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Sperry High School Cross Country Completes Regionals, Prepares for State
On Saturday, October 13, the High School Cross Country team competed in Henryetta at the 3A Cross Country Regional meet. Jose Vasquez ran the more than three mile course in 20 minutes, 57 seconds, good enough to qualify for the State Cross Country Tournament in Shawnee on October 20.
"It's a great honor to be representing my school, doing something I love to do," Jose said. "I want to go to State and compete the best I can. I know I will be competing against the best of the whole state and will have to run my best race." Jose finished 31st overall among class 3A runners.
Sperry’s Cross Country team not only competed against several other 3A schools, but also battled a hard, cold rain that turned the green grass of the course into mud. “They all just took it in stride,” Coach Justin Timmerman said of the team. “It was just a muddy mess, but they all ran their best.”
"It was absolutely the toughest three miles I've ever had to run in my life, Jose said of his struggle through the rain and mud. "But I knew going in that my mentality had to be the key for me to qualify for State. I didn't let the conditions of the course or the weather get in my head."
"Jose did a great job," said Coach Timmerman. "With the bad weather and bad course he could have just shut it down. But he used those conditions to his advantage and finished strong. That was what got him to State."
"I love to run so I can clear my mind. I don't have to think about anything but getting faster," Jose said. It's also something most of my peers don't do so I can be different."
“Eduardo Aguirre-Ponce was only one runner shy of qualifying for State and Ashley Sutherland was only two runners away from qualifying,” Coach Timmerman said. “All-in-all, they had a good season, and I’m proud of each one of them.”
To prepare for the 3A Regional Meet, the Sperry High School Cross Country Team had competed on September 20th in Cleveland. The team’s coach, high school teacher Justin Timmerman, said Sperry’s team of two boys and four girls participated in this conference competition as part of the Tulsa 7 Conference competitions, but also included schools outside of the Tulsa 7 Conference. “There were 6A schools on down at this meet for conference,” Coach Timmerman said. “It was quite a scene with tents set up everywhere and groups of students getting stretched and getting ready for their chance to run.”
He noted, “There’s tons of excitement when the gun goes off and the mass of students start running.” The excitement builds to a peak as the tired participants put in their final burst of energy as they come in site of the finish line. Of Sperry’s six participants at the conference, Eduardo Aguirre-Ponce finished 17th overall and 8th in out of the Tulsa 7 Conference teams, out of a total of 93 runners.
“We have two more meets before regionals on October 13th,” Timmerman said. “They all work hard every day, running between two and five miles during practice. Whether they placed in the top 10 at the conference or not, I’m proud of their dedication to the hours of running they put in every day to be here.” With the summer heat holding on as long as it has, Timmerman noted that team members try to drink three liters of water each day. They engage in several stretching exercises, and will perform low-key running as part of their daily practice.
The team participated at Claremore on September 27th, and at Owasso on October 4th before regionals as well.
