October 19, 2022 832 PM
VAN HORN — Last weekend Marfa Junior High and High School cross-country teams competed in a district meet in Van Horn in which the varsity and junior high girls teams both took home district championships, and the varsity boys were district runners up.
Next week, the girls and boys teams will compete in the regional cross-country meet in San Angelo. If they are successful and place in the top four teams, they will advance to state competitions in early November. The varsity girls team, which consists of seniors Ummi Chanez, Aundrea García, Lesly Torres, Emily Hernandez, junior Liani Salcido and freshman Ava Flores, is currently ranked eighth in the entire state.
Coach Edgar Ramirez said the varsity girls team this year has that “it factor,” and his hopes are high for continuing to compete on the regional and state levels. He also said the progress the girls have made in cross-country is noteworthy considering they participate in many other sports and activities.
“We just want to get to regionals already because we want to punch our ticket to the next level, which is state, and I feel if there’s a year we’re going to do it it’s this year because we have four seniors, amazing seniors that do everything,” said Ramirez.
The girls cross-country team has grown in recent years, with original athletes Chanez and García being joined by more teammates. Ramirez said the older girls are helping inspire the younger generation of cross-country runners, and they now have nine junior high girls in cross-country. Ramirez said the girl’s recent strides are the result of working hard at 5:30 a.m. practices and a determination to succeed from the start.
“They’ve been committed since day one. You can tell by their work ethic, their commitment, they’ve just been all about what they need to do,” said Ramirez.
The boys varsity team consists of senior Nathan Peña, juniors Marco Ruiz, Dustin Martinez and Zach Wilson, sophomores Francisco Rosas and Derrick Campos and freshman Alejandro Rodríguez and Darren Campos. Several varsity boys will also advance to regionals. Ramirez said because most of the cross-country boys also compete in football, it was hard to get enough time to work on other sports, but the team was made up of some talented juniors and underclassmen who were “up and coming.”
Ramirez said the cross-country team’s efforts have been bolstered by meal planning and healthy food choices. He said he’d like to thank his wife, Andrea Perez, who’s been helping with meal prep, Anette Mendoza, Susan Kirr and the moms of the team members. For the varsity girls team, which consists of a handful of seniors competing as Marfa Shorthorns for the last time, Ramirez said he hopes they will be able to leave their mark and establish their legacy as a team worth remembering.
“I’m excited. I ain’t gonna lie, I’m nervous, but I know we’re ready. The girls are ready. They’ve been getting ready for this moment,” he said. “They’re great student athletes, and I’m honored to be coaching these girls and I just want them to feel that success that they honestly deserve.”
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Thursday, October 20, JH football vs Van Horn in Marfa 5:30 p.m.
- Friday, October 21, HS football at Van Horn at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, October 22, volleyball hosts Grandfalls and Senior recognition day at 12:30 p.m.
- Next Tuesday, October 25, regional cross-country meet at San Angelo 9 a.m. girls, 9:35 a.m. boys
- Next Wednesday, October 26, HS volleyball game at Buena Vista
