Ellison’s Ethan Carranza is less than a month from graduation. Yet on Wednesday of last week, the senior set aside time after school to correct test answers in order to boost his score.
That he dedicated that type of effort to achieving academic success is no surprise, given his determination to be the best he could be through a four-year athletic career with the Eagles.
Carranza’s go-getter approach and steadfast attention to detail has led to two cross country state meet qualifications and, now, an icing-on-the-cake Class 5A UIL State Track and Field Meet appearance Friday in the 3,200-meter run.
Carranza’s race is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. inside the University of Texas’ Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Check back here later this week for stories on Shoemaker’s Isaiah Butler-Tanner and relay teams, and Killeen’s Antwoine Warren, who compete Saturday in the Class 6A state meet.
“It feels absolutely amazing,” Carranza said in between that study session and an hour-long workout. “This has been my goal since last year after missing out. I set a goal after the regional meet. I was like, ‘I really want to be at the state meet next year. I don’t want to go home with nothing.’”
Carranza is far from empty-handed.
His senior year started with a District 16-5A cross country championship, which he followed up with a fourth-place regional run to clinch his second consecutive trip to state, at which the distance specialist crossed the finish line at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock in 26th place out of 151 runners.
The track and field season also has been fruitful, including the postseason meets over the last month.
Carranza swept gold in the distance races (3,200, 1,600 and 800) at the 16-5A meet –– at which the Ellison boys claimed the team title –– and won the 3,200 and 1,600 at the area meet while qualifying for regionals in all three events.
On April 18 at the 5A Region II meet at UT Arlington’s Maverick Stadium, Carranza became just the second regional champion for Ellison distance coach Jesse San Miguel since Hector Hernandez in 2012, securing his sought-after spot at state in championship fashion.
“Really, in the weeks leading up to that race, I was thinking a lot about the final stretch and how much it was going to hurt, and telling myself that it was just a mental thing. I told myself that I could be up there with the leaders at the end of the race,” Carranza said.
“Throughout the race, I tried to stay with the first five or so people and knew I needed to be in a position to strike somewhere in the last two laps.”
Carranza indeed worked himself into the lead pack, took the turn for the final 200 meters of the 2-mile race in third and made his move with about 50 meters to spare for a time of 9 minutes, 27.01 seconds.
His regional time is seeded third in a field of nine runners in Austin. Just 2 seconds separate him and the No. 1 seed.
“I’m trying to win it, but I would love to be on the podium somewhere. That’s my big goal,” Carranza said before reflecting on what will be his final high school race. “It means more, I feel like. It is my last year, so I really want to make it as good as I can and show the younger guys that they can do it too, and give them an example of what it takes to get to state.”
For more state meet info, visit: https://www.uiltexas.org/track-field/state.
