By FREDDY GONZALEZ
Staff Writer
LA FERIA — Every morning for the past five years Lionettes cross country runner Tina Sierra has run for a purpose. A purpose unlike any other, and no — it hasn’t been easy.
With homework sometimes keeping the soft spoken senior up past midnight and cross country practice starting at the crack of dawn, her unwavering focus and determination has kept Sierra running that extra mile.
“Tina started as a very successful junior high runner that came in first in almost all of her races,” said Coach Graciela Campos. “We saw her and knew she had a lot of possibilities.”
As a freshman Sierra made the varsity team and advanced to the state meet with the team. She started out as the fifth runner and quickly became Coach Campos’ first. She had beaten everybody on the team.
“I’ve seen her blossom into a great leader,” said Campos. “She’s not very vocal but she leads by example. Tina doesn’t cheat the system. I don’t have to be around her for her to work hard.
“Tina is taking me to state, not the other way around. I’m not taking her, she is taking me.”
Three years ago Sierra came in 38th in the state meet; this year Coach Campos believes there is no doubt she will break the top 20.
To see what drives the cross country star to do what she continues to do, a meaningful story lies behind the inspiring person.
In the seventh grade Sierra and her friends took up cross country as a sport they could all do together. However, when her friends began dropping the sport one-by-one for different reasons, Sierra pushed on for her sister.
“My sister passed away when she was in the eighth grade and she loved to see me run,” said Sierra. “She motivates me to keep going.”
And that motivation has carried her to some surprising results.
“In district I’ve really surprised myself,” said Sierra. “I have hit a personal record and I guess since I worked on my speed a bit more this off season it’s really helped me and I’ve seen the improvements.
“It’s really great to see that all the hard work payoff.”
The reward comes in the form of three medals.
Individually, she’s won a district champion medal and a fourth place medal at Regional’s this year. And she also has a second place team medal to go along with the rest.
“She is a great role model and we are blessed to have her in our program,” said Campos. “I know she is going to do her best.”
This Saturday, Sierra will compete at the UIL state cross country meet in Round Rock and every time her running shoes touch the ground she knows her beloved sister will be doing the one thing she loved to do: watch her run.