Finding immediate success at the varsity level in any sport as a freshman is no easy task. Most freshmen spend their first year competing against other freshmen, while a select few can make the immediate jump to the junior varsity level.
Even if a first-year student does crack the varsity roster, it does not always equal a successful campaign. Growing pains are likely to happen as they compete against more experienced athletes. For a rare few, however, success is almost instant.
Weslaco East’s Aaron Nava is among those select few.
The freshman distance runner burst onto the scene during cross country season, capturing the District 32-5A individual crown before his season ended in the Region IV-5A championships with a 14th-place finish, missing out on a state berth by one place.
He has continued his dominance on the track, earning District 32-5A titles in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs two weeks ago to secure a spot at today’s area 31/32-5A track and field championships at PSJA Stadium in Pharr.
“Honestly, especially during cross country season, all the expectations I set for myself according to science, I exceeded all those quite well,” Nava said. “I don’t like setting limits for myself. At first, competing was pretty scary. But I just reminded myself that I have been doing this since I was 5. I did summer track and made it to state five times there. I just want to represent the Valley and do my part in getting people to look down here.”
Less than a full year into his freshman season, Nava has emerged as one of the RGV’s top distance runners, with three district titles under his belt. His success, however, goes beyond the RGV.
His top marks in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs rank among the top 10 in Region IV-5A according to Athletic.net.
His personal-best mark of 4 minutes, 27.19 seconds in the 1,600-meter run during the RGVCA Meet of Champions ranks eighth in the region, and his time of 9:29.23 in the 3,200-meter run set during the same meet ranks fifth.
“I’ve seen this kid grow up,” Weslaco East boys track and field coach Tom Owens said. “He is the son of two coaches, so he has a good foundation and a good support network. The expectations are high, but what I noticed about him more than any kid I’ve had is his level of competitiveness. He is a competitor. There hasn’t been a workout he hasn’t been able to finish. He hasn’t had any bad races. He is very consistent. He exceeded my expectations, big time.”
Nava has enjoyed winning district titles as a freshman, he said, but his eyes are set on something much bigger.
“I’ve always had this thing where before every season I’d get a notebook and write down goals for myself with my brother and dad,” Nava said. “Unfortunately, I got sick during cross country season and missed state by one place. Now I’m focused on getting there in track.”
Up first, however, is a clash against some of the best distance runners the region has to offer in McAllen Memorial’s Ayden Granados and Sharyland High’s Valdemar Meza, among others during today’s area meet.
A top-four finish during the events secures a spot in next week’s Region IV-5A championships. Nava enters both races seeded fourth.
“Running against this level of competition has helped me improve as a runner,” Nava said. “Having tons of good competition running with me at every meet has really helped me take it to another level. I’m trying to make this year as long as possible for me now. I’m going to go out there and try to qualify for regional in both events.”
Nava is not the only freshman to experience success on the track this season. He highlights a group of seven RGV Class 5A freshmen athletes who captured individual district titles heading into today’s area meet.
McAllen High is home to two of those athletes, with Sophia Flores and Yaneli Rocha each capturing an individual crown during last week’s District 31-5A meet.
Flores continued to blaze past her competition during the meet, winning the 100-meter dash final with a time of 12.74 seconds. Her victory marked the third time this year Flores has won the gold in the event this year.
Meanwhile, Rocha secured the gold in the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes, 18.41 seconds. The first place marked the sixth time in as many tries Rocha has finished in the top three in the event this year.
Harlingen South joined the Bulldogs with a pair of freshman champions of their own in Cash Harrell and Kennedy Reininger. Harrell took home the discus title during the District 32-5A meet with a personal-best mark of 140 feet, 11 inches, and Reininger earned the 100-meter hurdles crown with a personal-best time of 17.43.
Brownsville Veterans’ Yasmin Best and Sharyland Pioneer’s Alexandra Moya round out the list of RGV 5A freshmen to earn district titles, with Best doing so during the 32-5A meet and Moya during the 31-5A meet.
Best cleared 5 feet in the high jump to win the title over fellow freshman and teammate Sophie Guerrier (4-10), and Moya picked up her fifth straight victory in the 400-meter run, claiming the title with a time of 57.86.
All seven freshmen are set to compete during today’s area 31/32-5A track and field championships. The meet begins at 9:30 a.m. with the 3,200-meter run. Field events are set to follow at 10 a.m., with running finals scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
