Lady Falcons prepare for cross country competition in unique ways

The Los Fresnos girls cross country team isn’t at all superstitious. Still, the Lady Falcons each have certain routines they diligently follow before races.

According to the girls, Cora Gonzalez likes to eat barbacoa several hours before she runs in meets. Ka-tia Vega always sleeps in her uniform the night before a competition. Samantha Fish makes sure she’s wearing polka dot socks to meets, while Elia Santamaria always wears green socks. Alice Ross pins her hair to the side on race days, while Nancy Hernandez eats a Hershey bar before every race, and Carolyn Urbis sleeps only about two hours the night before a meet.

Whatever habits or routines the girls have maintained, it certainly seems to have worked.

The Lady Falcons have captured first place in five of six Rio Grande Valley meets this season. They finished second in the other one.

“I couldn’t ask for a better team,” said Santamaria, a senior. “We encourage and motivate each other. We have goals, and we all make it to practice every day and work hard. We’re hoping our hard work pays off.”

Led by Fish, a sophomore, the Lady Falcons will try to repeat as conference champions at the District 32-5A meet at 8:30 a.m. today at San Benito High School. Fish won district last year. Hanna is the defend-ing 32-5A boys champion. The Golden Eagles are favored to win the district title again behind top runner Brandon Broden, second in district last season.

Fish advanced to state as a 14-year-old freshman a year ago. Going to state as a team is the goal this season, Los Fresnos coach Jennifer Gantt said.

“It’s amazing because these kids work so hard, and they put their heart and soul into this sport,” said Gantt, who is assisted by Frank Falcon.

“Last year, I took the whole team to state (to watch Fish run),” Gantt added. “I wanted to give all of them a taste of what state is like. I told them, ‘You know what? With us winning district, I can see this team growing, and we can be here (at state in 2007), but we have to work for it.’ That’s when the girls decided that getting to state was what we wanted to work for.”

After winning district last year, Fish finished third at regionals and 27th at state.

Fish is not the only top finisher now. Santamaria, Urbis and Ross consistently have finished in the top 10 at Valley meets with Gonzalez, Hernandez and Vega also recording some strong showings. All are seniors except for sophomores Fish and Gonzalez, and Urbis, a junior.

“We’ve become closer as a team, and we try to stay together more now (during races),” Fish said. “Our goal is to go farther this year. Hopefully, we can go a long way.”

Added Urbis: “I give a lot of credit to Coach Gantt and Coach Falcon. I think they’ve prepared us really well in our practices and in helping us motivate each other and getting us to work together so well.”

Gantt said she has seen the girls team come quite a long way since taking over as the Falcons’ cross country coach four years ago. She is the head coach for the boys and girls squads.

“It’s been exciting to see just how this team has grown,” she said. “Elia and Alice were my only two freshmen to start off with (in 2004). The team has gone from having only two girls running on varsity to having two, and almost three squads, now.

“We can see it this season,” she added. “We have a chance at getting there (state). This team is really more than just a team now — it’s become a family.”