DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
DONNA — Victor Pedraza and his cousin Jesus Moreno had dreams.
Moreno was going to make it to the NFL, Pedraza would make it to the Olympics. Together, they worked; Pedraza, then a sophomore at PSJA Southwest, helping Moreno, a PSJA North junior and member of the football team, lose weight, and Moreno, in turn, helping provide an ambitious distraction for all the struggles plaguing Pedraza’s life.
Goals were set. But tragedy struck March 30, when Moreno, 18, drowned swimming the waters in the Gulf of Mexico off South Padre Island.
And all of a sudden, their dreams became Pedraza’s.
So when Pedraza crossed the finish line Saturday morning at Donna North High School as District 32-5A boys cross country champion, he raised his hands to the sky, fatigued, worn and emotional.
In Moreno’s honor.
“He was my mentor. He was everything to me. He’s family,” said Pedraza, who finished with a time of 15 minutes, 46.13 seconds. “This was for him. He gives me the strength to work harder than I have before.”
It was Pedraza’s second district title in three years. It didn’t come without hardships.
“It was home, it was things at school. I was just struggling,” Pedraza said of the last year. “It was tough. But I got on the ball and I started doing a lot better. I put everything aside and concentrated on the goals I have for myself, the goal I promised my cousin.
“Running pulled me through it. I don’t need a car for anything. Running takes me where I need to go.”
Pedraza outlasted PSJA High’s Angel Montanez (16:23.63), who came in second, and Mercedes’ Johnathan Reyes (16:35.26).
PSJA Southwest’s Dante Gaona (16:40.98) and Mercedes’ Manuel Gonzalez (16:43.79) rounded out the top five. Mercedes’ Victor Gonzalez, PSJA Southwest’s Rolando Tenorio, Brownsville Porter’s Gerardo Perez, Donna High’s Alejandro Castillo and Brownsville Pace’s Simei Tovar completed the top 10.
The top 10 individuals and top three teams advance to the regional meet next month.
Mercedes won the boys team title with 41 points, followed by PSJA Southwest (46) and Donna North (90).
The Tigers were looking at a second-place finish until the last 200 yards or so, when they finally pulled away from the Javelinas. It was redemption for Mercedes, which finished second at district last year.
“We could have run smarter, but our guys had to fight,” Mercedes boys coach Pete Martinez said. “PSJA Southwest gave us a run for our money. It came down to our individual guys stepping up when they had to.”
On the girls’ side, nobody had a chance against Edcouch-Elsa junior Krysta Martinez.
The two-time state qualifier and now three-time district champ breezed through the competition, winning with a time of 18:36.52. That was 121 seconds better than second-place finisher Monica Izaguirre of Mercedes.
Martinez left her peers in awe. After the race, two Brownsville Pace runners went up to the Lady Yellowjacket and asked to have a picture taken with her.
“You’re amazing,” the Pace runners gushed. “You were so awesome.”
Yes, she was.
“I feel faster,” said Martinez, who wants a top-3 finish at regionals next month. “Last year, my time was 18:05. I feel I can break that still. I feel great. I’m pacing better, which I’ve been working really hard on. Pacing is something that’s really a big difference for me this year.”
Brownsville Pace’s Hope Ngo (20:43.64), Donna High’s Yvonne Sanchez (20:45.73) and Edcouch-Elsa’s Leslie Alvarado (21:00.03) rounded out the top five girls. PSJA Southwest’s Alma Villanueva, Donna North’s Daisy Abigail Acuna, Edcouch-Elsa’s Kelly Aguinaga, PSJA High’s Anna Sanchez and PSJA Southwest’s Olivia Aranda finished in the top 10.
Edcouch-Elsa won the team girls division with 41 points. PSJA Southwest finished second with 64, and PSJA High finished third with 100.
District 32-5A Cross Country Meet
At Donna North High School
Saturday’s Results
Boys
Team Results — 1. Mercedes, 41 points; 2. PSJA Southwest, 46; 3. Donna North, 90; 4. Edcouch-Elsa, 112; 5. PSJA High, 128; 6. Donna High, 141; 7. Brownsville Pace, 158; 8. Brownsville Porter, 177.
Individual Results — 1. Victor Pedraza, PSJA Southwest, 15:46.23; 2. Angel Montanez, PSJA High, 16:23.63; 3. Johnathan Reyes, Mercedes, 16:35.26; 4. Dante Gaona, PSJA Southwest, 16:40.98; 5. Manuel Gonzalez, Mercedes, 16:43.79; 6. Victor Gonzalez, Mercedes, 16:44.79; 7. Rolando Tenorio, PSJA Southwest, 16:45.12; 8. Gerardo Perez, Brownsville Porter, 16:55.43; 9. Alejandro Castillo, Donna High, 17:00.66; 10. Simei Tovar, Brownsville Pace, 17:00.74; 11. Joshua Perez, Donna North, 17:00.81; 12. Francisco Flores, PSJA Southwest, 17:07.39; 13. Christian Cavazos, Mercedes, 17:15.52; 14. Matthew Peynado, Mercedes, 17:17.99; 15. Erick Doria, Edcouch-Elsa, 17:19.42; 16. Daniel De La Cruz, Donna North, 17:26.22; 17. David De Hoyos, Edcouch-Elsa, 17:27.90; 18. Josiah Sepulveda, Edcouch-Elsa, 17:28.81; 19. Gabriel Magallan, Donna North, 17:29.72; 20. Jose Lara, Mercedes, 17:30.23.
Girls
Team Results — 1. Edcouch-Elsa, 41 points; 2. PSJA Southwest, 64; 3. PSJA High, 100; 4. Mercedes, 106; 5. Donna North, 111; 6. Donna High, 118; 7. Brownsville Pace, 142; 8. Brownsville Porter, 244.
Individual Results — 1. Krysta Martinez, Edcouch-Elsa, 18:36.52; 2. Monica Izaguirre, Mercedes, 20:37.68; 3. Hope Ngo, Brownsville Pace, 20:43.64; 4. Yvonne Sanchez, Donna High, 20:45.73; 5. Leslie Alvarado, Edcouch-Elsa, 21:00.03; 6. Alma Villanueva, PSJA Southwest, 21:01.66; 7. Daisy Abigail Acuna, Donna North, 21:05.14; 8. Kelly Aguinaga, Edcouch-Elsa, 21:09.85; 9. Anna Sanchez, PSJA High, 21:24.36; 10. Olivia Aranda, PSJA Southwest, 21:25.40; 11. Mailen Navarro, PSJA Southwest, 21:27.06; 12. Marisol Segovia, Edcouch-Elsa, 21:31.76; 13. Griselda Juarez, Donna North, 21:33.38; 14. Victoria Sanchez, PSJA Southwest, 21:36.81; 15. Araceli Salas, Edcouch-Elsa, 21:37.51; 16. Ivonne Soto, Donna High, 21:39.53; 17. Madelin Gonzalez, Mercedes, 21:42.38; 18. Dominique Ibarra, Edcouch-Elsa, 21:53.37; 19. Melanie Cordero, Edcouch-Elsa, 21:54.24; 20. Jazlyn Richie, PSJA High, 22:00.17.