By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
While public schools around the Rio Grande Valley are gearing up for their track & field district meets in another week, St. Joseph Academy has a little more time to prepare and is focusing on a TAPPS regional meet April 30 and May 1 at Houston Awtry and the TAPPS state meet May 8 and 9 in Waco at a new world-class facility at Baylor University.
“We have been competing with a very young team,” said SJA coach Meme Garza, whose team does not have a district meet. “I am really looking forward to the future.”
Underclassmen for the boys who are sparking the Bloodhounds in the relays are Kai Money, Alejandro Balderas, Miguel Guerra, Mario Garcia, Adrian Perez, Cole Conner and Gerardo Moses. Also, freshman MarteRodriguez is doing well in the hurdles. Money, a freshman, is also a standout in the long jump.
For the SJA girls, Lucy Salum, Alejandra Elizondo, Ceci de la Garza and Alejandra Segura are heading the team in the relays, while Desi Rai Cortinas (discus) and Megan Lopez (pole vault) and Camryn Gloor(pole vault) give the Lady Bloodhounds strength in the field events. Lopez is the defending TAPPS state champion in her event.
Another consistent performer for the Lady Bloodhounds is freshman hurdler Gaby Garza, who also has times that are among the Rio Grande Valley’s best this season in the 100- , 200- and 400-meter dashes.
STANDOUTS AT HARLINGEN
Pace’s Maria Avila and Rivera teammates Sammy Orive and Angel Espinoza came home with gold medals from last Thursday’s Harlingen Relays at Boggus Stadium.
Avila won the 100-meter hurdles in 15.59 seconds and took third in the high jump, while Orive triumphed in the triple jump with a leap of 41 feet, 7 inches and Espinoza was the winner in the discus with a throw of 161 feet, 8 inches.
Other boys from Brownsville earning top three finishes at the meet included Rivera’s Anthony Garza (second in the 3,200) and Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Jorge Robledo (third in the shot put).
For girls from Brownsville, other athletes with top-three finishes were Pace’s Gertrudis Ruiz- Balli (second in the discus), Brownsville Veterans’ Clarissa Chavez (third in the shot put), Brownsville Veterans’ Michaela Arteaga (third in the 100 hurdles) and the second-place Brownsville Veterans 800 relay composed of Daniela Diaz, Krista Lopez, Jordan Rudd and Haley Allen.
LADY RAIDERS SHINE
The Rivera girls competed at a meet in Raymondville last Thursday and received some strong showings by their relays.
The Lady Raiders won the 400 relay and took second in the 1,600 relay. Running on the 400 relay were Kathleen Gonzalez, April Chapa, Kassie Garcia and April Gonzalez, while members of the 1,600 relay were Garcia, Chapa, Brandy Endsleyand Jennifer Lopez.
“We had lots of fourth places,” Lady Raiders coach Jenny Schuster said.
LOOKING AHEAD
District meets are scheduled for Metro-area teams next week. The District 32-6A meet will be April 15 and 16 at Los Fresnos, while the District 32-5A meet will be April 16 and 18 at Donna. The District 32-4A meet will be April 16 and 18 at La Feria.
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.