MARK MOLINA | Staff Writer
LYFORD — After taking silver at the Region IV-3A track and field meet in the 1600- and 3200-meter runs, Lyford senior Thalia Polanco is set to make her debut at the UIL state track and field meet this weekend.
For as long as Polanco remembers, she has been a natural-born distance runner.
“I was told by coach (Marissa) Chapa that I was going to try out for cross-country when I was in the seventh grade,” Polanco said. “I didn’t know what that was and I thought the first ‘meet’ was a meeting of some kind, but I found out I was racing against other people.”
Despite not knowing what she was getting into, she placed second and running soon became second nature.
“I’ve known Thalia since sixth grade. She loved to run so much that making her run for not dressing out was not an option,” Lyford head track coach Marissa Chapa said. “Thalia would run circles around people. She was a natural and when she started noticing what she could do and worked on it, she became better and better.”
Polanco stuck with it and has since been to multiple regional meets as a 1600 and 3200-meter runner, but made state this past fall in cross-country.
This year, Polanco was the District 32-3A champion and the 31-, 32-3A area champion in the 1600- and 3200-meter runs.
At regionals she posted a 12:02.03 in the 3200 and a 5:28.95 in the 1600 to qualify for the state meet.
While the Lyford senior is going to represent her school as a distance runner, her road to state over the last two years didn’t come without hurdles.
Prior to regionals in 2013, Polanco was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, causing her to contemplate walking away from running altogether.
“When I found out about the cancer, I really didn’t want to run anymore,” Polanco said. “I really wanted to ask coach if I could sit out.”
Polanco was given the news after inquiring about a lump on her neck, which she discovered during a dinner.
While she didn’t think the lump was out of the ordinary, her family thought it was worth a look.
After X-rays and a visit to a specialist, thyroid cancer was confirmed.
Polanco, however, had a new outlook and decided she wasn’t going to miss regionals.
“In the back of my head I began to ask why I should sit out,” Polanco explained. “They said I have a chance to get rid of (the cancer) so I’ll go out and finish this meet.”
Polanco fell short of state and admits to feeling she could’ve done better after finishing her races during the regional meet.
That summer, Polanco underwent surgery and then radiation treatment during the fall.
Aside from scarring and catching up in her conditioning, Polanco was back to her confident self before cross-country season came to an end.
“After everything, I started to feel better. I thought ‘If (the sickness) hasn’t stopped me yet, just keep going,’” Polanco said. “When I got back I didn’t have the practice I needed, but I made regionals in cross-country and in track.”
All coach Chapa saw from Polanco during that time was focus when she returned and it’s the same focus she sees in her preparation for state this week.
“It was like Thalia was never gone from running,” Chapa said. “After healing, of course, she bounced back like she was never down. I don’t think her health is worrying her right now; she’s focused and ready to run.”
Chapa went on to say that Polanco hasn’t hit her peak this year during a race and expects her to put up PR times this weekend.
Polanco will hit the track at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin on Friday with the 3200-meter run at 8:40 a.m. and then at 2:42 p.m. for the 1600-meter run.
“It’s my first year to state in track and it’s special considering what I’ve been through. I didn’t expect to make it this far, but the support from friends, family and my coaches helped me get to this point,” she said.
“I need to go in with a confident attitude and just do the best that I can.”