted, which was to be district champion.

Track finals will be held on Friday at the same location. The top-two finishers in each event automatically qualify for regional competition which will take place next month in San Antonio.

Chapa’s male contemporary in the 3200 was Mission Veteran’s G.J. Reyna, who won the boys two-mile race in 9:35.82.

“I was a little bit nervous before the race,” Reyna said. “It’s my senior year. I want to go out there and win. I think the race unfolded well. I just wanted to hang out around, and somewhere around the last 800 meters I just took off. It was do or die.”

Reyna’s teammate Jordan De Leon won gold in the boys discuss throw with a distance of 153-10, while fellow Patriot Luis Trujillo took first in the pole vault (12-06).

The biggest upset of the day occurred during the boys long jump when Edinburg Vela’s Tristan Flores (22-02) beat Sharyland High’s Sean Landez (21-01.5) by more than a foot. Landez entered as the Valley’s best in the event.

“On every single jump, I worked on improving,” Flores said. “It was a mindset. My coach kept asking me, ‘Do you really want this?’ And when I did the jump, I felt the explosion. I felt the intensity.”

That’s not to say Sharyland didn’t collect gold on the day. Aylin Alvarez won the girls high jump with a height of 4-10. Vela’s Brandon Rivera placed first in the boys high jump (6-08).

Other notable performances from Tuesday include Roma’s Kassy Rocha, who brought home a pair of gold medals for the Lady Gladiators. Rocha won the triple jump (36-11.5) and the long jump (16-11). Valley View’s Robert Rosales placed first in the boys triple jump (41-09) and won the silver medal in the high jump (6-02). The only gold won by Rio Grande City came courtesy of Alejandre Clarke, who won the girls pole vault with a height of 9-00.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — At some point Saturday, Caitlin Alaniz could deal with a reoccurring hindrance.

The Weslaco East senior sprinter will participate in the girls 100-meter and 200-meter dashes at the District 31-6A track meet at Bobby Lackey Stadium. Alaniz is fast and has the numbers to prove it – she ranks in the Valley’s Best in both events.

Alaniz will tell you of her quickness, endurance and desire to win. She’ll also tell you about her biggest weakness and its minute impact on her success.

“I’m not that great of getting out of the blocks,” Alaniz said. “It’s difficult to pop out quick. I’m usually at the end of the back. They call me a back-end runner.”

The 17-year-old blames her poor starts on her lengthy build as well as an improper technique learned in middle school which her muscle memory won’t let her forget. What Alaniz won’t do is allow her early miscues be an excuse.

“I can stay at full speed for a long time,” she said. “It just takes me a while to get there. It’s pretty scary in the 100. You never see me lead at the beginning. But, near the end, I make my move and I just book it.”

The Lady Wildcats need Alaniz to do plenty of booking this week during district competition. The core of the varsity team is composed of just seven girls, with Alaniz the only senior to compete exclusively in track. But Weslaco East has picked a good time to rely on her, as she is coming off a record-breaking performance earlier this month at the Harlingen relays.

In both the 100 and 400-meter dashes, Alaniz set school records with a mark of 12.18 and 1:01.58, respectively. Alaniz also holds the school mark in the 200 with a time of 25.67.

“She’s a late bloomer,” coach Josh Davis said. “She didn’t really stand out in middle school track at all. When I told her middle school coach about her success the past few years, he went, ‘Caitlin who?’”

Alaniz’s development from welcomed surprise to record holder began last year at the Knights of Columbus Relays in Mercedes. Once relegated to relay duty, Alaniz was placed in the 100 due to injuries elsewhere on the team. She had never competed in the event, but that didn’t stop her from breaking the school record twice – once in the prelims and again during the finals.

“I didn’t even know (the records) existed,” Alaniz said. “Coach didn’t tell me I broke a school record until the finals. He had this big piece of paper that said, ‘WEHS School Records.’ He told me I had set a new record and that I had to go out there and do it again in the finals, which I did.”

Alaniz repeated her back-to-back record breaking performance again in the 200, her preferred race. With each ensuing race, Alaniz is pushing the pace for her team and herself.

“Her commitment and her dedication has got her to this point,” Davis said. “She does whatever it takes and does whatever is asked. She knows what’s expected of her.”

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BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

LA JOYA — The second day of the District 30-6A track and field meet was a showcase of speed for two La Joya programs that earned the title of district champions for the first time.

The La Joya Palmview Lady Lobos and La Joya Juarez-Lincoln Huskies dominated much of Saturday’s action at La Joya ISD Stadium, scoring 175 and 168 team-points, respectively. Through 20 events, both programs combined for 11 gold medals and 19 podium finishes.

Athletes and relay teams that placed fourth or better in their event qualify for the Class 6A area meet in Laredo on April 24 and 25.

Palmview, who entered the day with 54 points and trailed McAllen High by one, succeeded at every level of competition. Be it sprints, relays, middle or long distance, a Lady Lobo was likely among the top finishers. The 400-meter dash was the only race in which Palmview did not place in the top three.

