By MARK MOLINA | Staff Writer
Harlingen High freshman high jumper Sabrina Todd has made her first year on the varsity track & field team a memorable one.
At the District 32-6A meet, Todd placed second with a jump of 4 feet, 10 inches.
She set a new personal record with a jump of 5-2 at the area meet, giving her the win and a ticket to the Region IV-6A track & field meet next weekend in San Antonio.
The Valley Morning Star caught up with the freshman jumper after her area-winning jump.
Q: When and why did you decide you wanted to take up track and field?
Todd: I started in seventh grade, and in my first high jump meet I cleared 5 feet without any practice. That’s when I decided on it because I really liked it and it was fun.
Q: Why would you say the high jump is your favorite event and why?
Todd: It’s fun and I get, like, pumps of adrenaline. You have to clear all the (heights). There’s so much suspense.
Q: What’s the hardest part about being a track & field athlete and how do you feel you approach whatever it is?
Todd: I go to a different high school (freshmen campus) right now, so it’s probably having to get picked up and having to go to the high school and go to practice. But I really like (track), and that helps me overcome having to do that.
Q: What’s your favorite memory of your track career?
Todd: Probably right now, winning the area championship in the high jump. I cleared 5 feet, 2 inches.
Q: Do you play any other sports? If so, what are they, and does being in track help you when it comes to competing in them?
Todd: In the high jump, you have to be able to be kind of flexible. That kind of helps me because I’m also on the drill team, so it balances out because you have to be flexible for both.
Q: On meet days, what does your typical routine look like? Meals, pregame music, superstitions?
Todd: I like to eat fruit before I go. I like to eat, like, a banana, and that’s pretty much all in the morning.
Q: Who would you say is one of the toughest athletes you’ve had to compete against and in what event?
Todd: It’s probably Amber (Leyva) from my school. We’ve been right on edge with each other and had the same jumps.
Q: What meet do you look forward to the most and why?
Todd: It’s probably the biggest meet at the end, which is district, and since this is my freshman year, I’ve never had an area meet or anything after that. So you know, it’s kind of like just the biggest meets.
Q: Tell the readers something they may not know about you.
Todd: Back in July, my dad, Doyle Todd, who was one of the assistant principals at HHS, passed away. That really has pushed me to do better in track and do it for him.
Q: What’s your favorite movie or show and why?
Todd: I really like F.R.I.E.N.D.S. I like all the characters. Their friend group and their arguments kind of reflect some of my friends.
Q: What’s your favorite food and why?
Todd: My favorite food is bread. I don’t know why I just like it. I can eat, like, four pieces of bread in one meal. I love it.
Q: If you could have dinner with one person from the past or today, who would it be and why?
Todd: It would probably be Emma Stone, because I love her movies and I just love watching her.