Big 7 Student Athletes shine at annual XC Meet of Champions
Sixteen minutes. In most cases, that’s all it takes to make a name for yourself in Cross Country: sixteen minutes. Sixteen excruciating minutes of turmoil, pain, struggle, and lies. But chaos? It’s what runners crave. And the lies? Those are what fuels them. The constant battle of deciding whether or not to believe your body and quit and the tormenting thoughts that trick you into doing the same all trigger the same thing. It triggers one word that can create feelings within a person strong enough to move mountains: No.
Last Saturday, high school cross country runners from all over the Valley, from novices to the very elite, gathered at Donna North High School to challenge each other and time itself at the RGVCCCA’s annual Meet of Champions Invitational Cross Country Meet.
The Big 7 was well represented at the Meet of Champions, but four teams rose above the rest. The Juarez Juarez-Lincoln Lady Huskies, The Sharyland Lady Rattlers, The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks, and The Mission Eagles all finished inside the top 10 of the team standings. They all boasted at least one runner who finished in the top 15 of the “Elite” division. Here’s a brief recap of how each team did.
La Joya Palmview Lady Lobos
Place: 2nd
Ave Time: 20:07.7
Top Runner: Dolores Ramirez (3rd overall)
Head Coach: Claudia Bazan
If you aren’t familiar with La Joya Palmview Girl’s Athletics programs, you should catch up. The Lady Lobos have dominated volleyball, basketball, and softball across South Texas. So it shouldn’t be surprising that they have one of the best Cross Country Teams, male or female, in the Valley.
The Lady Lobos not only finished in second place behind one of the best teams in the state, the McAllen High Lady Bulldogs, but they also finished ahead of all other teams in their District. Sophomores Dolores Ramirez, Adamaris Chico, and freshman Andrea Colon all finished inside the top 25. They all set personal bests, and Ramirez finished with the team’s fastest individual time at 18:33.9.
“We’re trying to close the gap between runners. They still don’t understand that because it’s a young group with inexperience. But through the course of the season, they’re learning how to close those gaps. And we’re looking forward to the district, hopefully peaking at the regional meet, and advancing at least our top kids to the state level,” Coach Bazan said when asked about what her team could improve on ahead of district.
Sophomore Dolores Ramirez is leading the Lady Lobos charge after placing in the top 4 for the fourth time in as many weeks. Although Ramirez was in the spotlight, promoting her team was at the forefront of her mind.
“Our cross country team is a young team. There’s only one senior on the team. We’re all freshmen and sophomores with two juniors. There’s more to come for this team: Ramirez said when asked about the Lady Lobos cross country program
Sharyland Lady Rattlers
Place: 8th
Ave Time: 20:51.3
Top Runner: Sofia Lauren Garza (4th overall)
Head Coach: Melissa Dearth
The Lady Rattlers have developed a tradition of sustained excellence under longtime head coach Melissa Dearth. The Lady Rattlers won and claimed the title of Valley’s Best for half a decade. This year, they’ve challenged the best teams across Texas to reclaim that mantle.
However, injuries and illness have limited their potential. If you’re sick or hurt, you can’t run. That unfortunate reality struck the Lady Rattlers again, as Graciiella Rogers’ absence may have caused the Lady Rattlers to finish lower than projected. If the Rattlers can overcome that obstacle, they should be able to compete for a top 3 spot at the district meet.
“We all ended up with flu’s. We’ve all taken turns. I had three out last week and three this week and it’s been wow. So I hope we’re getting rid of the colds now so come district their full throttle and fully healthy, ” Coach Dearth said, describing how illness has impacted her team’s recent success.
The Lady Rattler’s top performers, Sofia Lauren Garza and Fernanda Espinosa, finished in the top 10 with times of 18:50.6 and 19:34.8, respectively. After the race, Garza was all smiles as she accepted her award for finishing inside the top 5 yet again. Garza ran the fastest race of her blossoming career and has improved on her previous best times from a year ago by one minute. Garza’s reputation is now solidified as one of the best runners in South Texas. With those accolades, it’d be easy for her to brag, but she doesn’t. And she doesn’t have to. Her times are talking.