“It feels amazing,” Palmview girls coach Claudia Bazan said. “This has eluded us for seven years. This is something we’ve been working for since day one. For some reason, (the trophy) never wanted to come home with us. But, today, it’s taking the bus ride home.”

Brianna Robles was one of three individual athletes to win gold for the Lady Lobos. The freshman distance runner placed first in the 1600-meter run with a time of 5 minutes, 22.28 seconds. It was Robles’ second victory, the first coming on Thursday in the 3200-meter run (11:44.90).

“Usually, on the last lap, I take off,” Robles said. “But then in the last (200 meters) I explode. It’s hard sometimes. But it’s all something I really want. It’s basically my heart.”

Mia Hinojosa took first in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.56, a new personal record and third-fastest time among her Valley-girl competitors. Alyssa Garza was the final Lady Lobo to medal individually, earning gold in the 100-meter dash (13.02).

Though the Juarez Lincoln Huskies were 56 points behind the McAllen Memorial Mustangs after Thursday’s field event finals, coach Horacio Garza seemed unfazed and repeated a team mantra throughout the meet.

“We just have to do what we’ve been doing all year,” he said.

What the Huskies have been doing is controlling relays from start to finish. No matter the distance, Juarez-Lincoln relay teams have been unencumbered by the competition. On Saturday, the Huskies swept all three relays, gaining 60 points and easily making up ground against Memorial in the standings.

“These guys have been working hard all season,” Garza said. “We had a goal for today, and they ran their (butts) off. They did a hell of a job.”

Juarez-Lincoln didn’t eclipse Memorial until the final race of the day, the 4×400-meter relay. Both teams entered with 148 points, but the Huskies took the lead on the first leg thanks to Robert Gonzalez. By the time anchor Yariel Matute, a senior, crossed the finish victorious, Memorial fell to fifth, 10 seconds behind.

“We had so many kids qualify for area, we might as well go up to Laredo and see if we just can’t win the whole thing there, too,” Garza said. “Why not?”

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District 30-6A Track and Field Meet Results
La Joya ISD Stadium
Thursday, April 9
Boys

Field Events

Shot put — 1, Anthony Esparza, McAllen Memorial, 54-09; 2, Ricky Espinoza, La Joya Palmview, 47-05; 3, Ricardo Miner, McAllen Memorial, 46-10.5; 4, Leo Meza, McAllen Rowe, 44-05; 5, Edward Pequeno, McAllen Memorial, 44-03; 5, Bryan Lira, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 42-07.5.

Discus — 1, Lucas Rios, McAllen Memorial, 159-00; 2, Edward Pequeno, McAllen Memorial, 158-07; 3, Anthony Esparza, McAllen Memorial, 136-06; 4, Jonathan Perez, McAllen Memorial, 136-00; 5, Jose Reyes, McAllen Rowe, 129-11; 6, Bryan Lira, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 123-05.

Long jump — 1, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 21-10.5; 2, Jose Barrera, McAllen Rowe, 20-10; 3, Trevor Speights, McAllen Memorial, 20-08.5; 4, D.J. Johnson, McAllen Memorial, 20-7.5; 5, Carlos Barrera, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 20-4.75; 6, Robert Veliz, Mission High, 19-09.5.

Triple jump — 1, Carlos Barrera, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 43-06; 2, Hector Bosquez, McAllen Rowe, 42-10; 3, Damian Quintanilla, La Joya Palmview, 42-04.25; 4, Martin Cacique, Mission High, 40-08.25; 5, Juan Carlos Maldonado, La Joya High, 40-06.5; 6, Martin Baez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 40-05.25.

High jump — 1, Victor Bocanegra, La Joya Palmview, 6-00; 2, D.J. Johnson, McAllen Memorial, J6-00; 3, Jonathon Sanchez, McAllen Memorial, J6-00; 4, Derek Silva, McAllen Rowe, 5-08; 5, Allan Martinez, Mission High, J5-08; 6, Andrew Rodriguez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, J5-08.

Pole vault — 1, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 14-00; 2, Jose Garcia, Mission High, 13-00; 3, Andres Castillo, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 11-06; 4, Josaiah Williams, McAllen Memorial, J10-06; 5, Trevor Kucha, McAllen Memorial, J10-06.

Running Events

3200-meter run — 1, Eliseo Rodriguez, La Joya Palmview, 10:06.60; 2, Martin Baez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 10:07.20; 3, Jose Serna, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 10:09.80; 4, Jorge Perez, Mission High, 10:12.50; 5, Tristen Robles, La Joya Palmview, 10:29.90; 6, Xavier Ortiz, Mission High, 10:37.60.

Shot put — 1, Eloisa Martinez, McAllen Memorial, 34-04.50; 2, Felicita Saenz, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 31-08.50; 3, Felicia Ponce De Leon, La Joya Palmview, 30-02.50; 4, Alberta Cantu, McAllen Rowe, 30-1.50; 5, Taylor Helmcamp, McAllen High, 30-01; 6, Gillian Longoria, McAllen Memorial, 29-10.

