SAN ANTONIO — Harlingen High’s Jazmine Thompson got off to a rough start during the Class 6A discus throw at the Region IV-6A track and field championships Friday. Through her first two throws the Cardinals’ sophomore was on the verge of missing out on the finals, sitting in 14th place with a mark of 97 feet, 7 inches.
Needing at least a throw better than 120-00 on her final preliminary attempt to move into the top eight and advance to the finals, Thompson delivered, launching the disc for a mark of 123-07 to vault into fifth place.
The throw awakened something inside Thompson, recording a personal best mark of 133-08 on her first attempt of the finals to finish in second and secure a spot at the Class 6A State track and field championships in two weeks.
“It felt like a really good release when I let it go so I knew it was going to go far,” said an emotional Thompson with tears running down her face. “During the prelims I couldn’t hit what I was wanting to hit. After that throw, it made me relieved.
“It’s a lot right now. I’m super excited. I get to represent the Valley. That’s what I’m proud of the most because we’re looked down on here. We’re the underdogs.”
Thompson, who was making her first regional meet appearance, added to her successful debut almost immediately after finishing the discus, taking the gold in the shot put to secure a second state berth.
“This feeling is great,” Harlingen High throwing coach Hickel Woolery said. “She handled her business. It was a little nerve wrecking in the beginning because it came down to her last throw in the prelims. Then in the finals she had to step her game up to get into second place. But it was a great way to respond and I’m glad she made it. We put in a lot of work and set the standard really high. But there is so much more potential that is there.”
Thompson was the lone lower Valley athlete to earn a state meet berth during Day 1 of the regional meet as of press time.
Brownsville Lopez’s Keyla Olguin just missed out on a state appearance, coming in third in the Class 5A discus throw with a mark of 132-09. She finished behind Rio Grande City’s Serina Ramirez (155-04) and Laredo Martin’s Melanie Duron (142-01), respectively.
In the running preliminaries, athletes were split into two heats, with the top finisher from each followed by the next six fastest times advancing to Friday’s finals.
Harlingen High’s Faith Franklin advanced in both of her events, finishing with the fourth overall in both the 100- and 200-meter dash. Brownsville Hanna’s Alejandro Arellano was the lower Valley’s only other finals qualifier during Friday’s running prelims as of press time, finishing sixth overall in the 400-meter dash.
Day 2 of the Region IV-5A and 6A track and field championships begins at 12:30 p.m. today at Heroes Stadium.
