FINAL HURDLE

HARLINGEN - This is it for Harlingen South's Kassandra Larios.
Win or lose, the Lady Hawks senior hurdler will never run another high school race again.
So it comes as no surprise that Larios is nervous, anxious and a little excited about the UIL State Track and Field Championships this weekend in Myers Stadium in Austin.
Larios qualified for her first state meet a couple of weeks ago when she won gold in the 100-meter hurdles at the Region IV-5A track meet in San Antonio.
As a sophomore and junior, Larios finished third, just missing out on her goal.
But she exploded out of the blocks two weeks ago and never looked back as she breezed to the easy win beating out Converse Judson's Christina Holland.
Before the regional meet, Larios explained the anxiety of preparing for the meet.
It was her last chance to reach state. It was do or die.
Two weeks later, she's in Aus-tin.
And even if she wins gold at state, it's still her last race. Larios said she felt mixed emotions these last two weeks.
But she couldn't wait to get back on the track on last time.
"I just have to go out there and give it everything," Larios said. "There are no more chances after this one. This is it. I have to run my best race. I can't step off that track with any regrets. I don't want to look back and think I could have sprinted faster at the end or gotten off to a better start. I have to run the perfect race."
It seems that for the last four years, Larios has been running races pretty close to being per-fect.
Especially this season.
After breaking into the 14-second plateau last season at the Meet of Champions, Larios has consistently run in the 14's all season.
Her best time this season was still a 14.40 and ran a 14.87 at regionals for gold beating out Holland (14.99).
But Larios knows she's got to run the "perfect" race if she's going to have a chance to medal in Austin.
"Mentally I have to be ready to run this race," Larios said. "I've come a long way since my fresh-man season and I'm a lot more mentally tough now. And a lot of that credit goes to coach (Steve) Lunsford."
Lunsford would be the Lady Hawks' intense volleyball head coach. Larios has been playing volleyball since her freshman season and will play for St. Mary's University in San Antonio next year.
But right now the only thing on her mind are the hurdles.
And South head coach Dolores Cruz said Larios was ready to make an impression.
"I'm excited for her," Cruz said. "She's already one of the top eight hurdlers in the state. That in itself is a lifetime memory and no one can take that away."
She's also the first female ath-lete from Harlingen South to qualify for the state meet. Pole vaulter Jared Ede was the first athlete to go to state when he qualified in 2005.
And Larios hopes to make the best of her trip to Austin.
Larios has been training with fellow hurdlers Sean Messick and Matt Medley during the past two weeks.
Cruz said going up against the boys should help her get ready for the competition.
Larios first joined track during her seventh grade year but she said she's always loved "jumping over things" since she was a little girl.
"All I knew is I wanted to jump," Larios recalled. "I would get anything I could...a couch or chair and jump over them. Now I'm one of the top hurdlers in the state."
She's definitely come a long way on the track and off.
Compared to the last three sea-sons, Cruz said Larios is already ahead of the game.
"She's the first one out there and doesn't wait for the guys to get there," Cruz said. "She starts working out on her own. She's got a great attitude. She's at a point right now where she has to leave it all on the track. If she gets first or eighth, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that she gave it all she had and ran a perfect race."
There's no question Larios will leave it all on the track. But she still wants gold.
"I want first," Larios said with a smile. "It's going to be tough. But I've been training with the guys here and they've really helped me out. Honestly I think I can run with the girls up there."