BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — Reagan Olguin had no problem with his increased role on the Edinburg Vela track team this season. The senior runner transitioned from running the 400-meter run to the 800-meter run with ease, and pulled relay duty on the 4×200 and 4×400.
“I’ve always been able to run for long periods of time,” Olguin said. “I played basketball, and I was always in there for 40 minutes a game.”
The toughest fight Olguin waged came not on the track, but against the alarm clock.
“I guess waking up at 5 a.m. was the hardest learning curve,” he said. “With distance guys, you have to wake up early or else it’s too hot in the middle of the day, or you’re too tired later in the day.”
Olguin graduates this weekend, but his early morning routine will continue at Rice University this fall after signing his national letter of intent Friday at the Vela library. Olguin was joined by teammate Adam Herrera, who signed with the University of Incarnate Word.
“It’s been an awesome experience,” Herrera said. “The guys on the team were nice, they seemed like a cool group of guys to hang out with… My mom said, ‘Go to which ever college you want to go to. Just don’t stay here in the Valley.’ She just wants me to keep moving forward, make new friends and start a new life.”
Herrera will compete in cross country and track and field, while Olguin will remain with track exclusively.
Both athletes played an instrumental role for a SaberCats squad that was the most successful track program in the Valley this season. Olguin won bronze at the state meet in the Class 5A boys 800 with a time of 1 minutes, 54.54 seconds. Herrera’s time of 4:25.20 in the 1600-meter run was good enough for fifth best in the Valley.
“I’m always going to look back on this experience,” Herrera said. “There’s no bad way to look at it. We’ve only been here three years and we’ve already done so much compared to so many other schools. I’m proud.”
Olguin says he will study mechanical engineering while Herrera plans to study pre-med in hopes of one day becoming a physician assistant.
“It was fun,” Olguin said of the recruiting process. “I really enjoyed the visiting aspect of it and talking with coaches. It was nice having people tell me they wanted me to come to their school and help pay my tuition. Most kids don’t get this experience, or this kind of comfort. It’s comforting to know that a school wants me.”