BY JON LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
The Sharyland High Rattlers track & field team begins its season at the Steve Stark Relays today at Sharyland High School. Sixteen boys and girls teams will compete in the meet.
As the marathon march to district competition begins, Rattlers coach Marcelino de la Fuentes views the relays as a measuring stick in the early part of the schedule.
“I’ll use it as a gage to see where we’re at,” de la Fuentes said. “We’ve got a strong senior class, and we look to have a good showing.”
One senior is James Cole, who placed fifth in the 200-meter dash at the state meet in Austin a year ago. Cole signed with the University of North Texas during the fall of last year.
“I told the seniors to finish the legacy (they) started,” de la Fuentes said. “Go out and enjoy it. Have fun.”
With so much veteran experience, the senior Rattlers know what to expect during their final season and operate as de-facto coaches for the team’s underclassmen.
“The great thing about this senior class is that most of them are great leaders,” de la Fuentes said. “They don’t need me to give them a Ra-Ra speech.”
With the seniors taking care of their own, it allows de la Fuentes, whose coaching staff is undermanned due to basketball season, to focus his attention elsewhere.
“We don’t have any (discus) throwers,” he said. “We’re still trying to get our younger guys going there.”
But where his field events are lacking, de la Fuentes still sees opportunity among his younger runners, including sophomore Juan Zuniga.
“(Juan) is a quarter-miler. He has what it takes,” de la Fuentes said. “But, with all these seniors, its hard at times to get some kids in there and get some experience. (Today) should be a good day to do so.”
FAST FRESHMAN
While Sharyland will look to rely on its seniors, the Mission Veterans Lady Patriots track team has already found a budding talent in freshman Nyla Vela.
Vela, who will compete at today’s Stark Relays, won gold in the triple jump during last week’s Winter Relays in Pharr with a distance of 34 feet and three-quarter inches — a mark nearly 18 inches better than second place.
Vela also won bronze in the girls 300 hurdles with a time of 50.03 seconds and placed fifth in the girls 100 hurdles (17.50).
“We’re very pleased to have her,” Mission Veterans girls coach Kathy Howell said. “She’s a strong athlete. She’s going to be one heck of an addition for us. We lost two seniors that were good for 35 points combined. She’s come in and taken some of the pressure off.”
Howell says Vela is “not like other freshman,” in regards to her workout routine. While other middle schoolers may give up track at seasons end, Vela continued her conditioning into her freshman year.
“She’s the kind of kid that accepts the challenge,” Howell said. “She’s very easy to coach and she’s a team player. She’s get a true shot at doing something special.”
BUILD IT UP
Edinburg North Cougars track coach Stephanie Wagner will travel with her team to San Benito today to compete in the Bobby Marrow Relays at San Benito High School. The meet will be the team’s second of the season, as they partook in last week’s Winter Relays in Pharr.
Though the Lady Cougars placed second in Pharr, Wagner is still looking for improvement from her team.
“We’re still trying to build up our base and get these girls to bring up their speed a little more,” Wagner said. “Hopefully we’ll get there at some point.”
The Lady Cougars took gold in the distance medley at Pharr with a time of 13:21.15. Wagner anticipates healthy competition from Brownsville-area schools other distance events.
“I know Brownsville has a pretty good distance group,” she said. “They’ve always had a strong group there. We’ll have a run for our money.”