Alex Burr

MERRILLVILLE — The odds were stacked against did at May 29’s regional meet.

A Merrillville runner had never won a race longer than 800 meters. Last season, Quintero placed 13th in the 1,600-meter run at the regional meet.

Despite the obstacles in his path, Quintero was undaunted as he headed into the race.

He finished with a time of 4:20.94, smashing his previous personal best by nearly 10 seconds, setting a school record and winning the 1,600-meter regional crown in the process. None of it surprised the Pirates senior at all.

“I knew what I was going to be able to do,” Quintero said. “Me and coach (Mike) Hoffman knew what was going to come. We knew that I was going to run a fast mile, we just didn’t know when.”

Pirates head coach Patrick Coffey said on a team full of hard

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