By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
The arrival of another track & field season means another year of high expectations for the Rivera Lady Raiders.
District champions two years ago who finished behind the top three teams at district in 2014, the Lady Raiders see themselves as having a solid chance to return to district prominence with their current squad of athletes.
“I have such a good group,” said Lady Raiders coach Jenny Schuster, who is assisted by Richard Guerra, Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra and Shirley Zuniga. “They’re sweet kids. They’re dedicated, they’re hard-working and they’re pretty young. We have a good, little bond going, so I like it.
“We have some girls who did well on the junior varsity last year, and now they’re on the varsity,” Schuster added. “We have a couple of seniors who are real good role models for them, so I like our potential. These girls (also) come in the mornings to work out, and, actually, my girls have been doing that for years.
“We went through a rebuilding year last season, and I would say we’re still in a rebuilding stage because we’re so young. But I’m very anxious to see what this young bunch of girls can do. It’ll be interesting to see how we pull together and advance as a team.”
Among the upperclassmen and past regional qualifiers who are back for the Lady Raiders are April Chapa (sprints, 400 meters, relays, pole vault), April Gonzalez (100 meters, relays) and Brandi Endsley (sprints). Two other past regional qualifiers are Jahzeel Zaragoza (relays) and Yesenia Ortiz (long jump, triple jump, relays). Right now, Zaragoza is out with an injury and Ortiz is playing soccer.
Daniela Carrion (long jump, triple jump) is another soccer player, and she is currently injured as well. Also returning is Maria Torres (shot put, discus).
“I see the girls pushing themselves every morning and every afternoon in practice, and I feel we have a lot of potential,” said Chapa, a senior and member of district-winning relays for three straight years. “We’ve got girls who are young and just barely experiencing the varsity. They’re just beginning to see how it is. But they’re coming along and doing very well. I’m proud of them.
“Everybody is there for one another no matter what, and no one is putting anyone else down,” Chapa added. “There’s no negativity, because if there is everybody turns it into a positive. We’re there for each other, and we try to motivate one another. Honestly, I think we can go for the district title this year. We have that potential. We just need to push each other so we can get it. That’s our goal.”
Added Endsley, also a senior who is switching from the longer distances to the sprints, “We may be a little team (in numbers), but we have a lot of heart. I’m not where I want to be yet (in the sprints), but I’m getting close. Since it’s my senior year, I’m expecting a lot. I want nothing less than the best.”
Another athlete to watch for the Lady Raiders is sophomore Jennifer Lopez (long jump, triple jump, 400, 800, relays).
Among the newcomers are Kassie Garcia (relays), Kathleen Gonzalez (relays), Gisele Hinojosa (relays), Lily Vera (hurdles) and Stephanie Lopez (400, 800).
The Rivera girls opened the season with a small group of competitors at last weekend’s Bobby Morrow Relays in San Benito. They’ll be competing with a larger group this weekend at the Sams Relays at Sams Memorial Stadium.
Schuster is eager to see how her girls progress as the season continues.
“Yes, we should probably be considered as still being in a rebuilding stage, but because of the quality of athletes we have, their hearts and their dedication, I think anything is possible,” she said.
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.