Cruz Lopez article (NM)

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Cruz Lopez article (NM)

Unread postby rainbowgirl28 » Thu May 04, 2006 11:31 am

http://www.currentargus.com/apps/pbcs.d ... 40315/1017

Loving track athletes prepare for upcoming state tournament
By Kyle Marksteiner
Current-Argus Staff Writer

May 4, 2006, 06:20 am

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LOVING -- Cruz Lopez has had the pole vault pit all to himself this week, but that's nothing new.

"I was the only one to start with, so it's not too bad," he said. "I wish I had some company. It gets kind of lonely."

Lopez is one of five Falcons who will compete at the A-AA State Track meet Friday and Saturday in Albuquerque. One Lady Falcon, Estela Salcido, will compete in the discus and the shot put.


With no relay teams at the meet, it is unlikely, if not impossible, that the Falcon boys will defend their back-to-back state titles. The Falcons, however, will keep high individual aspirations.

"They know that they don't have the team they had last year," Loving coach Doug Santo said. "But one thing about track. Even though it is a team sport, they know they are all working hard individually. They are going to continue that."

Lopez will compete in the 400-meter dash, the 100-meter dash and the pole vault. He placed fourth in state last year in the pole vault. Another Falcon also placed, but later decided not to compete. Lopez cleared 12 feet last year, but is aspiring for 13 feet to 13 feet, six inches this year.

Lopez, a senior, said he competed in high jump when he joined the team in the seventh grade.

"It started hurting my back when I landed on the bar," he said. "I just went ahead and came to this so I could kick it off. I got really interested in it, and it was working out for me."

Pole vault is his main event, but Lopez is also shooting to improve his time in the 400 from 52 seconds to 51. He placed first in last week's district meet to qualify in the 100.

"I didn't really want to run it," he said. "That just came out of nowhere."

"He's worked a bit with his form and technique and developed into a decent sprinter," Santo said. "I think he'll place in the 400."

Lopez said he spent the past week at practice adjusting to getting in front of the back end of a longer pole. He'd like to find a way to pole vault in college, but noted that he's only been to a couple training camps since he was in the seventh grade.

"I'm a farm boy so I have to work in the summer and try to keep up with my stuff," he said.

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