AUSTIN — Lasara senior Xiomara Rodriguez entered the 2024 UIL state track and field championships with a loaded resume already under her belt.
The four-time state qualifier already had back-to-back gold medals in the Class 1A discus prior to Saturday’s events, also holding a silver in the event from 2021 and a bronze in the 1A shot put from last year.
Rodriguez showed she still had more to prove Saturday, setting personal bests in the discus and shot put en route to a clean sweep of the Class 1A throwing events during Day 3 of the UIL state track and field championships.
“It is honestly an overwhelming feeling,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve worked so hard throughout these four years. My goal this season was to break the state record. I came close to it, but I gave it my best. Having this feeling though is awesome. Capping off my senior year is kind of sad, but at least I came out here and competed and got my third straight gold medal.”
Rodriguez wraps up her high school throwing career as a four-time state qualifier, advancing in both events every year since her freshman season.
She finishes with six medals to her name, including three straight golds in the Class 1A discus. She also has a silver in the event from 2021, along with a bronze (2023) and gold (2024) in the shot put.
“I feel happy, excited and just overjoyed,” Rodriguez said. “I was able to hit PRs in both events. It is just amazing. This just means a lot to me. I hope to inspire the future Lasara athletes to be better than me. I want to inspire them to earn those middles and continue growing.”
Last season, Rodriguez waited until her final throw to reach the podium in the Class 1A discus, moving from fourth to first in the event on her last attempt of the day.
The senior thrower left nothing to chance this year, recording her best throw of the day on her first attempt and never looking back en route to a third straight state title. The mark ended up being nearly 20 feet further than the next closest competitor, with Straw’s Milly Hughes coming in second with a throw for 135-02.
“The biggest difference from last year was I got more coaching and just worked harder,” Rodriguez said. “I practiced every day and saw the progress. I will keep getting better though.”
Despite needing only one throw to win the event, Rodriguez simply dominated from start to finish, with three of her other four marks good enough for first in the event. Even her worst throw of the day still would have been good for third in the discus.
Her final mark of 154-7 inches came within just over two feet of a Class 1A record of 156-10 set in the event in 2019 by Rocksprings Zoe Burleson.
“It is honestly an overwhelming feeling,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve worked so hard throughout these four years. My goal this season was to break the state record. I came close to it, but I gave it my best. Having this feeling though is awesome. Capping off my senior year is kind of sad, but at least I came out here and competed and got my third straight gold medal.”
Just hours after capturing gold in the discus, Rodriguez stepped back into the ring to compete in the Class 1A girls shot put.
The event provided a bigger challenge for the Lasara thrower, sitting in second in the event through the first four round of throws.
On her fifth throw, however, Rodriguez put it all together, recording a personal best mark of 41-05.5 to move into position for first.
The PR proved enough for the Lions thrower, holding on for her second gold medal of the day.
“To be honest, the weeks leading up to this meet didn’t go the way I wanted them to,” Rodriguez said. “I had this fear that was eating me, thinking that I wasn’t going to be able to do it. Today I woke up in a good mindset and I was ready for the meet. It just amazes me what the mind can do in helping you overpower certain situations.”
