By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Each track & field team in District 32-6A has been working to get to this point all season.
Now one of the eight teams will be able to earn the crown when they compete in the District 32-6A track & field meet that begins today at Sams Memorial Stadium and continues Thursday at BoggusStadium in Harlingen.
The meet was supposed to be held at Leo Aguilar Stadium in Los Fresnos, but due to heavy rain it had to be moved. Plus, more rain is expected today and Thursday as well.
After a win during their Falcon Relays last week, the Lady Falcons have tried to build on the victory.
“We have been keeping our focus, maintaining our consistency and staying healthy,” Los Fresnos girls coach Johvonne Howard said.
While not concerned with certain times in events, it has helped set a precedence .
“The kids still have to perform one way or another,” Howard said. “Either way, it does give us an indication as to where our weakest points are, where are strongest points are and to execute on those strong events. We go in with a game plan of what we need for us to gather points and which events are solid points for us. I’m very confident in the athletes we have this year.”
The Lady Falcons will be up against some stiff competition, but especially against Brownsville Veterans and Harlingen South, teams which expect to be in the mix for the title.
Howard is confident that her squad can have a good showing either way.
“I believe in the kids, I believe in the coaches we have out there working with them,” she said. “I have faith that we’ll do a very good job, the kids will be successful. It’s going to be a very exciting track meet.”
On the boys side, Rivera and Los Fresnos are among several teams that have a chance to come away with the title.
“The points are going to be spread out,” Rivera coach Omar Gonzalez said. “So we’re going to try to capitalize on the events we know that we have a shot at winning and hopefully accumulate those points and see how it goes. Our district is very competitive.
“It’s going to be a dogfight,”
The Falcons also come in looking like a top team after improving over the season.
“I feel great, this is probably the best I’ve felt about our team going into district in three years since the last time we won one,” Los Fresnos boys coach Will Littleton said. “We feel really good about our chances.”
The Raiders are happy to be healthy, getting a few key athletes back who were out early in the season.
“We’ve maintained the same approach (all year), but we’re going into the district meet healthy,” Gonzalez said. “Our strength is going to be the long distance guys and the field events. We are going to have to stay close with the relays. If we place well in those events, we know we have a good shot of placing well, thenanything can happen.”
The Falcons’ coach feels everyone on his squad is peaking at the right time.
“We just need to go out and do what we’re capable of,” Littleton said. “We don’t need to do anything extraordinary, just be ourselves and compete. If we go out and compete to the best of our ability, everything else will take care of itself.”
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.