Published October 27, 2006
Already considered a powerhouse when the season started, the Del Rio team did little to dispel those notions as they rolled into each meet on their schedule and took either first or second. That performance helped earn them the recognition of being the sixth ranked team in the state, according to the Cross Country Coaches Association of Texas, and has made them the team to beat in District 28-5A. ?
Our varsity boys have won four consecutive district championships and are the defending Region IV Champion. We expect to be the district champions for the fifth consecutive year and see what happens after that,? Head Cross-Country Coach Ric Smith said.
The team will look to improve on its 2005 season when they finished first at district, first at regionals and ended the year as the ninth ranked team in the state. That made them the first team from Del Rio to win a regional championship and qualify for the state finals. Smith is taking 11 runners who can compete at the varsity level, but only seven will run for the varsity squad on Saturday.
Eligible to compete for Del Rio are senior Danny Dominguez, junior Hector Flores, junior Richard Zapata, senior Estevan Flores, sophomore Zekey Rodriguez, sophomore Juan Pablo Ponce, senior Josh Rios, sophomore Josh Caniglia, sophomore Chuy Ordaz, freshman Justin Garcia and senior Daniel Alfaro. The resurgence of the girls? cross-country team is something that Smith is very proud of.
And like the boys, Smith feels that the girls could bring home Del Rio?s second district crown this weekend. ?
Our girls have come a long way in the last three seasons. We?ve gone from not having enough girls to field a separate varsity and J.
V. team to having enough girls to field a strong varsity team and three to four J.V.
teams,? Smith said. ?
I expect our girls to win the district championship in both the varsity and J.V. divisions.
It has been approximately 14 years since our girls have won a district cross-country title, and it?s been many years since we?ve qualified a girls?
team for the regional meet. I want our girls to experience the feeling of being the best in the Northside district. Once this happens, it can become contagious, and we will start seeing this happen more often in the girls?
sports.? Like the boys?
team, Smith will run seven of 10 girls in the varsity division. Those 11 candidates are sophomore Marisol Perez, freshman Olivia Dominguez, junior Sabrina Gonzales, sophomore Katie Piembert, junior Jessica Galindo, junior Jessica Alfaro, freshman Eileen Vargas, senior Kathy Botello, sophomore Veronica Sanchez and junior Monica De La Paz. That team has won the past five district title, and is seeking number six this weekend.
Winning has become a tradition for the J.V. team.
They?ve won the last 35 meets they?ve competed in.
Smith also said he is proud of the pipeline that is being formed between Del Rio Middle School and Del Rio High School. He said the enthusiasm shown by the younger runners, and their success, shows that Del Rio?s cross-country programs are in great shape for years to come.
?Our middle school teams, the seventh grade boys and girls and the eighth grade boys and girls, all went undefeated this year. That was a first-time occurrence.
In addition, our eighth grade girls? team has been undefeated the past two years in a row. We?
re also proud to point out that our middle school athletes were all 100 percent passing academically for the entire season. In all, we will finish this season with 118 athletes in the cross-country program,? Smith said.
The cross-country program isn?t a one-man show. Smith lauded the work of his assistants, Briana Muraira, Joe Nieto, David Gomez and Maytte Soliz, in helping develop these talented group of runners.
?I just want to thank our assistant coaches for all of their hard work, commitment and dedication to our kids. They are a huge part of the successes we are seeing in our cross-country program,?
Smith said. The District 28-5A Cross-Country Meet will be held Saturday at O?Connor High School in San Antonio.
The varsity girls will run at 9 a.m., the varsity boys will compete at 9:30 a.
m., the junior varsity girls will compete at 10 a.m.
and the junior varsity boys will run at 10:30 a.m. 2006 Del Rio News-Herald.
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