PHARR — PSJA Southwest’s Marcela Treviño didn’t expect anything exciting to happen during this year’s Texas Relays. A back injury meant the two-time regional champion would be attending as a spectator in support of her teammates instead of competing.
While Treviño didn’t leave Austin with any hardware during the Texas Relays, it still ended as a weekend to remember for the senior thrower.
“At the Texas Relays, my coach texted me that coach (Will) Blackburn from Houston was really interested in me coming and wanted to have a call with me that night,” Treviño said. “It was unexpected. He called me and it was like an instant connection between a coach and an athlete.”
One call later and the rest is history, with the Southwest thrower visiting the school officially not long after before committing to continue her academic and athletic career in Houston.
Treviño made it official Monday, just four days before competing in her final high school track meet, signing her National Letter of Intent to the University of Houston during a ceremony at the PSJA Southwest auditorium in Pharr.
“Ever since I stepped foot at Southwest, I knew what I wanted,” Treviño said. “I had a goal of going to college. I didn’t know if I could actually do it because anything can happen in four years, but that was my goal. Now that I actually got here, it feels super nice.”
Treviño joins the Cougars after a four-year career at PSJA Southwest. Her rise to a DI athlete began to take shape during her sophomore season, advancing to the regional meet in the discus for the first time after seeing her season end during the district meet as a freshman.
She took it to another level as a junior, capturing the Region IV-5A championship in the same event to secure her first state meet appearance.
Treviño entered her senior season as one of the top returning throwers not only in the RGV but in the state, backing up that claim early in the season with top-two finishes in the discus during each of her first five meets, including three gold medal finishes.
A back injury served as a minor setback for Treviño this season. She missed two meets before bouncing back in time for championship season, where she captured District 31-5A, Area 31/32-5A and Region IV-5A titles in the discus to earn a second straight state berth.
“Southwest has a great legacy for throwers,” Treviño said. “They’ve all been great. All of us knew what we wanted coming here. Being at Southwest, everyone is kind of a family. I love that. Now I get to inspire other people to try and do the same things as I did and these other great throwers have.”
Treviño has one final meet before wrapping up her high school career and trading in her navy uniform for the Cougars’ red and white.
Treviño is set to compete in the Class 5A discus at 1 p.m. Friday during Day 2 of the UIL state track and field championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.
Last year, the Javelinas’ thrower finished sixth in the Class 5A discus during the UIL state track meet. This season, a confident and motivated Treviño enters the state meet ready to leave it all in the ring.
“Last year I remember I felt super nervous going into the state meet, wondering what I was doing there,” Treviño said. “Now I feel more confident. I know a lot of the girls that are going to be there. I feel like I’ll be comfortable out there and it’ll be a good day to set some PRs.”
