By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
San Benito High School Cross Country runners opened the first competition of the calendar year for all athletes when the cross-country teams hosted the annual Dog Pound Meet in both the boys’ and girls’ categories last Friday.
SBHS had a boys’ and a girls’ runner finish in the top 10 of each varsity 5K race.
Five varsity teams competed in the morning meet on a course that circled San Benito High School and the adjacent Bobby Morrow Stadium. Other teams that entered included district foe Brownsville Veterans Memorial, along with Brownsville Rivera, Brownsville Pace, and Weslaco.
At SBHS, five Lady ‘Hounds finished the race, with junior Alexi Delgado outpacing her teammates with a time of 23:47.21.
Delgado was first for SBHS, followed by teammates Sophia Maldonado (27:23.15), Julianna Carrizales (28:18.53), Sofia Lugo (28:20.35), and Analie Mosqueda (28:34.26).
Delgado finished fourth overall in a race with 19 competitors. Teammates Maldonado was 13th, Carrizales 15th, Lugo 16th, and Mosqueda 17th, respectively.
Lady ’Hounds Head Coach Sonia White picked various spots to instruct her runners as they ran the course, offering a quick pep talk as Delgado ran past her, trying to take the third spot.
Coach White also wanted her other girls to avoid running in pairs and instead to outdo each other.
As the runners rounded the course a second time over the back hills, Delgado appeared primed to move out of fourth place, but the Brownsville runner in front of her picked up the pace and finished about 45 seconds ahead.
Camila Juarez (Veterans Memorial) was the meet champion with a time of 22:41.16. She was followed by her Veterans teammate Edith Torres, Alyssa Sayas (Rivera), and SBHS’s Delgado.
Delgado said afterward that the small field of teams and runners provided a good start to the season for her and her teammates.
For SBHS in the boys’ category, the ‘Hounds were led by the production of Jon Montemayor (20:13.7).
Following after him for SBHS were junior Lorenzo Machuca (21:26.7), freshman Elliot Lozoya (21:49.66), junior Jesus Milan (24:08.07) sophomore Alejandro Ezequiel (27:00.69), and sophomore Nathan Cervantes (28:30.0).
Weslaco dominated the field, with five runners finishing in the top 10. SBHS’s Montemayor was 8th, trailing the runner in front of her by about 13 seconds.
Overall for SBHS, Machuca was 15th, Lozoya 17th, and Milan, Esquivel, and Cervantes 28th through 30th, respectively.
’Hounds Head Coach Jose Torres also viewed his runners at various spots, one of the more challenging ones over three hills near where soccer practices are normally held.
SBHS will compete in the annual Friday Night Lights on Aug. 14 at McAllen’s Sports Complex, 3301 Buddy Owen Blvd.
According to McAllen ISD, the 5K course near Alonzo Middle School is mostly flat, with a fast layout and wide grass paths, primed for personal records.
The nighttime conditions will likely be cooler.
The varsity girls start at 8:45 p.m., and the boys at 9:15 p.m.