Discus — 1, Karen Guerra, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 119-06; 2, Diana Bustos, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 105-05; 3, Taylor Helmcamp, McAllen High, 102-08; 4, Darlen Rodriguez, McAllen Rowe, 100-00; 5, Felicia Ponce De Leon, La Joya Palmview, 99-01; 6, Brennah Bizzell, McAllen Memorial, 98-09.

Long jump — 1, Mirna Tamez, La Joya Palmview, 16-07; 2, Jovanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 16-03; 3, Alyssa Garza, La Joya Palmview, 16-01; 4, Natalie Young, McAllen Memorial, 16-00; 5, Brenda Martinez, La Joya Palmview, 15-10.75; 6, Kimberly Munoz, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 15-07.

Triple jump — 1, Mayda Garcia, McAllen Rowe, 34-11.50; 2, Jovanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 34-07; 3, Brenda Martinez, La Joya Palmview, 34-06; 4, Sabrina Guzman, McAllen High, 31-02.50; 5, Madelyn Chapa, La Joya Palmview, 31-02; 6, Christina Garcia, McAllen Rowe, 30-5.5.

High jump — 1, Sydney Pemelton, McAllen High, J5-02; 1, Sarah Killian, McAllen High, J5-02; 3, Carter Helmcap, McAllen High, J5-00; 3, Ana Calderon, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, J5-00; 3, Katherine Deleon, McAllen Memorial, J5-00; 6, Karina De La Rosa, McAllen Rowe, J4-10.

Pole vault — 1, Sarah Solis, McAllen High, 9-00; 2, Carter Helmcamp, McAllen High, 8-03; 3, Sarah Summers, McAllen Memorial, 8-00; 4, Elizabeth St. Clair, McAllen Memorial, J8-00; 5, Victoria Alanis, McAllen High, 7-06; 6, Vanessa Jinks, McAllen Memorial, J7-06.

Running Events

3200-meter run — 1, Brianna Robles, La Joya Palmview, 11:44.90; 2, Natali Gonzalez, La Joya Palmview, 12.12.70; 3, Alessandra Gutierrez, McAllen Rowe, 12:29.90; 4, Yareli Yamez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 12:29.90; 5, Priscilla Flores, La Joya Palmview, 12:38.30; 6, Alexandria Canchola, McAllen High, 12:42.10.

Team standings — 1, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 168; 2, McAllen Memorial, 152; 3, La Joya Palmview, 120; 4, Mission High, 59; 5, McAllen Rowe, 55; 6, McAllen High, 36; 7, La Joya High, 29.

Running Events

100-meter dash — 1, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 11.14; 2, Trevor Speights, 11.26; 3, Angel Garcia, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 11.37; 4, Joseph Moreno, McAllen Rowe, 11.46; 5, Adrian Rodriguez, McAllen High, 11.52; 6, Ino Rios, McAllen ROwe, 11.56.

200-meter dash — 1, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 21.93; 2, Marcelo Matamoros, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 22.42; 3, Anthony Mora, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 22.50; 4, Robert Veliz, MIssion High, 22.87; 5, Genaro Hernandez, La Joya High, 23.17; 6, Fred Quintanilla, La Joya Palmview, 23.18.

400-meter dash — 1, Yariel Matute, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 49.33; 2, Victor Castillo, McAllen Memorial, 51.15; 3, Alex Cordova, Mission High, 51.81; 4, Carlos Hernandez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 52.55; 5, Mauricio Hernandez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 52.67; 6, Saul Ortiz, La Joya Palmview, 52.84.

800-meter run — 1, Ricardo Mendoza, La Joya High, 1:58.25; 2, Michel Lara, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:58.63; 3, Victor Bocanegra, La Joya Palmview, 2:00.19; 4, Mauricio Hernandez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 2:00.95; 5, Paco Rodriguez, McAllen High, 2:01.74; 6, Martin Salinas, La Joya High, 2:02.02.

1600-meter run — 1, Michele Lara, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 4:31.04; 2, Eliseo Rodriguez, La Joya Palmview, 4:33.60; 3, Martin Baez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 4:34.38; 4, Ricardo Mendoza, La Joya High, 4:35.87; 5, Jose Serna, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 4:37.49; 6, Jorge Perez, Mission High, 4:44.47.

110-meter hurdles — 1, Tristen Myende, La Joya Palmview, 15.65; 2, J.D. Alaniz, La Joya Palmview, 15.72; 3, Allan Martinez, Mission High, 15.99; 4, Manuel Lerma, McAllen High, 16.02; 5, Rene Pecina, La Joya Palmview, 16.17; 6, Carlos Barrera, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 16.47.

300-meter hurdles — 1, Rene Pecina, La Joya Palmview, 39.87; 2, J.D. Alaniz, La Joya Palmview, 39.92; 3, Marc Garcia, Mission High, 40.50; 4, Carlos Serna, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 40.72; 5, Gunnar Henderson, McALlen High, 40.72; 6, Andrew Rodriguez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 42.32.

