Less than three weeks remain in the UIL’s 2023 track and field season, with the state meet set for mid-May at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.
RGV athletes, along with others from across the state, will look to punch their tickets to the state meet this weekend, with regional meets taking place at various locations across Texas.
No event, however, features more Valley competitors than the Region IV-5A/6A track and field championships, with nearly 200 RGV athletes set to fight for a berth at the state meet.
Only a handful of those athletes will see their track and field season continue, with the top two finishers in each event advancing. Still, the goal remains the same for the RGV’s athletes: survive and advance.
LOAD THE BUS
No two RGV programs will have more representation at this weekend’s meet than Harlingen High and McAllen High. The Valley’s track and field powers are sending a combined 27 individuals and five relay teams to this weekend’s events.
Harlingen High, which is competing in Class 6A, has eight girls and six boys set to compete in individual events, some of which are slated to participate in more than one. The Cardinals’ boys team also sends a pair of relay teams to the meet.
The Cardinals are highlighted by Faith Franklin and Jazmine Thompson, both of whom are ranked among the top in the state in their respective events. Franklin, a junior, ranks No. 1 in Region IV-6A in the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter dash according to Athletic.net. She is set to compete in all three at the regional meet.
Thompson ranks No. 1 in Region IV-6A in the shot put and holds the second-highest mark in the discus.
The Bulldogs are loaded with talent of their own, qualifying nine girls and four boys in individual events, several of whom are set to participate in multiple events. They also qualified a pair of boys relay teams and one girls relay team to the meet.
Sophomore hurdler Dariana Luna is one of the top McHi athletes on the team, earning regional bids in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles. Luna holds the No. 2 mark in 100-meter hurdles in Region IV-5A.
ATHLETES TO WATCH
While Harlingen High and McAllen High have the most athletes set to compete, several other athletes from across the RGV are gearing up for a potential state title bid.
McAllen Memorial’s Ayden Granados, the reigning Region IV-5A champion in the 1,600 and 3,200, is back to defend his title and is an early favorite to punch his ticket to state. The Oklahoma State signee holds the top mark in the region in both events.
Edinburg North’s San Juanita Leal came up short of winning both the 1,600 and 3,200 during last year’s regional meet, finishing second in the 1,600. She enters this year’s Region IV-6A meet on a tear, undefeated in both events and holding a top-two mark in the state in both.
Rio Grande City’s Serina Ramirez has been one of the best RGV throwers in the Valley throughout her four-year career with the Rattlers. Nothing has changed for the TCU signee this year, as she holds the top seed in the Region IV-5A girls discus and shot put heading into the meet and eyes her third straight state meet appearance.
Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Gerry Gomez also is making his regional meet return, with his sights set on back-to-back state bids. Gomez, who finished fourth in the triple jump during last year’s Region IV-5A meet, is the top-ranked triple jumper in the region, according to Athletic.net.
Other names to watch include Edinburg North runner Keyshawn Garcia, Sharyland High thrower Chukwubueze Ikondu, McAllen Memorial Hurdler Alicia Ziegler and Mission Veterans athlete Tara Madrid, among others.
FRESHMAN PHENOMS
While several RGV athletes are making a return to the regional meet, seven Valley freshman are making first-time appearances in the event, hoping to continue their season into the state meet.
McAllen High is home to a pair of freshman regional qualifiers in Sophia Flores and Yaneli Rocha, with Flores set to compete in the 100 and Rocha in the 400 and 800.
Sharyland Pioneer also is sending a pair of freshman to the meet. Thrower Derek Thompson is set to compete in the Region IV-5A shot put, and distance runner Alexandra Moya is scheduled to compete in the 800.
Brownsville Veterans’ Yasmin Best, Los Fresnos’ Isabella Vasquez and Weslaco East’s Aaron Nava round out the RGV’s 5A/6A freshman group at the regional meet. Best qualified for the Region IV-5A high jump, Vasquez for the Region IV-6A 800 and Nava for the 3,200.
For a full list of regional qualifiers and schedule of events, visit RGVSports.com.