” I feel great. I came in with a good mindset. I was ready. I was prepared for the competition. I was excited to race because last week I took off. I’m very excited and nervous about the district. There is a lot of competition and most of the girls that placed in the top 10 are in my district. So, I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do at district, regionals, and hopefully state, ” Garza said when asked her initial thoughts after the grueling 5k.
Mission Eagles
Place: 7th
Ave Time: 16:55.2
Top Runner: Josue Cisneros (13th place)
Head Coach: William Proctor
The Mission Eagles, led by new head coach William Proctor, put forth the best performance of all Big 7 boys teams last Saturday. They finished two spots higher than the closest Big 7 team and finished above all their District 30-5A counterparts.
Senior Josue Cisneros finished in the top 15 for the third time in as many weeks with a time of 16:01.1 and is inching closer and closer to his personal best time, which he set as a junior. Every day, talented runners surround and push Cisneros, who, along with his team, appears to be peaking at the best time of the year. With all that going for him individually, Cisneros still values team accolades and goals equally.
“These guys are all happy. There’s so much energy around us. Working as a team, at home, and in school is just the best, ” Cisneros said when asked about his team.
The Mission Eagles should win their district, assuming the results from last Saturday are a good predictor of success. Cisneros knows this and isn’t afraid of the competition, but he thinks the competition should be scared of the Eagles.
“I want them to know we’re coming for them. We’re coming for them. I don’t think they know what’s going to happen for regionals and state,” Cisneros said when asked about his team’s chances later on this year.
Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks
Place: 9th
Ave Time: 17:13.7
Top Runner: David Zuniga (7th place)
Head Coach: Alexis Pena
Once again, the Diamondbacks are one of the Valley’s premier cross-country teams. They cracked the top 10 of the Valley’s elite and finished second in their District behind top third-place McAllen High School. All Pioneer runners set career bests, and team leader David Zuniga ran the third-fastest time in Diamondback history.
The Diamondbacks have not been to the Regional Meet in three years but expect to return this year behind Zuinga and a strong collection of runners, including freshman Diego Gonzalez, sophomores Maximiliano Castillo and Eric Valentin, and senior John Krider-Gonzalez. Their collective talent and growth as runners is a testament to the egalitarian nature of the program Coach Pena runs. He doesn’t turn anyone away, making finding and developing student-athletes easier. They’re all given equal opportunities to succeed.
“[You don’t]… have to be the best. But if you’re not the best, what are you contributing to the team? Are you cheering? Are you grateful? Are you trying to get better? God, in his infinite wisdom, did not create us equally. Everyone is going to have different capabilities, but are you coming out here with a desire to get better?” Coach Pena said when asked about the state of his program.
Zuniga has developed into one of the toughest and most consistent runners in the Valley and hopes to qualify for state, especially after an illness prevented him from doing so last year. Zuniga and his teammates know not to take their time together for granted, no matter the circumstances. It’s one of the things that makes them such a strong team.
“There’s good with the bad. There are lows before there are highs,” Zuniga said when asked about what lessons cross country has taught him.
Other Notable Big 7 Performances:
Boys
Nathan Salinas, Sharyland Rattlers 5th
Ryan Aguirre, Mission Eagles 43rd
Anthony Picazo, Mission Eagles 46th
Ramiro Ibarra, Mission Eagles 47th
Christiano San Martin, Mission Eagles 48th
Luis Zuniga, Mission Veterans Memorial 61st
Girls
Asante Stewart, La Joya 8th
Maddelynn Farias, La Joya Palmview 34th
Corina Robles, La Joya Palmview 35th
Cintia Ganoa Sharyland Pioneer 40th
Mikaela Segundo, Mission Veterans Memorial 33rd
Yaretzy Buentello Sharyland Pioneer 47th
Upcoming Big 7 Cross Country Meets:
District 30-5A Championships:
Date: October 10th, 2024
Location: Bentsen Palm Community Park- Mission, Texas
District 31-5A Championships
Date: October 10th, 2024
Location: Springfest Park-McAllen, Texas
District 31-6A Championships:
Date: October 11th, 2024
Location: Ebony Hills Golf Course- Edinburg, Texas
UIL Region IV Cross Country Meet:
Dates: October 21-22, 2024
Location: Texas A&M Corpus Christi
UIL State Championships:
Dates: November 1-2, 2024
Location: Old Settlers Park- Round Rock, Texas