BY JON LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
MORE: View complete results from the District 32-5A field event finals.
PHARR — By Thursday afternoon, Jackie Alanis grew acquainted with the taste of sand.
During the girls triple jump, the PSJA High freshman landed in the pit with such force, she often came up spitting out grains of dust and dirt.
But by the conclusion of the field event finals for the District 32-5A meet at PSJA Stadium, Alanis tasted victory having qualified for regionals in three events, placing second in the long jump, and winning gold in the triple jump and high jump.
All top two finishers automatically qualify for the regional meet April 29 and 30 in San Antonio. Valley athletes in Class 5A do not compete in an area meet.
Alanis’ podium-topping performance also set a new personal record with a distance of 35 feet, 5 1/4 inches. She set another personal best in the long jump at 16-08 1/2. She won the high jump by clearing 5-02.
“I try to practice a lot as much as I can,” Alanis said. “Everytime I come out here, I just focus on how hard I work and the time I put in. I just felt relaxed today. I just kept going forward in my jumps and reaching and landing at the spots I did.”
Alanis edged Donna North junior I’Dasha Sorrell in the triple jump by an inch and a half. Sorrell jumped with an injured right foot that shot pain up her leg every time she landed in the sand. Sorrell says the pain is a side effect of an injury suffered her freshman year during basketball season.
The girls long jump was won by Mercedes junior Jacklynn Flores with a new personal best of 17-08 1/2.
The throwing events were a showcase for PSJA Southwest and Donna High. The Javelinas swept the boys and girls shot puts while Donna collected gold in the boys and girls discus. Donna’s Cesar Villegas won the boys discus with an attempt of 150-11 while teammate Yvette Tamez won the girls in 126-10.
For Southwest, freshman Diego Treviño won the boys shot, setting a new personal best on his final throw with a mark of 49-03 1/2. Treviño took the lead for good on his second attempt of the event with a 46-06, but aimed for a bigger distance on his last throw with the district title already guaranteed.
Treviño, a 6-foot-3, 260 left tackle, has spent his first varsity season adjusting to the new techniques employed by Southwest throwing coach Eloy Garza.
“In high school, it’s all technique,” Trevino said. “You can’t just chunk it out there. You have to know what you’re doing. I’ve really been working inside the ring, using my hips and everything. You have to attack with your hips and an open chest. That was hard to learn at first.”
Treviño’s teammate Tamara Castillo won the girls shot put with a new personal best of 35-04 1/4. Castillo rebounded after a lackluster showing in the discus with a fourth place finish and a distance of 116-00.
“Tamara really rebounded in the shot,” Garza said. “She didn’t have the day she knew she could have in the discus, so that was a chance for her to rebound. She’s a thrower. Regardless of event, she’s a thrower. She just to go out there and perform, and I think she did a very good job today.”