BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
MERCEDES — With three full years of cross country and track and field in the books, Dominic Cavazos’ career suggests that he is all but set to compete at the next level.
His success on the track at Mercedes comes in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter events, in which he has won five total district championships. The 1,600 and 3,200 are more his bread and butter — he captured area titles in each event last year, advanced to the UIL State meet in the 3,200 run in 2016 and qualified for state again in the 1,600 in 2017.
Cavazos also signed a letter of intent to run on the cross country and track and field teams at the University of Texas at Arlington this fall.
“My goal during the last year of my high school career is to get as many PRs (personal records) as I can,” Cavazos said. “I want to set meet records and, obviously, make the top three at state this year.”
“The most important thing for him is getting ready for college,” Mercedes coach Pete Martinez said. “Running at the college level is going to be demanding, but I’m very confident he’ll adjust to it easily. What we’re hoping is that this year will be memorable.”
Cavazos’ breakout 2017 season was what grabbed the attention of programs like UT Arlington, Incarnate Word and South Alabama. He placed second at the 2017 UIL Region IV meet in the 1,600 with a time of 4 minutes, 20.48 seconds — a personal best that earned him a spot at the state meet two weeks later.
When Cavazos competed at state, however, he was not at full strength.
“A lot of people don’t know this, but I broke a toe after the regional meet,” Cavazos said.
Cavazos broke the second toe on his right foot and finished seventh out of eight in the state 1,600 with a 4:25.81 — more than five seconds slower than his PR at the regional meet.
“I ran the race and somehow didn’t finish last,” Cavazos joked.
Cavazos said his toe hasn’t been a problem since last year’s state meet in Austin.
“It’s not how it was,” Cavazos said. “It’s been healed, but it is still a little fat for some reason. But it feels perfectly fine.”
Cavazos is off to a steady start in 2018. He took first in the 1,600 and 3,200 at the PSJA Southwest Hog Relays on Feb. 16 and then won the 800 and 3,200 at the Mission Eagles Invitational on Friday.
Martinez knows a target will be on his senior’s back whenever he steps up to the starting line.
“We checked Texas MileSplit and they have Dominic with the fastest 5A time in the two-mile (3,200) in the state and the third-fastest 5A time in the state in the one-mile (1,600),” Martinez said. “That’s great, but I know he can run a whole lot faster than the times that he’s run. We’re in the phase right now where we’re coaching him to run tired and to be able to perform tired. As the season goes on and district and area and regionals come around, that’s when we can really play with his energy level. Mentally, I think he’s ready for it.”
“I try to not give much thought to what the rankings are,” Cavazos said. “I like to take things race by race and perform my best at each race. Whatever happens, happens.”
There is an incredulity to the senior Cavazos as he helps bring up the younger Tigers.
“It’s actually hit me,” Cavazos said. “I’ve been used to being on an older team, and I was always the youngest one, but it’s not like that anymore. I’ve definitely seen how much the team has changed over these last four years.”
Regardless of how his senior season at Mercedes ends, Cavazos is already an all-timer in Martinez’s mind.
“We’ve had some good ones, we’ve had some great ones, and he’s right up there with the great ones,” Martinez said. “We consider him an athlete with the total package. The dedication, the hard work, the discipline, the talent level — Dom has it. He’s done what he needs to do, but he’s not done.”