SPORTS — Queens team, Alex Medina advance to regional cross-country meet

By BRIAN ARGABRIGHT

The 830 Times

Del Rio’s varsity girls are returning to the regional cross-country meet.

Led by freshman Sophia Rodriguez, and a group of runners that featured two freshmen and three sophomores among its numbers, the Del Rio High varsity girls finished second at Friday’s District 30-6A Cross-Country meet in Eagle Pass.

Joining them at the regional meet will be sophomore Alexavier Medina. He finished ninth overall in a time of 16:36.5, but his finish among the top 10 runners already not on regional qualifying teams meant he advanced to his first regional meet.

The Class 6A-Region IV meet will be held Oct. 20-21 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Varsity girls are scheduled to compete Oct. 21 at 9:15 a.m., while the boys will race at 9:45 a.m.

Medina Valley took both the boys and girls team titles, and runners from those teams took the individual championships. The top three teams from the varsity girls and varsity boys divisions advanced to regionals as well as the top 10 runners not affiliated with an already qualifying team.

Rodriguez was fifth overall in a time of 19:51.8. Fellow Queen Reba Salinas, a junior, also finished in the top 10 as she was 10^th overall in a time of 20:19.0.

Ryland Ross, the lone senior on the Del Rio team, took 12^th overall in 20:24.5. Sophomore Valentina Contreras was 22^nd in 20:37.9, fellow sophomore Natalia Bosko was 23^rd in 21:03.6, freshman Amya Mendoza was 30^th in 21:55.8, and sophomore Celeste Garcia was 35^th in 22:27.5.

Medina Valley freshmen Ella Rodriguez and Kyndall Kirkpatrick finished 1-2 overall. Rodriguez won the individual title in 19:02.3, and Kirkpatrick was second in 19:08.1.

Rounding out the top five were Laredo Alexander sophomore Allison Wise, who was third in 19:24.1, and Medina Valley sophomore Reese Marshall was fourth in 19:46.2.

Medina Valley took the team title with 29 points. Del Rio was second with 72 points, and Laredo United South was third with 94 points.

Laredo Alexander was fourth followed by Laredo United in fifth, Eagle Pass was sixth, and Laredo LBJ was seventh.

On the varsity boys’ side, Medina Valley was first with 33 points. Eagle Pass was second with 68 points, and Laredo Alexander was third with 70 points. Del Rio finished fourth with 93 points.

Laredo United finished fifth, Laredo United South was sixth and Laredo LBJ was seventh.

Medina was Del Rio’s top runner, taking ninth overall in 16:36.5. Del Rio’s squad is a senior-heavy team with four seniors on the seven-man team.

Senior Samuel Curtis, a regional qualifier last year, finished 18^th in 16:55.7. Senior Antonio Padilla was 20^th in 16:59.9, sophomore Ray Torres was 22^nd in 17:07.3, senior Jose Vielma was 24^th in 17:12.5, senior Jason Main was 25^th in 17:14.5, and sophomore Jesus Robles was 38^th in 18:06.8.

Like their female counterparts, Medina Valley’s boys finished first and second among all the men’s runners. Junior Kyle Carpenter was first in 15:51.3, and teammate Nicholas Castro, also a junior, was second in 15:54.3.

Rounding out the top five were Eagle Pass sophomore Alex Alvarez, who was third in 16:001.; Alexander senior Anthony Gonzalez, who was fourth in 16:02.9, and United senior Isaiah Best was fifth in 16:10.8.

In the junior varsity division, Del Rio’s girls took second and the boys were third.

Sophomore Hailey Dobbins was Del Rio’s top finisher, taking sixth in 22:32.2. Joining her in the top 10 was senior Alexa Sanchez, who was 10^th in 23:24.

Also running for the junior varsity girls were junior Ellyana Gauna (12^th, 23:37.5), sophomore Desiree Perez (13^th, 23:41.3), junior Bella Montemayor (18^th, 24:20.5), sophomore Karissa Martinez (19^th, 24:21.5), freshman Emmah Hernandez (32^nd, 24:50.3), sophomore Reagan Becker (35^th, 24:59.4), freshman Abigail Leonor (46^th, 26:12.8), sophomore Amara Clemans (47^th, 26:18.5), freshman Angelynn Valadez (48^th, 26:20), and freshman Lucy Sauceda (49^th, 26:21.2).

Junior Daniel Perez was Del Rio’s top finisher in the junior varsity boys race. He took seventh in 18:30.1. Teammate Lucas Bryant, a sophomore, was 10^th in 18:50.2.

Also competing for Del Rio in the junior varsity boys race were freshman Emiliano Zuniga (15^th, 19:08.6), sophomore Diego Martinez (18^th, 19:22), junior Reynaldo Delossantos (20^th, 19:29.3), junior Isau Salazar (21^st, 19:35.5), freshman Lewis Bryant (22^nd, 19:38.2), senior Alejandro Martinez (26^th, 19:57.7), sophomore Luis Leija (30^th, 20:01.4), sophomore Landon Leyva (32^nd, 20:23.8), senior Ricardo Garcia (36^th, 20:38.4), senior Kevin Ibarra (47^th, 21:23.7), freshman Diego Castro (54^th, 22:14.9), freshman Daniel Padroin (55^th, 22:16.1), and freshman Joaquin Cardenas (56^th, 22:17.3),

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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com