SAN ANTONIO — Rio Grande Valley athletes flocked Friday to Heroes Stadium and San Antonio for Day 1 of the Region IV-5A and 6A track and field championships.
The first day of the two-day event was highlighted by the field events and 3,200-meter final, with the top two finishers in each event punching their ticket to the UIL state track and field championships in two weeks in Austin.
A total of four Valley athletes earned regional titles during Day 1 of the meet, and several others punched their tickets to state. Here’s a look at each regional champion and some of the Valley’s other top performers from Friday.
SAN JUANITA LEAL, EDINBURG NORTH
The Valley’s athletes wasted no time securing spots at state, with Leal becoming the first of the area competitors to punch a ticket during the first day of regional action.
The senior distance runner made it look easy during the 6A girls 3,200-meter run, cruising to victory in a personal-best time of 10 minutes, 23.92 seconds. The win marked her third straight regional title in the event.
The next closest competitor to Leal during the race was Cedar Park Vista Ridge’s Emma Wade, who finished nearly 22 seconds behind the Texas A&M signee.
The event was the first of three for Leal during the regional meet, looking to earn state berths in the 800- and 1,600-meter runs during today’s running finals.
MARCELA TREVINO, PSJA SOUTHWEST
Treviño is headed back to state for a second straight year after securing a repeat in the Region IV-5A girls discus Friday.
The senior thrower needed only one throw to secure back-to-back regional titles, with her first attempt of 135-3 coming in seven feet farther than the next closest competitor.
The Javelinas’ athlete made sure to leave no doubt of her victory during her final attempt, recording a meet-best mark of 142-7 to lock up the win. Treviño finished the day with the top three throws in her field, also recording a mark of 129-9 during her third attempt.
Treviño enters the state meet with the fifth-best mark in Class 5A according to Athletic.net, thanks to her season-best throw of 145-5 during the PSJA Tri-City Championships on March 7.
DANTE BARRERA, RIO GRANDE CITY
Rio Grande City’s long history of throwing success continued Friday, with Barrera becoming the latest Rattlers athlete to qualify for the state meet.
The senior thrower has taken his game to another level during his final season, claiming first in the discus during each of his RGV meets this season, including a win during the RGVCA Meet of Champions.
That success has carried over into championship season, winning the District 30-5A title two weeks ago, followed by the Area 29/30-5A crown last week before adding the Region IV-5A title this week. All marked the first championships of his four-year career.
Barrera won Friday’s event with a throw of 174-1 on his third attempt, finishing almost 10 feet ahead of the next closest competitor.
The mark was just three feet short of his personal best of 177-6 set during the Meet of Champs, a mark which ranks fifth in Class 5A this year heading into the state meet.
JAZMINE THOMPSON, HARLINGEN HIGH
It was another dominant showing for Harlingen High’s senior thrower, who beat out her competition by nearly 30 feet during the Region IV-6A discus.
Her throw of 155 feet, 10 inches during her fifth attempt marked a person best for Thompson, moving her into fourth in Class 6A heading into the state meet.
Thompson’s showing during the shot put was just the beginning for the Wake Forest signee, who added a second regional title during the Region IV-6A shot put shortly after.
Thompson’s pair of regional titles mark her second in the shot put — after winning the event as a sophomore in 2022 — and her first in the discus — improving on back-to-back runner-up finishes as a sophomore and junior.
CALLIE KEITH, SHARYLAND HIGH
Only two of 16 competitors cleared more than five feet during 5A girls high jump Friday. Keith did so twice en route to a silver medal and state meet berth in the event.
The senior jumper needed two attempts to get past the opening mark of five feet, a mark only half of the field cleared. Keith followed it up by clearing 5-2 on her first attempt, joined only by Comal Pieper’s Caroline Peterson in doing so.
Both athletes used two attempts to get past the third mark of 5-4 before Peterson took home the gold by clearing 5-5 on the ensuing attempt. Keith fell short of clearing the 5-5 mark on all three of her attempts.
The Rattlers’ senior is now set to make her state meet debut in two weeks after seeing her season end in the regional meet the previous two seasons.
ANGEL RODRIGUEZ, SHARYLAND PIONEER
After scratching during last year’s regional meet as a freshman, Rodriguez came back on a mission this year, earning a spot at the state track and field championships with a second-place finish during the Region IV-5A boys long jump on Friday.
The Diamondbacks’ jumper set the tone for a dominant showing during the meet from his opening jump, recording a mark of 21-9.25 on his first attempt which would have been good for fifth on the day.
He vaulted his way into the silver medal spot during his third attempt of the day, recording a personal best jump of 23-00.5. The mark came within one inch of gold medalist Cameron Dickson of Corpus Christi Flour Bluff.
Rodriguez is now set to make his state debut in just two weeks, holding the No. 8 best mark in Class 5A heading into the meet according to Athletic.net.
KAELY TRANTHAM, EDCOUCH-ELSA
Trantham had fallen short of a state berth during each of her past three seasons, seeing her season end at the regional meet every year since her freshman campaign.
The fourth time was the charm for Trantham, finishing second in the Region IV-5A girls shot put to earn her first career state berth.
Trantham’s path to state wasn’t perfect, as she scratched during four of her six throws during the meet. Her first attempt of 39-7 was enough to secure a spot in Austin, however, recording a mark of 39-7 for the silver.
The Yellow Jackets senior’s personal-best throw of 40-.25 ranks No. 12 in Class 5A heading into the state meet, according to Athletic.net.
For full results from all of this weekend’s regional track action, visit RGVSports.com.
[email protected]@themonitor.com
