EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – 23 Borderland athletes qualified for the UIL State Track & Field meet next week at the University of Texas in Austin.

There’s multiple repeat performers hoping to win gold once again, but for Coronado’s Luis Pastor, he’s looking for a big day in his final high school meet at a track that he’ll soon call home.

It’s hard enough to make the state track meet once. To do it twice is incredible. A third trip? That puts Pastor in rare air in class 6A.

Now a senior, Pastor has qualified for state in the 3200 meters three years running and has made it in the 1600 meters twice.

“Going to state for a third time shows my consistency,” Pastor said. “It shows I can make championship teams and meets. I think I’ll be fine. It shows I can handle the stress.”

A year ago, Pastor finished just off the podium twice, netting fourth place in the 3200m and fifth place in the 1600. Now, he’ll return to Austin for the state meet looking to medal and perhaps win both events.

“That’s the bare minimum at state is to podium. That’s the expected right now. If I’m able to podium, that’ll be another good memory on that track,” Pastor said.

He’s had a lot of great times at Mike A. Myers Stadium and he’s about to have more. Pastor’s talents have earned him a spot on the Texas Longhorns track team next fall. Next weekend, he’ll be racing against a bevy of his future Texas teammates.

“I think we put five out of five of our Texas commits into the state meet, so I’ll be racing guys I’ll be training with next year. I’ll be training on that track and I’ll already have really fond memories of being on that track,” Pastor said.

Pastor will be one of the favorites to medal in both of his events. With two races left he’s ready to end his high school career with some hardware, in one of the most difficult turns – the 3200 in the morning, the 1600 at night – in sports.

“At the state meet, you don’t get to say, ‘I don’t want to run today. You have to run the 1600 and the 3200,” Pastor said. “So you give it your all in the 3200 and then come back in the afternoon and give it your all in the 1600 too to get a good time.”

Pastor will run on Saturday, May 13 in the state meet.