AUSTIN — Edinburg North’s San Juanita Leal found herself in perfect position heading into the final four laps of the two-mile run.
The Cougars’ junior was neck and neck with Lewisville Flower Mound’s Nicole and Samantha Humphries, fighting for the top spot on the podium.
Then everything stopped.
Halfway through the race, UIL officials elected to temporarily suspend the race, along with other ongoing events, due to lightning in the area.
“When they stopped the race, I was shocked,” Leal said. “I was feeling really relaxed during the race. I had a good position. After they delayed it, I was kind of mad because I felt really good. I had to get new socks because mine were drenched. I just waited in the bus for a bit, stretched out and came back out to start to warm up.”
The delay wouldn’t stop Leal from reaching her goal.
After a nearly three-hour stoppage, Leal retook the track and finished what she started, clocking in at 10 minutes, 19.19 seconds to take home the gold in the Class 6A girls 3,200-meter run during the final day of the 2023 UIL state track and field championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.
The state title marked the first of Leal’s career, improving on her finish of fifth in the same event last year.
“I’m feeling really good after coming here last year,” Leal said. “Back then I didn’t have as much experience or training as I do now. Regardless of what happened, I was going to be proud of how far I’ve come in a year. I was expecting to place, though. Now, for senior year, I want to put myself out more and make myself more known and break records.”
Leal’s gold in the 3,200 was just the start to a dominant day for the junior. She followed her first place with a win in the 6A girls 1,600-meter run.
The Cougars’ distance runner clocked in at 4:47.36 for the gold, sweeping the 6A girls distance running events.
“I’m feeling really confident going into next year now,” Leal said. “Last year, I would have never expected myself to be up here. Then my times, they’ve been amazing. I’ve shaved off nearly 10 seconds from last year. I have to work much harder now, though. I don’t have that much experience yet, so I’ll be even stronger next year.”
Leal was one of three state champions crowned during the final day of the state meet.
Edinburg North’s Keyshawn Garcia joined his classmate at the podium, winning the Class 6A 800-meter run with a personal-best time of 1:51.53.
The Cougars’ senior turned on the burners during the final 200 meters to overtake four competitors and take home the gold.
Garcia also competed in the 6A boys 400-meter dash, finishing ninth with a time of 50.74.
“I feel really happy and emotional after that,” Garcia said. “I knew I had to finish the race strong. There were a few guys in front of me towards the end, but I knew I had to do this for my family and all the people supporting me. The last 50 meters I started feeling dizzy and my legs were hurting, but I had to finish strong. All the hard work paid off, and I accomplished everything I wanted these past few years.”
Lasara junior Xiomara Rodriguez also captured state gold, defending her Class 1A state discus title with a mark of 136 feet, 11 inches on her final throw. The attempt moved Rodriguez from fourth to the top spot on the podium, securing back-to-back titles in the event.
Rodriguez wasted no time following her state championship, competing in the Class 1A shot put immediately after due to possible inclement weather, leading the UIL to move to a rolling start.
The Lasara thrower picked up her second medal of the day during the event, recording a mark of 36-5.75 for the bronze. Rodriguez has now medaled at state during each of her first three years, taking the silver in the discus as a freshman and winning the gold as a sophomore.
“It is amazing, honestly,” Rodriguez said. “I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to come back. I asked God to give me chances time and time again. This year, he gave me the chance to prove myself in both the discus and the shot put. It feels really good.”
Harlingen High’s Faith Franklin qualified for the most events of any RGV athlete during this year’s state meet, advancing in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash.
The junior sprinter put on her best performance in the 400, winning the 6A silver medal with a time of 53.50. Franklin also finished ninth in the 6A girls 100, and added an eighth place in the 200.
Harlingen High’s Jazmine Thompson also competed during the final day of the state meet, making her second straight appearance at the event. The junior thrower finished seventh in the 6A girls shot put (42-4.75) and sixth in the 6A girls discus (139-4).
The Valley finished with 13 medals during the three-day meet, three more than last year’s total. The RGV also came away with seven individual state titles, an improvement from just one last year.
For full results from the state meet’s events featuring Valley athletes, visit RGVSports.com.
