2008 Cross Country Preview

Alex De La Garza and Tricia Terry have goals.

And not surprisingly, the two best cross country runners in the Rio Grande Valley have similar objectives.

After finishing ninth in the Class 5A state meet last season, Terry, who is a senior at McAllen Memorial, wants to improve on that finish.

"I want to finish in the top three at state and I want to regain the regional title; I finished second last year," she said.

De La Garza finished second at the Class 4A state meet last season and his goal is simple.

"I want to win state," the Mercedes' senior said.

Last year, De La Garza had the lead with about 50 meters left, but he was caught and passed by eventual champion Rory Tunningly of Lockhart.

"It makes you hungier," De La Garza said about being a senior. "It makes you want to go out and make a statement."

De La Garza has improved each time he has run at the state meet; as a freshman he finished 13th, and as a sophomore he finished seventh.

And while De La Garza is likely to earn a fourth-straight trip to the state meet as an individual, he'd also like to bring his teammates along with him.

The Tigers' boys team made the state meet in 2006, after finishing third at the Class 4A regional meet.

Terry also said she feels the weight of her last year in high school.

"I feel like I have to be much more serious as a senior," she said. "There's a lot more pressure on me."

Part of that pressure comes from being the only senior on a young Memorial team.

"I feel it's my responsibility to get the girls to run over the summer, I'm the unofficial team captain," Terry said.

Tricia's father, John said his daughter needs to stay within herself to help avoid injuries like the stress fracture that almost kept her out of the district, regional and state track meets last track & field season.

"She's a big-time overdoer," John Terry said. "I think she over-trained last year. She's more focused this year."

Both Terry and De La Garza are seeking a trip to one of the prestigious Foot Locker national cross country meets.

Here's a quick look at the Valley's districts:

>> District 32-5A: Los Fresnos girls and Brownsville Hanna boys are the teams to beat.

>> District 31-5A: Edinburg North boys and PSJA North girls have the tradition.

>> District 30-5A: The Sharyland girls qualified for the state meet for the first time last season. But Rowe and RGC should be competitive and if Terry has anything to do with it watch out for Memorial.

>> District 32-4A: This might be the most competitive boys' district meet: Mission, Mercedes and Weslaco East will all battle it out and Edcouch-Elsa isn't too bad either. On the girls side, Mission, Weslaco East and Mission Veterans Memorial are all tough.

>> District 32-3A: La Feria girls almost see a district title as a birthright. On the boys side, Progreso earned a trip to the state meet last year.

>> District 32-2A: Both Santa Rosa boys and girls have long ruled the roost in this district.

>> District 32-1A: The Santa Maria boys and girls are among the area's cross country better programs.

Paul Conatzer covers cross country for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4442.

FIVE RUNNERS TO WATCH

>> Alex De La Garza, sr., Mercedes: Finished second at Class 4A state meet as a junior.

>> Tricia Terry, sr., McAllen Memorial: 3-time District 30-5A champ, second at regional, ninth in state as a junior.

>> Gabriela Salazar, jr., PSJA Memorial: Finished fifth at the 2007 Region IV-5A meet.

>> Samantha Fish, jr., Los Fresnos: Two-time defending District 32-5A champ.

>> Eduardo Cortez, soph., Progreso: Finished eighth in regional meet in his first trip.