By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
Brownsville is sending two of its top track and field athletes to this week’s 90th Nike Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin.
St. Joseph Academy hurdler Gaby Garza, a junior, and Pace discus/shot put thrower Gertrudis Ruiz-Balli, a senior, have met the qualifying standards to participate in the high school division of the prestigious college meet at Mike A. Myers Stadium on the University of Texas campus.
Both girls are scheduled to compete today. Ruiz-Balli will be throwing the discus in the Division II high school competition (Class 6A/5A athletes), while Garza is running the 100- and 300-meter hurdles in Division I (Class 4A athletes and below).
It’s the first time for each girl to participate in the Texas Relays. They’ve each set Valley-best marks this season in their respective events.
For Ruiz-Balli, who already has signed to compete at Texas A&M-Kingsville, it’s a matter of getting a better taste of what to expect at the Region IV-5A meet later next month in San Antonio. Athletes who figure to be her primary competition at the regional meet, such as a girl from Calallen, also will be at the Texas Relays.
“The main reason we’re going is for the experience (against top-level competition),” Pace girls track coach Sergio Sandoval said. “Gertrudis (barely) missed out on going to state by placing fourth at the regional meet as a sophomore and a junior.
“I told her, ‘I’m going to take you up there (to Austin) so you can throw against the competition you’ll be seeing at the regional meet, and hopefully you can do way better (and make it to state) this year,’” Sandoval added. “More than anything, we just want Gertrudis to gain that experience against the other (strong) throwers.”
Garza is going to the Texas Relays for basically the same reason, plus it also will be a good way to showcase her hurdling skills for college recruiters.
“We wanted Gaby to go and have this as a high school experience,” St. Joseph track coach Meme Garza said. “She’s a junior, and the junior year is usually when the college coaches really start looking at you. Gaby needs to be in that type of situation in order to put her name on the radar (for college coaches to see).
“It will be very, very competitive,” the SJA coach added. “Gaby can see what she has in the tank in that type of environment.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess