By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
La Joya Palmview coach Claudia Bazan wasn’t concerned that Victor Bocanegra and Eliseo Rodriguez hadn’t won a meet all year. She wasn’t too worried, either, where they finished individually at the District 30-6A meet.
Her primary focus was on how the boys finished as a team. Despite competing at home last year, they finished second in district.
But with Bocanegra winning this time, and Rodriguez coming in second place, the Lobos captured the 30-6A crown at Palmview last week, securing their place at Monday’s Region IV-6A meet at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
“We knew that who came in first was secondary to what we needed to do as a team,” Bazan said. “The expectation was to come in first and second (individually) to help the team, but the order of it really didn’t matter.”
Bocanegra (15:58.5) improved on last year’s fourth-place finish, while Rodriguez (16:06.2) dipped from district-title winner to runner-up. The outcome was partly the result of Rodriguez battling through stomach ailments at district. Six weeks prior, he was also sidelined with heat exhaustion.
That Rodriguez finished in second place, Bazan said, was a testament to his offseason workouts with Bocanegra. The juniors have competed together since middle school, and they’ve used their friendly rivalry to fuel each other going into district.
In advancing to regionals, the tandem hopes to improve on last year’s sixth-place finish. By doing so, they could qualify for state, as the top four teams advance.
“They’re hard-working kids with great work ethics,” Bazan said. “It’s good to see that their hard work is paying a little right now.”
RIDING HIGH
For a third consecutive year, Hidalgo’s Moises Campos will compete at the regional tournament.
The senior punched his ticket after winning his third straight district title. Coach Zeke Morales called it “by far his best season,” after beating the 16-minute mark earlier this year. As a sophomore, he was a runner-up at regionals, and last year he finished third.
“We’re hoping he gets it now. Obviously, no pressure,” Morales said, laughing.
Campos’ biggest improvement comes in being able to identity when to increase his pace down the stretch. Morales said Campos was “fantastic” the last 300 meters of the district race, allowing him to win by 26 seconds.
“He’s a smarter runner, and he understands his body better now,” Morales said, “He knows when to turn it on.”
Three Hidalgo runners finished among the top 10, helping the boys team win its first district title since 1992.
“It was nice to make a little history,” Morales said. “It reignited that tradition here at Hidalgo.”
For his part, Campos is looking to improve on last year’s 14th-place finish at state in what will mark his third appearance.
MAKING HISTORY
In winning the 32-3A meet last week, Edinburg IDEA Quest’s girls helped the school capture its first varsity district title since opening in 2006.
Coach Robbie Cruz called it a “huge” victory for a team that lacks a proper track for cross country, an adequate weight room or even a dressing room. In fact, the school’s gym also functions as a cafeteria.
“We don’t have as much as other schools,” Cruz said, “but we do the best with what we’ve got.”
Edinburg IDEA’s Valery Tobias (13:08.06) won, while teammate Aleythia Gutierrez (13:55.66) came in second place, helping the girls team total 25 points. Lyford (57) finished second and Santa Rosa (61) was third.
Last month, Tobias finished 12th in the elite portion of the Meet of Champions. Since then, Cruz has dialed back on their workload, from three miles to two (as it was at district). Gutierrez has also been impressive, despite recently joining the sport. And while both are sophomores, they’ve emerged as influential figures in the program.
“They’re a big part of this team,” Cruz said. “(Their teammates) see these two girls doing what they do, and it pushes them to try to do better.”
Edinburg IDEA’s Juliana Chapa, Victoria Balboa and Carolina Cantu also qualified for regionals as individuals.