Sallisaw runner glad to run once more at state, looks to do better this year
Last year, then freshman Sama Salinas finished 54th at the Class 4A State Meet. Now, making it back to state as a sophomore is not only exciting to the now sophomore, but it will give Salinas a chance to improve upon last year’s finish at state.
“It feels great,” Salinas said. “I’m hoping to get a better position than I did last year, which probably is going to happen. Those are my thoughts right now. I’m hoping I can make a little bit of history.”
Salinas said the word to describe repeating as a state qualifier was relief.
“It was a relief,” he said. “It was a bit challenging this time, but I placed pretty good. I had a good feeling about it (making state). It turned out I was the second individual to place (second individual out of the top seven earning a trip to state). I’m looking forward to it. I’m actually pretty excited for it, too. Hopefully, the weather will be nice, too, because if not that could be a problem. I still feel good about it.”
If Salinas wins the Class 4A State Meet individual title on Saturday at Edmond Santa Fe High School, he said he’s not quite sure if he could even say just how he would feel at that moment.
“I would probably be speechless,” Salinas said. “I would be surprised, really. If that happens, I’m going to work even harder to do even better and maintain that spot so that I could be the state champion.” Salinas will earn All-Star status, the equivalent of a senior making All-State status, if he can finish in the top 10. That, too, would be very exciting for the two-time state qualifier.
“That would be pretty good,” he said. “It would feel good to be one as a sophomore. That would make me the first one since (former Sallisaw) coach (Zac) Black (made All-State/All-Star status). It would feel great, but I’m going to still continue to work hard to get an even higher place.”
Salinas said getting to run at the Edmond Santa Fe High School course last year at the Class 4A State Meet will be beneficial as he prepares for this year’s state meet.
“I know the course a bit better, figuring out what spots to avoid — and try to not get pushed around like last year,” Salinas said. “It helps a lot knowing the course.”