400-meter relay — 1, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 42.73; 2, McAllen Memorial, 43.07;3, McAllen Rowe, 43.94; 4, McAllen High, 43.98; 5, Mission High, 44.41; 6, La Joya Palmview, 44.75.

800-meter relay — 1, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:29.33; 2, McAllen High, 1:31.66; 3, La Joya Palmview, 1:31.74; 4, McAllen Rowe, 1:32.36; 5, McAllen Memorial, 1:33.38; 6, La Joya High, 1:34.79.

1600-meter relay — 1, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 3:23.95; 2, La Joya Palmview, 3:25.47; 3, Mission High, 3:31.97; 4, La Joya High, 3:33.01; 5, McAllen Memorial, 3:33.54; 6, McAllen Rowe, 3:36.07.

GIRLS

Team standings — 1, La Joya Palmview, 175; 2, McAllen Memorial, 118; 3, McAllen Rowe, 98; 4, McAllen High, 97; 5, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 92; 6, Mission High, 28; 7, La Joya High, 18.

Running Events

100-meter dash — 1, Alyssa Garza, La Joya Palmview, 13.02; 2, Kimberly Munoz, La Joya Juarez-LIncoln, 13.05; 3, Valeria Banda, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 13.07; 4, Mirna Tamez, La Joya Palmview, 13.24; 5, Sarah Killian, McAllen High, 13.39; 6, Mariana Hernandez, La Joya Palmview, 13.44.

200-meter dash — 1, Mia Hinojosa, La Joya Palmview, 25.56; 2, Natalie Young, McAllen Memorial, 26.75; 3, Michelle Ramos, La Joya High, 26.90; 4, Brenda Pena, Mission High, 27.18; 5, Sabrina Guzman, McAllen High, 27.69; 6, Alexa Aleman, McAllen Rowe, 27.71.

400-meter dash — 1, Jovanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 1:00.06; 2, Mallory Raad, McAllen High, 1:00.38; 3, Taylor Marburger, McAllen Memorial, 1:00.49; 4, Julissa Montoya, La Joya High, 1:03.30; 5, Ashley DIaz, Mission High, 1:04.71; 6, Keren Valdez, McAllen Rowe, 1:06.15.

800-meter run — 1, Victoria Izaguirres, McAllen Memorial, 2:26.17; 2, Naila Flores, La Joya Palmview, 2:26.26; 3, Veronica Dougherty, McAllen Rowe, 2:28.07; 4, Julissa Montoya, La Joya High, 2:28.14; 5, Sandy Martinez, Mission High, 2:28.49; 6, Karolyna Acosta, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 2:30.95.

1600-meter run — 1, Brianna Robles, La Joya Palmview, 5:22.28; 2, Yareli Tamez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 5:28.55; 3, Aminta Michelle Flores, Mission High, 5:34.70; 4, Alessandra Gutierrez, McAllen Rowe, 5:36.48; 5, Natali Gonzalez, La Joya Palmview, 5:39.68; 6, Victoria Izaguirre, McAllen Memorial, 5:39.77.

100-meter hurdles — 1, Yasmin Gonzales, McAllen Memorial, 16.91; 2, Sarah Killian, McAllen High, 16.94; 3, Brittany Cano, La Joya Palmview, 16.95; 4, Skylar Hernandez, McAllen High, 17.39; 5, Andrea Mungia, McAllen Memorial, 17.57; 6, Halleigh Scott, McAllen Rowe, 18.34.

300-meter hurdles — 1, Thanya Garza, McAllen Memorial, 47.01; 2, Brittany Cano, La Joya Palmview, 47.47; 3, Yasmin Gonzalez, 48.13; 4, Skylar Hernandez, McAllen High, 48.72; 5, Madelyn Chapa, La Joya Palmview, 51.08; 6, Halleigh Scott, McAllen Rowe, 52.00.

400-meter relay — 1, La Joya Palmview, 50.03; 2, McAllen Memorial, 50.62; 3, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 50.94; 4, McAllen Rowe, 51.21; 5, McAllen High, 51.54.

800-meter relay — 1, La Joya Palmview, 1:47.16; 2, McAllen Memorial, 1:48.41; 3, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 1:50.21; 4, McAllen Rowe, 1:50.66; 5, Mission High, 1:51.00; 6, McAllen High, 1:52.27.

1600-meter relay — 1, La Joya Palmview, 4:13.22; 2, McAllen Rowe, 4:14.87; 3, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 4:17.42; 4, McAllen High, 4:22.67; 5, La Joya High, 4:25.11; 6, Mission High, 4:28.60.

BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Grulla Gators coach Angel Ortiz had better things to do Friday than stand around waiting on the rain. He intended to celebrate his 15th wedding anniversary.

Instead of celebrating, however, he and the Gators marked the end of their season after a 2-0 loss to the Liberty-Hill Panthers during a Region IV Class 4A regional semifinal at Richard Thompson Stadium.

