By Moses Leos III.
Hays High cross country runners Esmi Fuentes and Esteban Villalpando finished in the top half of their fields at the state meet at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock on Saturday.
Villalpando finished 29th out of 100 runners with a time of 16:41 in the boys 4A run. Fuentes finished 41st out of 100 with a time of 19:49 in the girls 4A meet.
Villalpando said the race was “not his best.” The speed and brisk pace of the field negated his strategy of hanging back, then catching up at the end. As a result, he was unable to utilize his strategy, an issue that plagued him during the race.
FUENTES | VILLALPANDO |
Fuentes struggled with starting off too fast, saying she used too much energy at the start. With the course’s length and terrain a challenge, she did not have enough energy to stay with the lead pack.
Despite their finishes, both were thrilled to have the chance to compete at state.
Villalpando was pleased with the fan support that showed.
“We had a lot of fans [at the meet],” he said. “[Running at state] was pretty cool.”
Fuentes said she was nervous running next to many juniors and seniors. However, she was happy to have the experience.
“It felt pretty good,” she said. “I’m proud … that I got to state.”
Fuentes said she will take a week off before starting track and field preparation. Villalpando also prepares for track in the spring, saying he will continue to train.
