And that’s exactly what the Belton boys and girls teams, along with Temple’s Romeo Guajardo, hope to do in the Class 5A race at Vandergriff Park in Arlington. The top three teams and top 10 individuals qualify for next weekend’s University Interscholastic League state meet at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.
The Lady Tigers have the best shot of advancing to the state meet. They rank third in the region behind The Woodlands College Park and Cedar Park Vista Ridge.
“We just have to pair up and go after people and fight for those positions,” Belton coach Denise Petter said.
Belton’s girls won the District 12-5A title last week, finishing with five runners in the top nine. Junior Regan Tindell, who finished in 11:10, claimed her second straight district crown.
The Lady Tigers were sixth last year, led by Tindell’s fifth-place finish. Belton’s boys finished 10th.
The Tigers finished third at the 12-5A meet and are shooting for a top six finish. Zerrick Vriseno was Belton’s top finisher at the 12-5A meet at eighth place.
Petter thinks her teams are prepared having raced against some of the state’s best steams.
“We run in all the big ones so the kids run against stiff competition,” she said.
For Temple’s lone qualifier Guajardo, he’s taking the same approach that fueled a seventh-place finish at the 12-5A meet.
“I just need to keep the guys in my district in sight,” Guajardo said. “I need to run with the high level runner that’s at regionals.”
Guajardo finished 57th at last year’s Region II meet.
Also running in today’s 5A race are the Killeen Ellison boys and Harker Heights girls. Individual qualifiers were Harker Heights’ Michael Odeh and Copperas Cove’s Derwin Graham.
rschneider@temple-telegram.com
- Area qualifiers for regional cross country meets -
Class 5A Region II meet Vandergriff Park, Arlington
Boys
Teams - Belton (Marcos Garcia, Patrick Lammert, Tyler Maddox, Jorge Marquez, Nick Palamara, Ian Smith, Zerrick Vriseno); Killeen Ellison (Silveste Harrison, Luis Hernandez, Hector Hernandez, Max Mayo, Sam Mayo, Bobby Murphy, Andre Thomas)
Individuals - Romeo Guajardo (Temple); Michael Odeh (Harker Heights); Derwin Graham (Copperas Cove)
Girls
Teams - Belton (Michelle Hagen), Lauren Hildinger, Katelin Huckabee, Alejandra Marquez, Regan Tindell, Gracen Verheyden, Courtney White); Harker Heights (Jesse Calhoun, Aliese Hyde, LeTeasha Mayo, Monique McMichael, Michelle Pritchard, Marissa Rozdilsky, Kari Stewart)
Individual - Anamari Hernandez (Killeen Ellison)
Class 4A Region IV meet Brooks City Base Golf Course, San Antonio
Boys
Team - Killeen (DreVan Anderson, Jeremy Booker, Spencer Davis, Jamison Hicks, Alonso Rivera, Matthew Rodell)
Individuals - David Bloomfield (Lampasas); Brandon Willie (Lampasas)
Girls
Team - Lampasas (Jenna Ball, Tiffany Fagg, Ashley Moore, Hailey Morrison, Vanessa Perkins, Jontell Ritz, Patricia Roberts)
Class 3A Region I meet Mae Simmons Park, Lubbock
Boys
Team - Gatesville (James Agulair, Paul Cushing, Lenard Meyers, Ricardo Romero, Austin Sirasang, Stevie Sowders, Kevin Walters)
Girls
Team - Gatesville (Karen Almendariz, Isabel Campos, Kelsee Johnston, Cassie Morphet, Diamond Moore, Kristina Munson, Brittney Noyes)
Class 3A Region III meet Lone Star College, Humble
Boys
Individuals - Victor Canizales (Cameron Yoe); Norman Langford (Yoe); Angel Rios (Yoe)
Girls
Team - Cameron Yoe (Guadalupe Bustamante, Leticia Bustamante, Martha Bustamante, Margarita Castillo, Alisia Pena, Madison Pevehouse, Lucero Ramos)
Class 2A Region II meet Vandergriff Park, Arlington
Boys
Team - Bruceville-Eddy (individual names not available)
Girls
Team - Bruceville-Eddy (individual names not available)
Class 2A Region III meet Lone Star College, Humble
Boys
Team - Rosebud-Lott (Justin Allen, Tommy Armer, Justin Cortez, Rolando Costilla, Josh Krueger, John Krueger, Shawn Pitrucha)
Girls
Team - Rosebud-Lott (Lauren Borntrager, Victoria Conners, Courtney Greger, Stephanie Greger, Chelsea Miller, Randi Portillo, Ellen Reid)
Class 2A Region IV meet Brooks City Base Golf Course, San Antonio
Boys
Teams - Jarrell (Taylor Cooper, Alex Gallegos, Nathan Lloyd, Tim McDaniel, Andrew Perez, Nathan Sumner, Emanuel Villafranco); Salado (Peyton Best, Max Care, Juan Cazarus, Jada Kornegay, Jace Peralta, Ben Perrin, Michael Perrin)
Individuals - Kevin Marek (Rogers); Connor McAtee (Academy)
Girls
Teams - Academy (Meggan Bullis, Callie Chudej, Katie Coston, Katelyn Fincher, Emily Koenig, Sara O’Neill, Jenny Pekar); Salado (Chelsea Boaz, Brittney Frazier, Valerie Liccea, Lindsey Martin, Lupe Perez, Kaleigh Rank, Diana Torres)
Individuals - Nancy Juarez (Jarrell); Jessica Mendoza (Rogers)
Class A Region IV meet
Brooks City Base Golf Course, San Antonio
Boys
Team - Milano (Trevor Gage, Chris Juhl, Ryan Karl, Jordan Nelto, John Paniagua, Thomas Sanders, Josh Smith, Wynton Thomason)
