BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
MORE: Complete results from the District 31-5A field event finals
PHARR — First it was on, but then it wasn’t. Then it kind of was, but then it definitely wasn’t again.
Such was the back-and-forth day had by field event athletes at the District 31-5A meet Wednesday at Valley View High School. As competitors spent the morning warming up for their respective events, spotty showers dampened the area, causing throwing pits and jumping lanes to turn slick and hazardous. A day due to begin at 10 a.m. didn’t start until four hours later.
Coaches contemplated their options, including moving the meet to a drier location or postponing field events entirely. In the meantime, Nyla Vela got cozy on the bleachers of the Valley View gym, napping during the extended downtime.
“It was not comfortable, at all,” Vela said. “I would not recommend, no way.”
Though the Mission Veterans Memorial sophomore made due for her mid-morning siesta, she looked more than comfortable during the girls triple jump, winning gold with a distance of 35 feet, 7 1/2 inches. Vela continues to rank among the Valley’s best jumpers this season, and delivered a consistent effort with four of five attempts measuring beyond 34 feet.
Vela, along with all of the meet’s top two finishers, automatically qualify for the regional meet April 29 and 30 in San Antonio. There is no area meet for Valley athletes in Class 5A. District track finals are 6 p.m. Friday at Valley View.
Wednesday marked Vela’s first go in the triple jump in two weeks after suffering a stress fracture in her left foot. The fracture is the side-effect of a nerve condition that affects the way Vela runs and walks on that foot.
While Vela’s feet did their jobs, she couldn’t help feeling nervous during the event’s opening moments. Given the rain and the fact Valley View had only recently finished constructing sand pits, Vela had good cause for concern.
“The runway was a lot better than I thought it would be,” Vela said. “Everything was really nice. I was kind of scared on my first jump, but after that everything went smooth.”
The same could not be said for teammate and freshman Charlize De La Garza, who slipped and fell twice during warmups for the high jump. Despite the blooper, De La Garza claimed first by clearing a height of 4-11. Alexis Vasquez was the third Lady Patriot to win gold, doing so in the shot put with a distance of 35-11 1/4.
Other girls teams to top the podium Wednesday include Rio Grande City (3,200-meter run, pole vault), Sharyland Pioneer (discus) and Sharyland High (long jump).
The boys competition was largely a showcase for Sharyland Pioneer’s Tanner Trigg, who swept the discus and shot put to punch a ticket to the regional meet for the second straight season. Trigg threw 149-10 in the discus and a new personal best of 50-04 1/2 in the shot.
The senior thrower entered his final year with a singular focus on track. Once a multi-sport athlete, Trigg saw his future in the throwing pits instead of the gridiron.
“I realized I actually have a future in this,” Trigg said. “I’m probably not going to play in the NBA and probably not in the NFL, either. Coach (Larry) Howell said, ‘Hey Look, if you want to be the best, you’re going to have to make some sacrifices.’ And I did. I worked all year ‘round and it really paid off.”
Trigg’s best throw in the shot occurred on his last attempt. With a top-two finish already guaranteed, he threw with controlled abandon, letting out a shout of victory as he watched the eight-pound shot rainbow into the ground with a flat thud.
Trigg says he was satisfied with his distances given the weather, and that competing in wind and drizzle is never easy. Still, he spoke well of the Valley View facilities and said they played no role in his success.
“I’m definitely going to work on the back of the ring, working on my collection phase and then firing off and really feeling at the end,” Trigg said of his preparations for the regional meet. “Coach says to feel it come off your fingers every time you throw.”
Trigg’s teammate Jordan Wilson won first in the long jump with a distance of 21-07.