By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Despite a long layoff from their last competitive meet before the regional, St. Joseph Academy’s track & field athletes made the most of their opportunities.
Now, six boys and three girls will represent the Bloodhounds at the TAPPS state track & field meet today and Saturday at the Baylor Track & Field Stadium in Waco.
“When you reach the end of the year and you still have kids competing, whatever sport it is, every coach and every athlete want to be there at the very end,” St. Joseph coach Meme Garza said. “I think every coach wants their athletes to compete at their potential. We’re looking forward to it, the kids are excited.”
On the girls side, sophomore Gaby Garza won both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles at the regional and advances to state for the second time in her fledgling career. She’ll be joined by top pole vaulter Marifer Valencia, who won the regional event, and Camryn Gloor, who advanced to state for the first time with a fourth-place finish in the same event.
Valencia won a pole vault state title as a freshman. She has battled a number of injuries and would like to finish her prep career the same way.
“I’m pretty excited,” she said. “I got first at state freshmen year, I’m hoping to get it again this year. I’m hoping to break the school record (which stands at 11 feet, 6 inches), that’s one of my main goals.”
On the boys side, both the 400 and 800 relay teams qualified for state with fourth-place regional finishes. Last year, the 800-relay team set a school record and returns all four of those experienced athletes: Cole Conner, Miguel Guerra, Adrian Perez and Gerardo Moses.
Conner is the first leg for both relays and said it was up to him to start out well.
“Getting a good start,” he said of what was the most important thing he can do for his team. “Come out powerful, get up to speed and go as fast as I can.”
The squad hopes to break another school record in the 400, but winning a state title would top that.
“We’ve put the hard work into practices and we have great coaches,” Moses said. “If you want to be successful, you have to work hard. But winning a state title in my senior year would be the best good bye of high school.”
Mario Garcia won the 400 in the regional event and Guerra also qualified in the 200 with a fourth place finish. And distance runner Mario Oliva-Sanchez qualified in two events, the 1,600 and the 3,200.
Oliva-Sanchez didn’t expect to advance to state this year, but hopes to set a new personal record and possibly medal in his two events.
“It shows that hard work pays off,” he said.
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.