SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
The Progreso boys cross country team won the Class 4A Region 4 championship Oct. 29 in Corpus Christi.
The win advanced them to the state meet Saturday at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.
A strong performance from Progreso’s dynamic trio, juniors Everardo Esparza, Anthony Vasquez and Omar Anguiano, propelled it to the regional championship two weeks ago. Esparza and Vasquez ran personal bests. Esparza ran a 16:32.8, which earned him second place overall.
“Personally, I feel like I could have won the race,” Esparza said. “It was my mistake for giving up my lead. I tried to go at (winner Aubrey Stewart’s) pace, but we still had a lot more race to go. It was pretty close, about six seconds.”
Vasquez (16:55.2, ninth overall) and Anguiano (16:55.3, 10th) ran together and pushed each other the entire way.
“It gives us a lot of confidence going into the state meet,” Progreso coach Margarito Jimenez said. “I think we are heading in the right direction.”
This is nothing new for Progreso. For the eighth time in the last nine years, the Red Ants are competing at the state meet.
They had made it to state seven years in a row before falling short last year.
“Last year, we got fifth place and we didn’t make it to state,” Anguiano said. “We lost the streak. We were mad about that and disappointed. This year, we just ran harder, so that we could get back to state.”
Part of the strength of the team has been the chemistry between Esparza, Anguiano and Vasquez. The trio has been running together for four years. They have developed a bond that allows them to push each other and enjoy each other’s success.
“We feel like we are brothers,” Vasquez said. “We have been through good moments and bad moments. We don’t want to let each other down. We push each other through everything and support each other on everything that we can.”
It has shown in their times. At each meet this season, all three improved their times from the previous meet.
They all found the sport, however, in different ways. Anguiano had a cousin who also ran and told him to join the team. Vasquez was hurt playing football and Esparza suggested he try cross country. When a friend suggested Esparza try the sport, he took second place in his first race.
What unites them is when they joined, they ran together. That is how it worked when they were new to the sport and that is how it will work when they run against the best athletes in Texas on Saturday.
They take pride in representing Progreso.
“The community is always supportive,” Esparza said. “When we win titles and even through losses, they have always been supportive, no matter what. Bringing back a trophy, it’s not just for us, it’s for the community. It shows the community how hard we have worked this season, and what we are looking forward to.”
For Esparza, looking forward means looking at the best times in the state. Esparza believes he belongs in that group and his times justify his belief.
“(Esparza) has been one of the most important runners on our team,” Jimenez said. “He has been leading the team pretty much throughout the whole season. We expect great things from him at state.”