Apparently, watching the video worked because on Saturday afternoon the junior surpassed last year’s record and placed second in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:56.07.
“I’m excited,” said an exhausted Rodriguez after the race. “Last year I finished fifth and a week ago I went back and saw my mistakes, and I saw that I need to take off faster coming out.”
The strategy worked as Rodriguez edged out Dallas Carter’s Lakyron Mays (1:56.16) just feet from the finish line. Big Spring’s Ian Gonzalez took first place with a time of 1:55.89.
Port Isabel’s Todd Harbour still holds the record for the fastest time of 1:51.84 set back in 1977.
However, Rodriguez wasn’t the only La Feria athlete to step up to the podium Saturday as Tina Sierra also took home a medal.
The senior waited until her final competition of meet to place third in the 1600-meter run. Sierra finished the race with a time of 5:08.24.
Another distance runner who saw her stock rise was Santa Maria’s Kristen Aleman. The freshman might not have won a medal in the 800-meter run, but she went toe-to-toe with Class 2A’s best and walked away with a very respectable fourth-place finish.
In the final 100 meters, Aleman and three other runners battled for every foot as she crossed the finish line with a time of 5:23.46. The time was Aleman’s personal best by an astonishing 11 seconds.
“I wanted to place because I wanted to get a medal,” said Aleman. “I knew it was going to be us four at the finish because I could feel it. I knew nobody else was going to catch up to us because we were going together as a pack, so I just wanted to give it my all and try to medal.
“Beating my PR feels really good. Going into regionals my time wasn’t as fast as I wanted it to be, but after today I’m proud of my times.”
HOW THEY FARED
How area athletes did at the UIL state track & field meet at Mike A. Myers Track Complex on the campus of UT-Austin on Saturday:
-TINA SIERRA, La Feria: Came in 4th place in the girls 4A 800-meter run and collected a bronze medal in the 1600
-KRISTEN ALEMAN, Santa Maria: Took 4th place in the girls 2A 800-meter run
-ALEX AYALA, Santa Rosa: Finished 8th in the boys 3A 300-meter hurdles
-REYES RODRIGUEZ, La Feria: Won silver in the boys 4A 800-meter run, decided to not participate in the 400 and came in 9th as part of the Lions’ 4×400-meter relay team
-JULIAN TREVINO, La Feria: Finished 8th in boys 4A long jump event and 9th as part of the Lions’ 4×400-meter relay team
-DARIUS HERNANDEZ and BRANDON PEREZ, La Feria: Finished 9th as part of the Lions’ 4A 4×400-meter relay team
-NATALIE GARZA, Port Isabel: Finished 5th in the girls 4A 400-meter run