 "Photo: Alma Hernandez")
The Bronc track team made its way to Vermillion, S.D. for the Great West Conference Indoor Championship this weekend, and made considerable improvement on the women’s side and in the men’s 400-meter run, mile run, and 4x400-meter relay. Overall the Broncs picked up 15 top-ten finishes, and both teams finished fifth overall.
“I’m thoroughly satisfied with the way our team performed this weekend,” head track coach Dave Hartman said. “We’re still rebuilding, but good things are happening.”
Following their performance in South Dakota the Broncs come back home for a short break and then begin training for the outdoor season that starts March 20 in Kingsville at the Cactus Cup. Prior to this weekend’s event the team played in two other events in Houston TX, for the Houston Invitational and the Houston All-Corners.
On the women’s side, the top performer in South Dakota was junior Sylvia Alboniga, who finished fifth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.21 and seventh in the 400 at 1:03.68. Also notable was freshman Cynthia Adame of San Benito, who finished eighth in the 800 run with a time of 2:26.90. Only half a second behind her was junior Mekka Edwards-White. Edwards-White and Alboniga, along with freshman Destiny Schulze and sophomore Alexia Frank, came in fourth for the 4x400-meter relay in 4:02.76.
“On the women’s side we’re really starting to move up,” Hartman said. “In the 400 we’re closing in on a minute and we’re starting to knock on the door of the finals. A lot of these girls are in their first year, so in or year or two we should have really have a strong team. ”
For the men, the top competitor was Jameson Strachan, who defended his Great West Indoor Championship by coming in first in the 400 with a mark of 49.69.
“Jameson is an extremely talented runner,” Hartman said. “He was just rebounding from a hamstring injury but he came in strong. We all knew he was capable of taking the event but we weren’t expecting it.”
Also strong for the men were freshman Andrew Lopez and junior Gilroy Martinez, who finished within 200th of second in the 800 with times of 1:59.13 and 1:59.15, respectively, good for eighth and ninth place. Junior Omar Doria of Edinburg finished third in the mile run with a time of 4:19.49. The Broncs also posted two top-ten finishes in the shot put with freshman Jesus Alvarez throwing 47-11.75 and Scott Bann copping eighth with 45-1.
“I think we were a lot more comfortable with the indoor track this time around,” Hartman said. “There were no major disappointments. Everyone performed exactly where they should have or better.”
With the outdoor season complete, the track team is looking forward to the outdoor season.
“We’re going to give everyone a few days just to get a breather and then we’re heading back to practice,” Hartman said. “Geographically we’re more inclined towards outdoor events. There aren’t any indoor tracks in the valley so competing outdoors is a real advantage for us.”
Following their Kingsville competition they will be headed to Houston, for the Victor Lopez Bayou Classic March 27.
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