On a playing field which could have doubled as a swamp, Grulla gave up two goals during the first half to Panthers senior forward Lucas Rizzotto. The first occurred with 11:53 remaining in the first half. The second followed five minutes later.

Making their defeat all the more bitter is the fact the Gators had to wait on Mother Nature and faulty electricity with their season in the balance. Bad weather postponed the match’s 6 p.m. start time to 9 p.m., while a 30-minute lightning delay and a 30-minute power outage caused the match to end near Midnight. The team spent much of the downtime warming up near their designated locker space, dribbling and attempting to remain focused and in game shape.

Play resumed with 30 minutes remaining in the second half, and the Gators proceeded with a sense of spirited desperation. Grulla attempted several shots on goal, including one from Gerardo Roldan with 7:59 remaining. But the Gators were unable to overcome the size and speed of Liberty-Hill, who were content at times to simply play keep away.

This year marks the first time Grulla made the postseason. The team finished 7-1 in District 32-4A and were district co-champions along with the Hidalgo Pirates.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

LA JOYA — With a roster of proven talent and some welcomed surprises, the McAllen Memorial Mustangs are perched atop the team standings after the first day of competition Thursday at the District 30-6A track meet at La Joya ISD Stadium.

During an afternoon of gusty winds and unrelenting sunshine, teams competed in finals for all field events and the 3200-meter run. Track finals will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday at the same location. The top four finishers in all events qualify for area competition in Laredo on April 24 and 25.

Junior Michael Boltie led the way for the Mustangs by winning gold twice. His first victory came during the boys pole vault with a jump of 14 feet before earning top prize once more in the long jump with a mark of 21-10 1/2, more than a foot better than the runner-up.

“I really was hoping to do better today (in the pole vault),” Boltie said. “It was really windy today, but first is first. The wind made it harder to jump, but I’m pretty happy with how I did at the end of the day.”

Boltie contributed 20 points to the Mustangs’ 92-point haul. Though Memorial coach Marcus Kauffman expected the strong showing, he was surprised by his team’s path to a first-day lead.

“D.J. Johnson came through for us,” Kauffman said. “We weren’t sure what we were going to get out of him.”

Johnson, who competed in his first track meet since regional competition a season ago, placed second in the high jump by judge’s decision with a height of 6-0. Johnson would later place fourth in the long jump with a distance of 20-7 1/2.

The Mustangs’ strong showing continued in the throwing events, where they swept the podium in the discus. Lucas Rios won with a throw of 159-00. Teammates Edward Pequeno and Anthony Esparza finished second and third, respectively.

Though Memorial leads the competition by a 56-point margin, the team’s quest to repeat as district champs will have to wait until Saturday’s track finals, where the La Joya Juarez-Lincoln Huskies look to make up ground.

The Huskies will enter Saturday tied with La Joya Palmview for second in points with 36. Though Juarez-Lincoln sports perhaps the district’s most formidable relay rotations, the team made due during field events, taking points where they could.

Carlos Barrera won the team’s only gold medal during the boys triple jump with a distance of 43-06. After each jump, Barrera grimaced and held his lower back, the result of competing through a slipped disc which occurred during hurdles practice.

“(The back) is bothering me, but it’s something I have to suck up and do for the team,” Barrera said. “I want to go to regional and try to qualify for state.”

Though Barrera entered Thursday banged up, Misison High’s Jose Garcia left with an ice pack taped to his left wrist, the result of scary incident during the boys pole vault. While attempting a 14-foot jump, Garcia missed the landing matt and landed on the track surface with a concerning thud. Garcia got up under his own power and removed himself competition, finishing second. The injury did not appear to be serious.

“I think the wind got to my head,” Garcia said. “I started going up and I felt the wind get me, and I was like, ‘Yeah I’m going to fall.’ I just let my body go limp so I could land safely.”

In the girls competition, the McAllen High Lady Bulldogs lead the La Joya Palmview Lady Lobos, 55-54. Though Palmview were in front early thanks to a first place showing from Brianna Robles in the girls 3200-meter run with a time of 11 minutes, 44.90 seconds, McHi collected the bulk of their points when they swept the high jump. Freshman Sydney Pemelton and Sarah Killian tied for first with a mark of 5-02.

The McAllen Rowe Lady Warriors performed well in jumping events, as teammates Mayda Garcia and Jovanni Solis placed first and second, respectively, in the girls triple jump. Garcia’s gold-medal attempt was a personal best 34-11 1/2, and Solis’ second-place effort measured 34.07.

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District 30-6A Track and Field Meet
Day One
La Joya ISD Stadium
Thursday, April 9

The top four finishers in each event qualify for Area competition on April 24, 25 in Laredo.

