Nov. 9, 2005

Even with the loss of their premier runner from last year, The University of Texas-Pan American women's cross country team is moving right along just fine with their abundance of upperclassmen on the squad having taken over and are currently leading the team to the NCAA South Central Championships.

In her third year as a Lady Bronc runner, Karla Hernandez (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg H.S.) has become one many juniors on the team that have taken the leadership role on a squad that is without a single senior and in need of guidance. This season, the junior also recorded a career-best finish, crossing the line in seventh place with a time 24:13 at the Texas Lutheran Invitational.

"Every year I try to improve, and this year I set the same goal for myself," Hernandez said. "So far I've made improvement every year despite having my third coach in three years."

When the Edinburg native began her colligate career, the cross country head coach was Coach Molhner. Unfortunately, he left after that same year then the carousel of coaches continued as Coach Peter Hess came and went. The UTPA track and field program hired Coach Bryan Cunningham this past August.

"It's really hard because they all have a different way of coaching. Each one of them brings their own ways or methods,"

Despite having to learn from three different styles of coaching, it is the friendship on the team that allows her to maintain her drive. Hernandez said that her relationship with Ashley Garcia (Falfurrias, TX/Falfurrias H.S.) and Lorraine Garcia (Laredo, TX/Nixon H.S.) is the closest, but simply because they have all been running together for three years now.

"I have a great relationship with everyone on the team, but I'm closest with Ashley and Lorraine simply because we have all been here for three years now, so my bond is stronger with them," Hernandez added.

The strength of the relationship between the three girls may not be stronger than that of the overall team's, but Hernandez said that the team unity this year has been the best and can only improve from here.

"The communication and unity on this year's team has been the best since my first year here. We have a team bond that helps us during competition. Our goal is always to catch up to the one on our team that is leading, and if that person is one of us, we encourage the others to keep up the pace," she commented

Hernandez's passion for running might have never been if it weren't for the encouragement of her mother.

"Since my twin sister was the athletic one, I kind of just left it to her until my mom encouraged me to start doing athletics," she said. "I used to hate running, it was something that my mom forced me to do. So I kept running and now I find myself enjoying the competition of the sport because I've turn into a very competitive person. So with cross country it doesn't really matter if I'm first or last, though I try not to finish last, I just like to run."

After this season, Hernandez still has one more year of eligibility remaining to run at the colligate level then after that she said that she plans on getting a degree in kinesiology and coaching a cross country team of her own.

"I enjoy the atmosphere of hanging out with the girls and competing. I don't see myself not involved in running because it has become so much part of my life," she commented.

This weekend the men's and women's teams will be traveling up to Baylor to compete at the NCAA South Central Championships. Last season Hernandez crossed the finish line in 87th place with a time of 23:34, while her friend and teammate this season Perez bested her with a time of 23:25 as she finished 80th.

"Karla has done a great job, and she has improved every year since her arrival. She has been great team leader on the group. She works really hard and hopefully we can get her to where she will be finishing towards the front of the pack," UTPA head track and cross country coach Ricky Vaughn concluded.

Hernandez and the rest of the Lady Broncs will compete at the NCAA Division I Regional Championships on Saturday (Nov. 12) in Waco, TX.

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