By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
Port Isabel’s track & field athletes are experiencing area meet competition for the first time.
Thursday’s area meet at Texas A&M-Kingsville combining the top four finishers from Districts 32-4A and 31-4A has become a necessary step along the way to regional and state competition.
And from Port Isabel’s perspective, since the area meet is at A&M-Kingsville, it’s a good way for its younger competitors to become accustomed to the atmosphere at spacious Javelina Stadium, which will be the site of the Region IV-4A meet May 1 and 2.
“Really, our expectations for this area meet are kind of like they’ve been all year, and that’s to go up there and get some PRs (personal records) and get lots of our girls into the regional meet,” Lady Tarpons coach Julie Breedlove said. “A lot of our girls have competed there before and have experience at that stadium, but we also have a number of freshmen this year that are going to get a chance to go up there and kind of see how it is. Of course, we’re going to run regionals there, so they’ll get some experience competing there this week and maybe it won’t be so daunting if they can make it there for regionals.”
Heading the list of competitors for the Lady Tarpons are past state qualifiers Daniella Murchison and Gabby Torres, both seniors. Murchison, an SMU signee, is a two-time state champion in the shot put who also throws the discus, and Torres, a University of Texas-San Antonio signee, went to state in the high jump and also will be competing at the area meet in the long jump and the 100 hurdles plus running on two relays.
“Those two have been working really hard, and they are right on course to hopefully come home with area championships and go on to regionals,” Breedlove said.
Other Lady Tarpons competing at the area meet are Ava Gomez (300 hurdles, long jump, triple jump, two relays), Alexandra Martinez (pole vault), Natalie Garza (400, relay), J’yah Cook (relay), Jasmine Saldivar (relay), Madison Bickerton (high jump), Victoria Macias (relay), Amaya Lampkin (200, two relays), Simone Harry (400, triple jump, two relays) and Tiffany Ochoa (shot put, discus).
“In terms of the triple jump, I felt like I did really well in (winning) that event (at district), and I’m hoping I can PR at the area meet,” said Harry, a sophomore. “I have pretty rested legs, so hopefully I can do it. For my running events, I’m just going to go out there and run hard and do the best I can.
““I’m really hoping we can go to state in our mile relay,” she added. “To me, that would be icing on the cake for the year. We’ll see how things go at area. I’m thankful for my coaches who pushed me so hard to get where I am now.”
Lampkin is a junior who has equally high aspirations for the area meet and beyond.
“Compared to last year, my performances this season have been greater,” she said. “I’ve been trying to work harder at getting my speed up, and I accomplished it by making the area meet because last year I didn’t get out of district or anything. Area is a new thing, and I’m glad we’re going through it as a team and that we’ve gotten more girls qualified for it.
“The accomplishments of the upperclassmen on this team help the rest of us because it raises our self-esteem and confidence more, and it makes us strive for the best,” Lampkin added. “We want to be as good as they are or even better.
“It’s been an amazing season. I’ve met some very talented newcomers, and they have the potential to do great things. They also help me with my motivation. I look up to them, too. I look up to everyone. We work together as a family, and that’s what I love about this team.”
Also competing at the area meet for the Port Isabel boys are Trey Mock (shot put), Omar Silva (hurdles) and Juan Muñiz (high jump).
Thursday’s meet begins at 11 a.m. with the field events, the 3,200 final and running preliminaries. Aside from the 3,200, the other running finals are scheduled to begin approximately at 3:30 p.m.
In addition to the 32-4A teams from the Rio Grande Valley, the area meet will include 31-4A teams from Coastal Bend schools such as Kingsville, Sinton, Ingleside, Robstown, Rockport-Fulton and Beeville Jones.
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.