El Paso Hanks 2020

The El Paso Hanks boys 800m had two area seniors going at it head to head. The Hanks star Michael Abeyta has been there and done it all before. He is kicking off a senior season after three outstanding years of high school running. Starting off with a 1:53.02 is quite a statement.Frankin's senior has taken a different road, but he is absolutely running well after an awesome cross country season. Fernando Morales is looking to continue his rhythm to the track and he opened up with a 1:55.78 in the prelim.These two studs matching up in the preliminary race seemed like it would take the flare out of the race, but that was contrary to the truth. Abeyta ran the prelim the only way he knows how and that is hard and fast from start to finish. Morales is an athlete with the speed and the strength to challenge the Abeyta pace and he did. The two ran stride for stride for almost 600m, where Abeyta took over and his ability to separate from Morales at that point was the difference in the race.The drama was built for the finals and it was right back as the two toed the line. The race took out as expected with Abeyta in the lead and Morales right there in his hip pocket. Morales ran with Abeyta through 600m and made the necessary adjustments from the day before when Abeyta took off at the 600m. The two outstanding runners came off the curve with a small amount of separation between the two and that maintained through the line as Abeyta won again, this time in 1:54.09 to Morales' 1:55.17. The two are off to a great start, and hope to continue having a healthy and rewarding year on their way to the April and May qualifying season.WATCH: Michael Abeyta run 1:53.02