McALLEN — McAllen Memorial’s Alicia Ziegler has cleared a lot of hurdles this year — and that’s literally speaking.
The senior speedster/leaper is among the top hurdlers not just in District 31-5A, but in the Valley and Region 5-4A. She will face her stiffest competition to date as the top runners across the Valley will compete today and Saturday in the Meet of Champions.
The Meet of Champions is the RGV’s measuring point for the Valley’s track and field athletes, with nearly 70 schools from across the area set to compete.
The two-day event begins today with the prelims held at six different locations. The sub-5A/private school boys meet is set to be held at La Villa, with the girls at Hidalgo.
Class 5A boys will compete at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission. The girls will be at PSJA Stadium in Pharr.
Tom Landry Stadium plays host to the Class 6A boys, with La Joya ISD Pack Stadium the home of the 6A girls prelims.
A total of 16 athletes from each event advance to Saturday’s finals at Boggus Stadium in Harlingen, with five coming from 6A, seven from 5A and four from the sub-5A/private school level.
Ziegler, a middle blocker — she obviously has hops — for the Mustangs’ volleyball team, has the second fastest 100-meter hurdles time in Region 5-4A at 15.24 seconds, only behind McAllen High sophomore Dariana Luna (15.03 seconds). Ziegler’s third in the region and tops in the Valley in the 300 hurdles at 46.38. There are just five sub-16 times in the region in the 100 hurdles and four sub 47s in the 300 hurdles.
Both of her personal-best times came during the Mission Invitational on Feb. 24. She accomplished her prior best time of 15.49 at the PSJA North Winter relays three weeks earlier. She destroyed her previous best time of 47.37, also at the PSJA North event, by nearly a second in the 300 that same day.
That day was crazy, honestly,” Ziegler said. “Some days I feel like something like that could happen, but that wasn’t one of them. I was overwhelmed and wasn’t prepared. I didn’t even get a chance to warm up. It was very unexpected, but it made sense because of my training.”
Ziegler is a perfect 7-for-7, capturing first place in both hurdles at each event this season. She and Luna actually tied for first at the McAllen ISD Invitational in 15.62 seconds, pushing one another 1.5 seconds ahead of the next finisher.
“We were both surprised, and it was very exciting to see the outcome,” said Ziegler, adding that the two hurdlers will train together at times and have an equal admiration for one another. “It’s good to have someone to push you, and that’s her for me.”
In the short term — as in for this weekend at the Meet of Champions — Ziegler’s goal in the 100 is to break the 15-second mark.
“There’s no bad blood — when we both run,” Ziegler said. “Every time I run against her, I’m thankful she’s there for us to push each other. She has excellent form and we complement each other, so it’s very, very fun.
“I think together we’ll both break 15. I just need to do my own thing and trust what I have.”
The two hurdles require different approaches. Ziegler said working on her technical form is key in the 100, especially when a tenth of a second can make a major difference in a shorter race.
“Snapping down quicker or being quick in between hurdles can help improve the time,” Ziegler said. “You have to stay focused because sometimes you can actually feel the person next to you because the hurdles are so close.
“For the 300, decreasing the number of steps between hurdles is huge. Fewer strides means you will beat her.”
Olympian and top collegiate hurdlers will take 15 strides in between hurdles, using longer strides and letting their momentum carry them in one smooth motion over each barrier. Ziegler is currently between 16 and 17 strides.
Another key is not doubting during the race.
“Momentum and longer strides will take you,” Ziegler said. “A lot of girls see the hurdle and either doubt themselves or take an extra step. It has to be one fluid moment. You’re just running — that’s what I try to think about and visualize the race ahead of time and stay concentrated on my own lane.”