NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR
WESLACO — The Valley’s top track and field competitors convened Saturday at Bobby Lackey Stadium in Weslaco to show off their talents at the 43rd annual Meet of Champions.
Even with a four-decade history, two meet records fell on Saturday — one in the field events and another in the evening on the track.
Edcouch-Elsa pole vaulter Bianca Cardenas set herself apart from the competition and bested her 12-foot, 1-inch jump from a year ago by an inch to 12-02. She also challenged the RGV all-time vault record, setting the bar at 12-06 but failing to reach the mark.
The junior says she always aims higher for her supporters, who know she has a strong potential.
“I feel that people have expectations for me, so I feel like I have to meet their expectations,” Cardenas said. “So if I’m considered the Valley’s best, I want to show them I’m the Valley’s best. I do feel more consistent, because I’ve been working constantly to do what I have to do.”
Cardenas has been seeded first in the event since her 12-03 in February at the Rey Ramirez Relays in Rio Grande City.
Jon Zapata of Weslaco High enjoyed home cooking for a boys pole vault championship with a 15-07 gold-medal jump.
“I’ve been working real hard to get to the height that I’m at, but I’m still not satisfied,” Zapata said. “I still want to go 16-01 to break the Valley’s record. We don’t have a meet next week, so gotta practice, get prepared for state. Hopefully, (I) can come back with a medal.”
FAMILIAR DISTANCE RUNNERS PULL AWAY
PSJA Memorial’s Cruz Gomez and La Joya Palmview’s Brianna Robles were double winners in the distance events, setting the pace for the 3,200- and 1,600-meter runs.
Gomez showed why he’s one of the state’s best runners with a 3,200 pace of 9:23.70 — a new meet record and also his best time of the 2018 season. The Wolverines junior is looking to return to state and improve on his eighth-place finish as a freshman (9:27.62)
Brianna Robles ran a 5:09.70 in the 1,600 and a 11:10.95 in the 3,200. Both of those times stand as her season bests, and the Adams State commit says she’s getting back into a groove.
“This season I felt like I’ve had this barrier, and I felt I had been able to overcome that, so today I came with a purpose, and that was to try to cross that and run without fear, for once,” Robles said. “I stepped on the track and ran without fear, especially knowing I had the support of my family and the people that believe in me.”
The Lobos also had individual winners in Mariana Hernandez in the 200 dash with a 25.49 and Bailey Villalon in the 800 run with a time of 2:19.57.
Their 400 relay team came in first with a 49.64, edging out Weslaco High for the top spot.
The two teams faced off again in the 800 relay, with the Panthers narrowly beating the Lobos 1:44.28 to 1:44.75.
Weslaco High continued the relay momentum in the boys 800 race, with the Panthers (1:30.32) coming from behind to catch Edinburg Economedes (1:30.73) for the gold medal.
In the girls 800 run, two-time state champion Valery Tobias of Edinburg IDEA Quest took a spill near the start of the race before recovering for second place. A few races later, she showed she was unfazed, coming from behind for a dramatic victory in the 400 run.
“Everything happened so quick, so all I could think of was, ‘Get back up and try to finish with everything you can,’” Tobias said. “It wasn’t the result I wanted to get, but they all did so good, so they deserve the place they got. I was disappointed in myself, but I was determined to just come back and forget that happened.”
BLINK OF AN EYE
The sprint and hurdle events were electric. McAllen High’s Gunnar Henderson was an individual gold and silver medalist.
His gold came in the 100 dash with a time of 10.90. He also finished just behind Harlingen’s Roel Renteria in the 300 hurdles.
McAllen Memorial’s Sean Skaugen claimed gold in the 110 hurdles with a 14.68, just ahead of Pioneer’s Michael Landavazo (14.72).
Alex Cordova of Mission High finished his race as expected — as the fastest 200 runner in the Valley with a time of 22.42.
“I’ve been looking forward to this my entire life. Just keep on running,” Cordova said. “I love competition. I love running beside someone and someone pushing me at all times. If I don’t have that, I’ll imagine someone in front of me. I thank God every day, because that’s what keeps me going.”
In the girls short hurdles, Aniah Chaleff-Reyna of McAllen High earned first with a 15.21. She also earned silver in the 300 hurdles with a 46.90. Jasmyn Tulloch of Harlingen High was the champion with a 46.51.
Chaleff-Reyna’s 100 hurdles time was a personal best, and the junior said she hasn’t peaked just yet.
“It feels really good, because I haven’t done this well in this meet in my previous years and I just PR’d (set a personal record) right now, so it feels real good,” Chaleff-Reyna said. “It’s important, because after you peak, you don’t really go up from there. You just kind of go down.”