Cross Country: OHS runners take pride in their depth

Terence Martinez has lived in the shadows with Odessa High School’s boys cross country program.

And the senior loves it, something that he has proven to OHS boys coach Randy Thompson on nearly a daily basis during his career for the Bronchos.

Martinez is the only four-year varsity runner for the OHS boys, though he has never been the team’s top runner. During his career, though, Martinez has been a solid point scorer for three district championship teams.

He hopes an even bigger payoff awaits today at Mae Simmons Park in Lubbock when OHS competes at the Region I-5A Championships. A top-three team finish would earn the Bronchos their first berth to the UIL State Championships and would be an obvious payoff to countless hours of training.

“I used to always want to be the No. 1 runner and didn’t like getting beat,” Martinez said. “But then I got up here, and it was like it’s more for the team now and not just individual. We help each other out in every way that we can. If you need some pushing, we’ll get you there just to make it that much stronger for the team.”

The selfless attitude permeates within both the boys and girls programs for Odessa High, each of which is coming off a third district team title in four years.

Thompson and Tracey Borchardt, the girls coach, preach the philosophy of team success, something evident last week in the latest 3-5A championship sweep for OHS.

In the boys meet, Hugo Corral gave the team a third-place finish and the Bronchos went on to nail down the title as Martinez was ninth, Ray Paredes was 10th, Ryan Herrera was 12th and Edward Zubiate was 14th. No other No. 5 runner finished higher than 21st, but Odessa High’s sixth runner — Travis Phillips — was 17th, though only the top five runners score in cross country.

On the girls side, Lacy McKinney and Kirsten Taylor provided a 5-6 finish for the OHS girls. The difference in a five-point victory over Abilene High came as the Lady Bronchos got a sweep of the 12th-14th places from Mindy Navarette, Jordann Beason and Tiffany Barrera. Gaby Valeriano was close behind in 15th.

“Nobody runs for themselves — we all run for that team,” said Barrera, a junior who has settled into a solid supporting role this season. “We don’t have anybody who’s jealous. We all just try hard and plan to find each other when we’re running. We look ahead, and we know who’s there and go after whoever we can.”

Neither OHS program has qualified for the state meet as a team. The boys finished a program-best fifth two years ago, while the girls were a program-best seventh the same season.

The Lady Bronchos have won twice on the Mae Simmons course in the last two years in the Lubbock Invitational, which doesn’t have the same overall quality as the regional meet but does include plenty of solid teams they will be running against today.

“When someone doesn’t pull their weight, someone else will and that’s a big plus,” Borchardt said of her team’s depth. “They know they have to earn it every week in practice and every week at the meet. It’s good for them because I think it even pulls them a little bit closer together, even though it’s very competitive.”

Odessa High’s boys have gotten a taste of the state meet in the last four years by having individuals qualify.

Corral did it last season with a seventh-place regional finish and figures to be in that mix again, though Thompson is hopeful that he’ll have an entire group of athletes to worry about hauling to Round Rock next week.

“We’ve always tried to make it as a team,” Thompson said. “This year it’s no different. We’re trying as a team to get as high up as we can, and whatever happens individually will happen. For us to get to that next level, it’s going to take individual great runs anyway, and hopefully it will all come through (today).”

REGION I CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

MEET SCHEDULE

At Mae Simmons Park, Lubbock

>> 9 a.m. — Class 5A girls

>> 9:30 a.m. — Class 5A boys

>> 10 a.m. — Class 1A girls

>> 10:30 a.m. — Class 1A boys

>> 11 a.m. — Class 2A girls

>> 11:30 a.m. — Class 2A boys

>> Noon — Class 3A girls

>> 12:30 p.m. — Class 3A boys

>> 1 p.m. — Class 4A girls

>> 1:30 p.m. — Class 4A boys

MEET FORMAT

>> Girls race is 2 miles; boys race is 3 miles

>> The top three teams in each division along with top-10 individuals from non-qualifying teams will advance to the UIL State Championships, scheduled for Nov. 10 at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.