“Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play. It’s simple as that. God, I love the opportunity.”
– Mike Singletary
That quote sums up this season for me. We had an opportunity to run. It wasn’t like any other year that I have been associated with. Many families felt it better to wait and distance themselves from the possibility of infection, but UIL and our administration gave us an opportunity. Saturday under a cool and cloudy day with cool temperatures we ran the 27-3A District Meet on the Poth course. We had no chip timing system so it was an old school Meet with cards. I know how they finished overall but I haven’t got the results of how they finished in their grade level if they didn’t receive a medal. I can say they all ran faster than they did on the 3rd of October.
We left the school at 6:45 and the parents formed a spirit line next to City Hall in the True Value parking lot as we departed Lytle. The lads and ladies were so excited to see all the support they received. The ladies began the festivities for the District. The only school that did not field a team was Poteet. It was a great start and the ladies began their final race for the Season. Klayre Cook got out well and fell into third behind two girls. At the mile the ladies were close to the pace times we had worked on the last two weeks. Klayre remained solidly in the top five and all the ladies were running faster than they had ever run. In October, Klayre had finished 6th overall being beat by three girls from Poth. Today, as she finished, she was only bested by the champion from Karnes City and one girl from Poth. She was the only girl to medal in the District race, but the ladies finished 4th as a team behind a strong Poth team, Jourdanton and Karnes City. A great accomplishment considering at the first Poth Meet the girls were last.
Runner - Overall place - Time (time Oct 3rd)/Improvement
Klayre Cook – 3rd – Medalist – 13:13 (14:23)/-1:10
Valentina Ayala – 19th – 15:58 (16:25)/- .27
Giselle Esparza - 25th – 16:28 (17:10)/- .42
Lunna Reyes – 30th – 16:42 (17:38)/- .56
Annika Robles – 35th – 17:07 (22:16)/-5:09
Isabella Sewell – 41st – 17:37 (22:52)/-5:15
Shea Merrell – 50th – 20:11 (22:52)/-2:31
One of the effects of COVID has been boys seem to be choosing one sport instead of doing two. Most seem to just do Football and because of this only two schools had teams competing, Lytle and Poth. The boys were seeking their fourth straight District Title. The boys would have had two complete teams of 7th Grade and 8th Grade except for the unusual quarantine protocol. Kevin Flores was the only boy missing from the ten who started the year. We had three 8th Grade medalists and I know Kevin would have been the fourth medalist. The results are as follows:
Runner – Overall place – Time (time Oct 3rd)/improvement
Johnny Alvarez – 2nd – Medalist – 11:58(12:16)/- .18
Luke Estrada – 5th – Medalist – 12:11(12:21)/- .10
Yandel Esquivel – 6th – Medalist – 12:15(DNR)
Tristan Lopez – 18th – 13:18(12:45)/- .27
Antonio Castro – 7th 2nd – Medalist – 12:29(12:56)/- .27
Alex Rios-Lopez – 7th 6th-Medalist 13:20(14:12)/- .52
Diego Reyna – 7th 7th-Medalist 13:28(14:10)/- . 42
Bryan Montes – 7th 28th 14:34(16:09)/-1:35
Noah Merrell – 30th 14:47(16:17)/-1:30
With the 7th and 8th Grade combined, we are the 2020 27-3A District Champions. It is our fourth straight District Title. We have competed in two classifications, 3 Districts with 4 Titles. The future continues to look bright.
“Self-respect cannot be hunted. It cannot be purchased. It is never for sale. It cannot be fabricated out of public relations. It comes to us when we are alone, in quiet moments, in quiet places, when we suddenly realize that, knowing the good, we have done it; know the beautiful, we have served it; knowing the truth, we have spoken it.”
– Noel Coward
I have some thoughts about this Season next. It is probably just ramblings of someone nearing three score in age.
“Somewhere my love lay sleeping
Behind the lights of a far-off town;
So I gave my heart to a bend in the road,
And off I went a-yondering.”
–Louis L’Amour
I put this quote before I do my own yondering about the Season finished. For the last fifteen years I have left my wife on many Saturdays asleep as I headed off. This Saturday Coach Sebastian Benevides had his Poteet Junior High squad at the Meet. This 8th Grade group reminds me of that first District Title Lytle won in Junior High back in 2005. Sebastian and Brandon Lacy were like Johnny and Luke. This 2005 team was the first team to medal as a High School Cross Country team at State. As I drove out from the parking lot at 6:45am Saturday I thought of what made us successful. There is a quote in the football weight room that mentions trust between coaches and players. One area that is left off is trust between parents and coaches. We have been so successful in my opinion because of the support of the parents. The parents get the athletes to practice and Meets every day before the sun rises. The parents are able to be on the field of competition and they feel part of the action. I don’t know how to express all my gratitude for the parents and their desire to see their children be the best they can be.
The unsung success of this program also belongs to all those who support this team. Every Friday snacks and water are packed in an ice chest with a message wishing the lads and ladies well as they run. These ladies in the cafeteria do this for us and deliver the ice chest to the office. This is way above what is necessary and we thank you for your service.
I take pictures of the team many times with the busses as a backdrop. It helps to have busses in Lytle colors, but it is my way of letting all those who keep our busses running, thank you. This year not only did they get us to the Meets but we also needed driver help to use two busses. In addition, this year busses have to be sanitized and prepared in advance. This District Title is not just the lads but also all those who have any part in developing these student athletes.
I am out until track season. I will be driving the High School as far as they go which hopefully is to Round Rock.
See photos in Google album: Juior High Cross Country District Meet