By MARK MOLINA
Staff Writer
It is business as usual for the Harlingen boys track and field team.
The Cardinals are back at the Region IV-6A meet in San Antonio today after capturing their third-consecutive 31 and 32-6A area track and field championship last week.
With that area title, the Cards have won the meet every year since its inception back in the 2012-13 season.
“It says a lot for the team,” Harlingen head track coach Efrain Ambriz said Wednesday.
“It also shows the types of athletes we have here at Harlingen; it really is tremendous.”
At area, the Cards scored 96 points to win the meet, 27 more than the second place team Harlingen South (69 points).
In the process they qualified nine individual athletes in seven different events.
They also qualified their Valley’s best 1600-meter relay team with a time of 3:21.12.
With 11 athletes (including alternates) set to make the trip to regionals, the Cards will feel at home when they hit the Alamo Stadium track.
“We may be in San Antonio, but I feel like we almost have an advantage with so much of our team there to support us,” Harlingen’s Chris Rosales said.
After finishing out of the top three teams at the regional meet last year, the Cards are looking to take a step forward in the standings this year.
“Last year [at regionals] we qualified two guys to state last year and finished fourth overall as a team,” Ambriz said.
“Now, the goal is to finish higher than we did last year. If we can get two or more qualifiers and finish higher than fourth this year, I think this season will be a success. “
RUNNING CARDS
The Cards have the numbers to do well at regionals, especially with a lot of their success coming in the running events.
Rosales will compete in the 200-meter run for Harlingen.
Lorenzo Castaneda and Orser Rodriguez will both compete in the 800-meter run, while Marcos Medina and Chris Montemayor both qualified in the 400-meter run.
Rodriguez will also compete in the 1600-meter run.
“We know we have our best runners with our 400 and 200 guys,” Ambriz said. “Then, we get to the mile and the mile relay and those are the areas where we feel that’s where we can pile up the most points.”
Their mile relay team consisting of Montemayor, Rosales, Rodriguez and Medina however, will arguably be their best shot at picking up points at regionals.
The team is not only chasing a berth at state, but they are out to become the best 1600-meter relay team in the school’s history.
“I know we’ve never had a relay team qualify for state, so I’m looking forward to that,” Rosales said. “I know we have a really good chance and I believe we can do it.”
Even with the Valley’s best time, the Cards feel like they have not peaked and that there is still room to improve on their relay time.
“We all have our drives and our hard work will really push us. At this point of the year, I feel we have a lot left,” Medina said.
OTHERS CHASING STATE
In the field events, the Cards qualified Travis Barnes and Raymond Dominguez in the shot put.
Devin Rosas will compete in the long jump, while Albert Villarreal tackles the pole vault.
For the Girls, Samantha Alvarez will compete in the shot put and Juliana Guerrero will compete in both the triple jump and 400-meter dash.