McALLEN — Sabrina Garza won the 800-meter run at the Meet of Champions on March 26 in Donna, it was the beginning of a meteoric two weeks for the McAllen High runner.
Days later, the senior broke the school record in the mile, set in 1983.
That led to her securing yet another milestone, announcing her commitment last week to the Texas A&M track & field team, one of the reasons she left the volleyball court as one of the best defensive specialists in the Valley to focus 100% on running.
“I sacrificed something that was a big part of my life for so long for these events (the 800 and 4×400). I’ve put my all into it,” Garza said. “It has been so exciting, and all this happened in a matter of six days. I’ve been working so hard. For the the good things to happen so fast, it’s been such an awesome feeling, and I haven’t reached my full potential.
“I’ve known that I could run a 2:15 since my sophomore year. It was just gaining the confidence, keeping up with everything my coaches were telling me and I started seeing those drops in times. Running faster would feel easier.”
That included second-year coach Daniel De La Rosa, a former 800-meter state champion, who incorporated mileage into the workouts, for both cross-country and track.
“It was a big adjustment,” Garza said. “You’d look at the schedule and see a 10-mile-long run in the middle of July and it was a bit intimidating. I didn’t want to wake up most days to put in the mileage but it helped a lot to get to the next level.”
“The time doesn’t lie. She put herself in a good position with that,” McAllen High track head coach Luis Cantu said. “Once she ran that 2:15(.92) at the Meet of Champs, the calls and emails from colleges started pouring in. That was a big number.”
Garza then set the mile record in 5 minutes, 14.96 seconds, April 1 at the Rio Grande City Rey Ramirez Relays . It was only her second time running the event this year.
“Once she committed to just running, it took her to the next level,” Cantu said. “She has been really driven and lasers focused on wanting to run at A&M. Now, she’s been able to put those afternoon runs in where she wasn’t able to before. She made the change to get to where she’s at now.”
Peaking at the right time is always critical for runners and, Cantu said, it looks like Garza is doing it at the right time as the second day of the District 31-5A track meet beginning at 6 p.m. today at PSJA Stadium in Pharr.
Garza is third in Region IV Class 5A in the 800. The top two runners make it out of the regionals to advance to state, but there’s also one old card for the best time that isn’t among the top two. Cedar Park’s Isabel Conde de Frankenbberg is first in the region and state with a time of 2:10.97. Boerne-Champion’s Anastacia Gonzales is second in the region, third in the state, at 2:12.97.
“She will have to have another PR and a big performance,” Cantu said. “She just has to put it together all at the right time.”
But first is district, where Cantu and his girls track team are looking for a fourth straight district title. The boys team is also hoping to defend its title.
Today, Garza will compete in the 400, 800 and 4×400 relay, with a team that set a school record last year in the event.
“Things are aligning for her right now,” Cantu said. “Her fitness and drive is at a different level. She sees the big picture and getting to state in the 800 and giving herself a good shot is the goal. Her dreams are reality now. If she has good race in the 800 and tucks in and waits for the kickers’ race, she can make it a reality, too.”