GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — As teammates and competitors were gasping for air, collapsed on the ground or hunched forward with their hands on their knees, Mission Veterans’ GJ Reyna calmly paced the finish-line area.
Reyna looked comfortable at the RGV Cross Country Classic, winning the 5K boys elite race on Saturday at Monte Cristo Golf Course in Edinburg.
“I felt really good. It was a nice race,” Reyna said. “I’m in a good spot at practice, and everything is going well with training. That’s the hard part. Coming to the meets is where it shows.”
Reyna held only a narrow lead when the race hit the 2-mile mark, but from there he kicked into another gear. He finished with a time of 16 minutes, 17.9 seconds — substantially ahead of second-place Isaac Arevalo of Edinburg Vela, who posted a 16:32.7.
“I wanted to stay up there with the front pack until it kind of settled down, and once it did, I just kind of planned to go around the 2-mile mark,” Reyna said. “When I hit there, I was feeling good, so I went for it. Separation happened, and I was good from there on.”
The win was the second in a row for Reyna, who last week won the 3-mile Rowe Tune Up race in 15:39. Mission Veterans also won as a team for the second consecutive week.
For both Reyna and the team, the goal is to keep building towards state. Last year, Reyna finished 18th at the state meet with a time of 16:32.92, while Mission Veterans finished sixth.
“We plan to go back to state and hopefully make the podium as a team,” Reyna said.
Reyna is personally targeting a top-five finish at state. Of the 17 competitors who beat him last year, nine were seniors. He thinks a time under 16 minutes would get it done.
“I’m feeling good with that,” Reyna said. “I think I can do that.”
Edinburg High’s Alex Cruz also has her eyes on state, hoping to return and best last year’s 25th-place finish.
She’s off to a good start so far, following up a dominant performance at last week’s Rowe Tune Up with another stellar showing on Saturday.
Cruz finished the girls 5K in 17:59.1, almost 50 seconds better than the 18:48.2 posted by second-place Beth Ramos from Edinburg North.
“I felt I went out really strong and finished really strong,” Cruz said. “Right now hitting (into the 17:00 range) is amazing, because this is far better than what I was at the beginning of the season last year.”
Cruz finished fifth at regionals last year with a season-best 17:32, and she hopes she can crack 17 minutes by state this time around. Paige Hofstad of New Braunfels won last year’s state meet with a time of 17:36.45, while Cruz finished 25th with a 19:08.39.
“I’m trying to break that 17 and get into the 16s so I could possibly stay within top five at state,” Cruz said. “That’s my main goal.”
=================================================
Sept. 6 RGV Cross Country Classic Results
Girls Team results — 1, Edinburg High, 61; 2, Edinburg Economedes, 65; 3, Edinburg North, 66; 4, Sharyland Pioneer, 111; 5, Valley View, 112; 6, Weslaco, 120; 7, McAllen High, 124; 8, PSJA High, 161.
Individual results — 1, Alex Cruz, Edinburg High, 17:59.1; 2, Beth Ramos, Edinburg North, 18:48.2; Krysta Martinez, Edcouch Elsa, 18:49.5; 3, Emily Suarez, Edinburg Economedes, 19:20.0; Briana Robles, La Joya Palmview, 20:10.5; 4, Lizette Chapa, Sharyland Pioneer, 20:11.8; 5, Ana Ochoa, Edinburg Economedes, 20:19.5; 6, Isabel Mendoza, Sharyland Pioneer, 20:22.1; Natali Gonzalez, La Joya Palmview, 20:32.0; Michelle Flores, Mission High, 20:44.3; Naila Flores, La Joya Palmview, 20:54.5; 7, Vianney Sanchez, Edinburg High, 21:02.7; 8, Yvette Yracheta, Edinburg North, 21:13.7; 9, Allison Marroquin, Edinburg Economedes, 21:18.1; 10, Angela Nuno, Edinburg North, 21:20.9; 11, Anna Sanchez, PSJA High, 21:22.9; 12, Gloria Martinez, Weslaco, 21:25.6; 13, Alexis Medina, Edinburg High, 21:33.2; Samantha Perez, McAllen Memorial, 21:33.5; 14, Alexandria Canchola, McAllen High, 21:34.3; 15, Alyssa Deleon, Weslaco, 21:36.4; 16, Lynnda Lozano, Edinburg North, 21:37.1; Samantha Rivera, PSJA North, 21:38.2; 17, Natalia Del Angel, Valley View, 21:40.7; 18, Monica Yanez, Valley View, 21:41.2; 19, Maygan Marroquin, Edinburg High, 21:41.8; 20, Stephanie Sauceda, Weslaco, 21:42.6.
Boys Team results — 1, Mission Veterans, 56; 2, Edinburg Vela, 60; 3, Edinburg North, 65; 4, La Joya Palmview, 77; 5, Weslaco East, 105; 6, PSJA High, 135; 7, Valley View, 160; 8, PSJA North, 162.
Individual results — 1, GJ Reyna, Mission Veterans, 16:17.9; 2, Isaac Arevalo, Edinburg Vela, 16:32.7; 3, Jose Quintanilla, Edinburg North, 16:39.8; Moises Campos, Hidalgo, 16:42.3; 4, Adam Herrera, Edinburg Vela, 16:48.4; 5, Eliseo Rodriguez, La Joya Palmview, 16:49.5; 6, Victor Bocanegra, La Joya Palmview, 16:49.8; 7, Jesus Mata, Mission Veterans, 16:51.5; 8, Tristan Pena, Edinburg North, 16:52.9; 9, Fabian Garcia, Mission Veterans, 16:55.8; 10, Jayven Cordova, Weslaco East, 17:02.8; 11, Martin Garcia, Mission Veterans, 17:07.8; 12, Diego Monjaras, Valley View, 17:10.7; 13, Aldo Nava, Edinburg North, 17:12.9; 14, Marcus Guajardo, Edinburg Vela, 17:13.4; 15, Leonel Rivas, Edinburg North, 17:13.6; 16, Angel Montanez, PSJA High, 17:22.9; 17, Albert Herrera, La Joya Palmview, 17:28.5; 18, Jacinto Garza, Edinburg Vela, 17:30.6; 19, Tristen Robles, La Joya Palmview, 17:36.3; 20, Samuel Ortiz, La Joya Palmview, 17:43.5.