By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — Every so often, Edinburg Vela coach Hernan Figueroa comes across an athlete that makes him wonder, “What if?” As in, what would life have been like for said athlete had they dedicated themselves to track & field.
As a lifelong coach, Figueroa saw athletes come and go, thinking, “Man, this is where you can make your mark.”
In 2012, Figueroa worried he would have the same concern for Brendon Rivera, a high jumper, who also competed in baseball and basketball.
Basketball was Rivera’s favorite sport. (Still is.) And as a sophomore, he seemed unwilling to part with it, juggling three sports, virtually playing year-round. It wasn’t until he cleared 6 feet, 6 inches in 2012 that he began having second thoughts.
“I started hitting heights that were pretty up there, tops in the nation. And I realized, I could be pretty good at this,” Rivera said.
By his junior year, he reached 6-11, having left basketball behind. And at the Games of Texas in College Station this past August, he set a Valley record at 7-3, etching his name at No. 10 in the nation in his age division. Letters started pouring in. About 20 colleges expressed interest. He wound up visiting four. And in something of a sales pitch, the University of Houston sent Olympian Carl Lewis to Edinburg Vela to talk with Rivera.
“It was special,” Rivera said. “He doesn’t come down for many athletes. So coming down for me, it really meant a lot.”
Even with that, Rivera ultimately chose Arkansas, signing a letter of intent Wednesday in the school’s library.
“It was a tough decision,” he said. “They also have a top-notch program. But I realized Arkansas would be the best fit for me.”
The signing ceremony Wednesday marked another chapter in Rivera’s decorated career — a fast ascension to the top of his class, winning regionals, the TAAF nationals and placing fourth at state. All this before winning the Games of Texas.
“That was huge,” Figueroa said. “It was evident that he had the ability to leap; I’ve seen him in basketball. But I’d be lying if I said I knew that he was going to be jumping over 7 feet.”
Figueroa realized he had a special athlete in Rivera when he broke down video of his technique with him for the first time.
“I asked him, ‘What do you think went wrong here?’ And he knew. He said this here, that there. That’s very impressive,” said Figueroa, who’s coached 30 years. “Not everybody has that ability.
“He has a very keen understanding of where his body is and what his body’s doing in a process that takes a couple of seconds, from the time he plants his feet and takes off to the time he lands on the mat. It’s one or two seconds. And for him to understand what’s going on and what’s happening, it takes a very special person.”
By most accounts, the top high jumpers generally add two inches to their mark. Rivera shattered those expectations, improving nine inches from his sophomore year to now.
“Track & field is not the most glamorous sport, but he’s giving the Valley something to talk about,” Figueroa said. “Now when he jumps, you could see the pit surrounded by people. When he jumped 6-4, there weren’t many people there. But now they know this is an individual that one day it looks like might be making huge news.”
Rivera generated interest from some of the top programs in the country, ultimately narrowing his choices in visiting Arkansas, the University of Houston, Kansas State and Texas A&M. Then last week, Lewis spoke with Rivera for about an hour.
“I remember being an athlete when Carl was cooling down and it was like, Wow, I hope somebody takes a picture of this,” Figueroa said. “And here he is, years later, one of our athletes is being recruited by Carl Lewis and here (Rivera) is, cool as he can be. That’s pretty awesome.”
At Arkansas, Rivera has aspirations of one day competing in the Olympics.
“Just got to stay consistent with my heights,” he said. “Striving to do the best I could do.”
Also on Wednesday, Rivera’s teammate, Michael Cavazos, signed with the Texas A&M Kingsville.
“It’s exciting and a relief,” Cavazos said. “I’ve put in a lot of work since freshman year. I’ve been waiting for this moment since then.”
Cavazos played a pivotal role last year on a Vela team that had the second-fastest time heading into regionals.
“Last year he had an excellent turnaround. He got serious about his ability and wanting to do something and he showed it at regionals,” Figueroa said. “He ran a tremendous leg that put us in the finals in the 4 by 400 and I think that opened up his eyes and the eyes of recruiters. This kid not only has potential but he knows how to work.”