About a month ago, the four-year varsity standout won the individual title at the District 32-4A meet. She followed that up by winning gold at regionals in Corpus Christi on Oct. 29.
Finally, she ended her stellar cross country career at La Feria High School by finishing in sixth place at the UIL state meet in Round Rock a week ago.
Yet Tina’s proudest moment may have come on Friday afternoon in the La Feria High School library when she signed a letter of intent to run for Texas State University in San Marcos next fall.
“This is proof that people took notice of what I did and it also shows that all the work my parents and coaches did to push me paid off,” she said immediately prior to inking the letter as a bevy of friends, family and well-wishers filed into the library to congratulate her.
Tina said that while she did consider other universities, including the University of Texas at San Antonio, Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches and UTRGV in Edinburg, she ultimately decided on Texas State because it offered the best path toward achieving her career goals.
“I liked their physical therapy program since that’s what I want to become,” she said, “but I also liked the way the coach (Jody Stewart) seems to care about his athletes and I like the way the cross country team has a close bond. All combined, it was the best place for me.”
Texas State is an NCAA Division I university that competes athletically in the 14-team Sun Belt Conference, which includes Appalachian State, New Mexico State and the University of Texas at Arlington.
In addition to cross country, Tina said she also plans to run track at Texas State. Tina has the eighth fastest time in Class 4A in the 3,200-run, which she set at the RGVCA Meet of Champions this past April. She also just missed out on medaling at the UIL state track meet this past May when she finished fourth in the 3,200. But with the high school track season still looming, Tina may still get that medal.
Regardless, her college future is already secured.