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Xavier Garza competed in Monday’s Region 4 Class 4A Cross Country meet in Corpus Christi. Running a personal best 16:09.53 placed Xavier 45th of 180 competitors, which is an outstanding feat considering it is his first time to run on the big stage in Corpus against mostly veteran runners.
Christian Osorio trained with Xavier leading up to the meet and deserves a lot of credit for helping the sophomore finish in the top quartile of the standings.
Xavier Garza – I was a little nervous as the only Devine runner, I didn’t have my Warhorse teammates running beside me so it was a little weird. During the race, I tried to stay calm and relaxed while maintaining my pace when needed then improving my pace to pass others. Overall, going to regional was fun and now that I made it, I have to keep working hard for next year to get to where I want to be.
Christian Osorio – I was excited that Xavier asked me to train with him so I could get back to running.
Coach Khera Vay – When Xavier first came out to run his freshman year, I knew he had the potential to do something special. He pushed himself through every practice and continued to improve his times throughout the season. Watching him run on the regional course proved to me that he is capable of a lot more for years to come. He put together one of the best races ran this season. He started in the middle of the pack and worked his way up to 45th. He looked comfortable, relaxed but I never questioned that the effort wasn’t there. I am proud of him and look forward to his leadership for the 2019 season.
By Jerel Beaty
Staff Writer