Boys
Field Events

Shot put — 1, Anthony Esparza, McAllen Memorial, 54-09; 2, Ricky Espinoza, La Joya Palmview, 47-05; 3, Ricardo Miner, McAllen Memorial, 46-10.5; 4, Leo Meza, McAllen Rowe, 44-05; 5, Edward Pequeno, McAllen Memorial, 44-03; 5, Bryan Lira, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 42-07.5.
Discus — 1, Lucas Rios, McAllen Memorial, 159-00; 2, Edward Pequeno, McAllen Memorial, 158-07; 3, Anthony Esparza, McAllen Memorial, 136-06; 4, Jonathan Perez, McAllen Memorial, 136-00; 5, Jose Reyes, McAllen Rowe, 129-11; 6, Bryan Lira, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 123-05.
Long jump — 1, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 21-10.5; 2, Jose Barrera, McAllen Rowe, 20-10; 3, Trevor Speights, McAllen Memorial, 20-08.5; 4, D.J. Johnson, McAllen Memorial, 20-7.5; 5, Carlos Barrera, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 20-4.75; 6, Robert Veliz, Mission High, 19-09.5.
Triple jump — 1, Carlos Barrera, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 43-06; 2, Hector Bosquez, McAllen Rowe, 42-10; 3, Damian Quintanilla, La Joya Palmview, 42-04.25; 4, Martin Cacique, Mission High, 40-08.25; 5, Juan Carlos Maldonado, La Joya High, 40-06.5; 6, Martin Baez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 40-05.25.
High jump — 1, Victor Bocanegra, La Joya Palmview, 6-00; 2, D.J. Johnson, McAllen Memorial, J6-00; 3, Jonathon Sanchez, McAllen Memorial, J6-00; 4, Derek Silva, McAllen Rowe, 5-08; 5, Allan Martinez, Mission High, J5-08; 6, Andrew Rodriguez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, J5-08.
Pole vault — 1, Michael Boltie, McAllen Memorial, 14-00; 2, Jose Garcia, Mission High, 13-00; 3, Andres Castillo, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 11-06; 4, Josaiah Williams, McAllen Memorial, J10-06; 5, Trevor Kucha, McAllen Memorial, J10-06.

Running Events

3200-meter run — 1, Eliseo Rodriguez, La Joya Palmview, 10:06.60; 2, Martin Baez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 10:07.20; 3, Jose Serna, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 10:09.80; 4, Jorge Perez, Mission High, 10:12.50; 5, Tristen Robles, La Joya Palmview, 10:29.90; 6, Xavier Ortiz, Mission High, 10:37.60.

Girls
Field Events

Shot put — 1, Eloisa Martinez, McAllen Memorial, 34-04.50; 2, Felicita Saenz, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 31-08.50; 3, Felicia Ponce De Leon, La Joya Palmview, 30-02.50; 4, Alberta Cantu, McAllen Rowe, 30-1.50; 5, Taylor Helmcamp, McAllen High, 30-01; 6, Gillian Longoria, McAllen Memorial, 29-10.
Discus — 1, Karen Guerra, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 119-06; 2, Diana Bustos, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 105-05; 3, Taylor Helmcamp, McAllen High, 102-08; 4, Darlen Rodriguez, McAllen Rowe, 100-00; 5, Felicia Ponce De Leon, La Joya Palmview, 99-01; 6, Brennah Bizzell, McAllen Memorial, 98-09.
Long jump — 1, Mirna Tamez, La Joya Palmview, 16-07; 2, Jovanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 16-03; 3, Alyssa Garza, La Joya Palmview, 16-01; 4, Natalie Young, McAllen Memorial, 16-00; 5, Brenda Martinez, La Joya Palmview, 15-10.75; 6, Kimberly Munoz, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 15-07.
Triple jump — 1, Mayda Garcia, McAllen Rowe, 34-11.50; 2, Jovanni Solis, McAllen Rowe, 34-07; 3, Brenda Martinez, La Joya Palmview, 34-06; 4, Sabrina Guzman, McAllen High, 31-02.50; 5, Madelyn Chapa, La Joya Palmview, 31-02; 6, Christina Garcia, McAllen Rowe, 30-5.5.
High jump — 1, Sydney Pemelton, McAllen High, J5-02; 1, Sarah Killian, McAllen High, J5-02; 3, Carter Helmcap, McAllen High, J5-00; 3, Ana Calderon, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, J5-00; 3, Katherine Deleon, McAllen Memorial, J5-00; 6, Karina De La Rosa, McAllen Rowe, J4-10.
Pole vault — 1, Sarah Solis, McAllen High, 9-00; 2, Carter Helmcamp, McAllen High, 8-03; 3, Sarah Summers, McAllen Memorial, 8-00; 4, Elizabeth St. Clair, McAllen Memorial, J8-00; 5, Victoria Alanis, McAllen High, 7-06; 6, Vanessa Jinks, McAllen Memorial, J7-06.

Running Events

3200-meter run — 1, Brianna Robles, La Joya Palmview, 11:44.90; 2, Natali Gonzalez, La Joya Palmview, 12.12.70; 3, Alessandra Gutierrez, McAllen Rowe, 12:29.90; 4, Yareli Yamez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 12:29.90; 5, Priscilla Flores, La Joya Palmview, 12:38.30; 6, Alexandria Canchola, McAllen High, 12:42.10.

