Arlington School & Family Magazine January 2017 | Page 19

Sam Houston
High School
Cross Country Boys Finish Season Hard Fought
By Carolina Ibarra
Managing Editor
The Sam Houston boys varsity cross country team
finished the season at a great pace.
Sophomore Cristian “Leo” Sanchez advanced to
regionals Oct. 29 in Lubbock.
“I’m trying to represent Sam Houston not just
as a team, but more as a school and representing
everyone in the school, too,” Sanchez said.
This is the fourth-consecutive year a varsity team
member has advanced to regionals.
“Improvements to be made for ‘the championship
year,’ that is what I am naming it, would be to build
a bigger base during the summer months,” head
coach Jamie Vasquez said via email. “That is one
thing the majority of the team did not work on for
the exception of Leo.”

“I love that we are a team, and it’s a very mental
sport,” senior Ramiro Ibarra said. “So we always
come together as a team. We have a good time and
always run our hearts out.”

Unfortunately, Sanchez could not participate in the
regional meet due to illness.

When Sanchez told the team he was ill and couldn’t
go to regionals, they assured Sanchez that it was OK
for him not to go and it was better for him to rest and
let his injury heal.

“It’s just some problems with my knee and with my
liver,” Sanchez said. “It just doesn’t let me breathe.”
Sanchez said he will work hard over the next few
years to advance to regionals again and maybe even
state.
Three team members said running cross country has
helped them boost their grades, work as a team and
improve “as men.”  

“I was very sad for Leo because he couldn’t go to
regionals,” Ibarra said. “He worked very hard for it.”
“Sanchez has worked hard since May,” Vasquez said.
“He is healing and preparing for his next two sports,
soccer and track and field. The sky’s the limit for this
young man. Stay tuned, you will hear great things
about him in the near future with God’s help.”

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