Renee Rivera is a champion

Van Horn High School Junior, Renee Ramirez thanks her supporters

CCAISD Photo

By Coach Luis Garcia

Van Horn entered the state meet with 2 regional champion events and one runner-up event.  By the end of the meet Van Horn’s only state track participant, Renee Rivera, had earned two medals and accumulate 18 points,and placed the Lady Eagles in 10th place in the team standings.

Renee Rivera’s first event started at noon Saturday with the long jump in front of 20,000 in attendance.  Renee’s first two jumps were 16’-9 ¼’’ and 17’-1 ¼’’ but on her third jump she unloaded a 17’-8’’ leap.  With Region IV Alexa Valenzuela from Refugio in first with a jump of 18’-4 ¼’’ and Shiner’s Sabrina Blaschke in second with a leap of 18’-3 ¼’’, Renee was able to move into the bronze medal spot.  Thirty minutes later the rains came and delayed the event 5 ½ hours.  After it resumed, the weather had dropped 13 degrees and no other jumpers were able to leap past her.  Renee captured the bronze medal and six points.

After finishing 3rd at state last year and both first and second place runners graduating.  Renee entered the 100m. race confident and prepared.  She lunged out of her blocks low and aggressive and at 50 meters it was anybody’s race.  At 75 meters, Renee, Italy’s April Lusk and Quanah’s Jada Jackson started to separate from the field.  With on last surge Renee(12.58) was able to out lean Jackson(12.62) and Lusk(12.71) to win the gold medal.  It gave her 10 more points.

After a long day of rain delays, Renee finished her state meet with the 200m.  She ran a good curve and had a late surge but was not able to catch the leaders.  Refugio’s Alexa Valenzuela(25.74) won the race and Italy’s Janae Roberson(25.90) placed second.  Renee missed another bronze medal by .03 of a second.  She finished 5th (26.24) and Olivia Fronson from Kerens took third place(26.21).

Renee now has 3 gold medals, (2 relays-2014,100m-2016), 3 bronze medals(100m-2015,LJ-2016) and a state team championship(2014) added to her resume at the state meet and she is only a junior.  Congratulations to Renee on another outstanding year.

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