BY JON LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

Don’t tell La Joya Juarez-Lincoln boys track coach Horacio Garza his team is the favorite to win this week’s District 30-6A track and field meet at La Joya ISD Stadium.

“We’ll see if we can’t get there and win by the hairs on our chinny chin chin,” Garza said. “We’re going to be coming up from behind. It’s going to be close.”

The 30-6A meet is a two-day affair which Thursday at 9 a.m. today with finals in the boys and girls 3200-meter run. Finals for all field events get under way an hour later. Track finals will be held at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the same location.

“We’re hoping we can go in and do the things we’ve been doing throughout the year,” Garza said. “Hopefully we can stay healthy, but we’re excited for how the season has gone.”

The Huskies have been defined this season by the speed and consistency of their boys relay teams. The program holds the second-fastest time among Valley schools in both the 800-meter and 1600-meter relays with respective times of 1 minute, 30.60 seconds and 3:23.97. The Huskies also claim the third-quickest Valley time in the 400-meter relay with a mark of 43.16.

“We’ve been fortunate to have a number of kids run different relays,” Garza said. “I’m surprised how many kids we have. It’s allowed us to put some kids in other events and add to our depth.”

One such runner who has surprised Garza is Angel Garcia, a sprinter who only now joins the Huskies full time due to his commitment to the soccer program. Garza also mentioned Carlos Hernandez, a former distance runner who has worked his way into various relay rotations. Though Garza has a strong group of relay runner to choose from, he’s mum as to who will compete during Saturday’s finals.

“I’m can’t tell anything,” he said with a laugh. “I know some other people will be reading the newspaper.”
Though Juarez-Lincoln is loaded in several track events, Garza is honest about his team’s prospects in other areas.

“We’re represented in all of our field events,” he said. “We’re just not top notch. We’re going to do the best we can, but we know where we’re at in a lot of events. The kids are excited for the challenge though.”

‘ROLLING THE DICE’

Just as the Huskies will load up on healthy bodies by reacquiring multi-sport athletes, so too will the McAllen Memorial Mustangs.

“We’re jumping some of our guys for the first time this season,” boys coach Marcus Kauffman said.
Two individual who will make their track debut are D.J. Johnson and Jonathan Sanchez. Both will compete in the triple jump and high jump. Neither has competed in track and field since regional competitions a season ago.

“I have no idea what I’m going to get out of them this year,” Kauffman said. “I’m rolling the dice. Hopefully they’re a fraction of what they were last year. They could explode, or not do anything. They’ve had three weeks of practice. They’ve done it before, so they should be fine.”

One of the athletes Kauffman is sure of is Michael Boltie, who will compete in the long jump and pole vault today. Boltie claims the second-best long jump among Valley-boys with a distance of 22 feet, 1 1/2 inches. Boltie also holds the best mark in the pole vault at 14-7.25, just 1 1/4 inches better than Mission High’s Jose Garcia. Despite registering among the Valley elite, Kauffman thinks Boltie can do more.

“He just hasn’t been able to hit his mark,” he said. “He needs to hit everything at the right time. I think we’ll probably be at our best this week, though.”

RUN SMART

The La Joya Palmview Lobos could sit atop the team standings after today’s field events and two-mile run, but coach Claudia Bazan says the Lobos’ goals have become more specialized at this point in the season.
“We’re looking to get our kids to perform at their best,” Bazan said. “Some kids who do things well individually should get good times and place well.”

Palmview will see both Brianna Robles and Eliseo Rodriguez compete in the girls and boys 3200-meter run, respectively. Rodriguez’s season-best time is third among Valley boys with 9:36.75, while Robles is fifth among girls with a time of 11:44.52.

“(Today) is supposed to be a very windy day,” Bazan said. “We’re looking to run smart. The whole key to (today) is running smart, conserving energy and getting good times. (Brianna) needs to pace and use the wind to her advantage and strategize where she needs to push.”

Notable members of the Lobos to compete in field events are junior Brenda Martinez, who is among the Valley’s best in the triple jump, and Ricky Espnioza, who will compete in the shot put.

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

WESLACO — The McAllen High Lady Bulldogs were eliminated from the postseason following a 2-0 loss to the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons on Tuesday during a Class 6A regional quarterfinal match at Bobby Lackey Stadium. The match’s outcome was never in doubt as Lady Falcons controlled the tempo from start to finish, dominating the ball and routinely invading the Lady Bulldog’s half of the field.

“It was one of those games where we just didn’t’ come to play,” McHi coach Patrick Arney said. “We can play a lot better than that. It’s tough to lose anytime, but I think we still have something in the tank. But credit to Los Fresnos. They did a good job. Both of those goals were gimmes. It was frustrating. It’s never fun to lose. We’re not used to it at McHi.”

Los Fresnos’ first goal occurred with eight minutes remaining in the first half. An attempted goal by sophomore forward Tanya Prazelini from the far left side of the field drew McHi keeper Ruby Iracheta out of the box. Prazelini and Iracheta collided but not before Prazelini kicked the ball towards an open goal where junior midfielder Veronica Bratschi bumped the ball into the net with her chest from three yards out.

“That first goal was a bit of a miscommunication,” Arney said. “Maybe the goalie comes out when she shouldn’t have. She’s a solid goalie. She had plenty of saves tonight, it was just silly mistakes.”

Though Los Fresnos scored, they lost Prazelini for the remainder of the game due to an unspecified injury.

Despite the trailing 1-0 at the half, Arney stayed positive and attempted to rally his team. Arney said he told the Lady Bulldogs the game “would come down to who wants it more.”

The Lady Falcons scored once more, however, with 32:02 remaining in the second half, albeit in less violent fashion. Angled from the right side of the net, senior forward Cristen Lumbreras kicked what looked like a sure save from 10 yards out. That was before the ball ricocheted off McHi’s Shaney Warren’s left foot and crawled into the net as Iracheta was helpless to chase it down.

“That second goal really took the wind out of our sails,” Arney said. “Defensively, they really did a good job on us. I was hoping we could catch a break or doing something offensively, but I think we did a little too much individually instead of playing like a team.”

After missing the postseason a year ago, the win propels the Lady Falcons to the regional finals where they will play Corpus Christi Carroll on Friday at Brownsville Sports Park in Brownsville.

“We’ve been trying to get these girls ready,” Los Fresnos coach Marissa Wood said. “The further you go (in the playoffs), the more talented the teams become. So we tried to play to our standard of play and that showed tonight. We were able to find each other and play with heart, and that’s what got us both of our goals.”

Though Tuesday didn’t provide the outcome the Lady Bulldogs desires, Arney remains optimistic about the team’s future.

“We didn’t play as smart as we should have played,” Arney said. “We can certainly play better, but we’ve got a lot of returning players and we’re looking forward to next year.”

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BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — Carlos Reyes picked a good day to play the best round of golf of his career Tuesday at the Palm View Golf Course. Despite a second-consecutive day of strong winds, Reyes shot 1-over par score of 72 to take first place in the boys tournament with a two-day score of 148 and help lead the McAllen Memorial Mustangs to a district-winning performance.

“You got to be smart about it,” Reyes said of the gusty conditions. “You have to club up or just hit lower shots. We’re just so used to (the wind) down here in the Valley, it’s normal.”

Reyes’ victory is the first of his career, which began in earnest a season ago. Though Reyes finished 10th at district last year as a sophomore, his junior campaign has been marked with level-headed efficiency.

“You’ve got to be consistent,” Reyes said. “You have to be smart. This is more of a mental thing.”

Indeed, Reyes’ day on the links was the steadiest among the competition. He scored par on 15 of the 18 holes, birdied twice and bogied just once — on his first hole of the day.

Reyes’ teammate, Taylor Kucia, placed second among the boys with a two-day total of 162, including a score of 79 on Tuesday. Despite putting up solid numbers, the senior left the tournament wanting.

“I missed a lot of par puts,” Kucia said. “I was missing a lot of greens, too. Honestly, it wasn’t as good of a day as the score showed. I was inconsistent. I wasn’t hitting fairways and I was just missing hits. I was scrambling a lot. I don’t think I was completely prepared for the tournament.”

With a two-day team score of 647, Reyes, Kucia and the rest of the Mustangs move on to regional competition next week in San Antonio at the Brackenridge Park Golf Club. Last year, Kucia missed qualifying for state by two strokes and says he needs to be “more patient and stay focused” in order to reach the next level.

“Our boys have been playing hard all year,” Memorial coach Celso Gonzales said. “Haven’t had them together all year, but I knew if we were going to be together, we’d have a good shot.”

Joining the Mustangs in San Antonio will be the McAllen High Bulldogs, who came in second place with an overall score of 719. Individual regional qualifiers for boys are Mark Pequeno and Javier Salinas of La Joya High. Pequeno and Salinas amassed two-day totals of 174 and 178, respectively and were the two highest-scoring individual golfers who did not compete for the Mustangs or Bulldogs.

The La Joya Palmview Lady Lobos took first place in the girls competition for the first time in the program’s history. The Lady Lobos scored a two-day total of 773 and were led in part by senior Bianca Silerio, who placed first among girls with a score of 167, including a tournament-best 82 on Tuesday.

“She played very well in spite of the elements,” Palmview Coach Antonio Ocana said. “I told the girls they had to play their game and play percentage golf – aim for the green, if water is to the right, play to the left, they didn’t make too many mistakes.”

The Mission High Lady Eagles took second with a score of 894. Senior Leah Lerma posted the best score for Mission with a two-day total of 171, including Tuesday’s score of 83.

“She has this ability to move on to the next hole,” Mission coach Danny Castillo said. “If she misses a put or has a bad hole, she just blocks it out and its on the next one.”

While Palmview and Mission advance to regionals as a team, Alexis Gutierrez and Destinee Lopez of McHi qualified as individual with respective scores of 203 and 211.

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