NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR
PHARR — Even in early March, a month before the district meet, PSJA Southwest’s Diego Treviño stresses over every hurl of the shot put. He immediately walks over to his coach, Eloy Garza, to dissect each step of his spin and his body position at the point when he releases the 12-pound sphere.
“You have to treat each throw like it’s the last throw at the state meet,” Treviño said after taking first in the PSJA Tri-City Meet last week. “You want to make sure you improve every throw. That’s what I try to do every throw — get better.”
Trevino’s final throw at the PSJA ISD Tri-City Meet was marked at 57 feet, 1 inch — the second throw in the 57-foot range of his season and career.
Treviño and Garza shared a brief celebration after the toss, because they knew the junior had pulled off a throw that was mechanically sound.
The onlooking PSJA throwing community knew the attempt was the distance Treviño had been looking for and instantly reacted with awe and applause.
“For Diego, at certain meets, maybe getting first place isn’t as difficult. But if he trains to always focus on a PR (personal record), then he always has something to strive for, no matter the competition,” Garza said. “He’s a tremendous young man — hardworking, good strong values.”
Treviño was quickly sold on the power of hard work after making substantial improvements during his first season in 2016. His first two meets were modest: sixth place with a throw of 40-05 at the PSJA North Relays and eighth at the Southwest Hogs Relays.
Garza, a 2003 PSJA North graduate and collegiate thrower at Morningside University in Iowa, gives Treviño the same weekly challenges as every thrower on the team. First, put the body at maximum efficiency and torque, and always try to throw further every meet.
“It’s important to try to teach my athletes you’re never done learning. You’re never done trying to improve,” Garza said. “To them, their only objective at every meet, every competition, is to PR. Yeah, he got first place, but as you can see, he wasn’t very happy about it. That’s the mentality.”
Now in the thick of his third season, Treviño has put his coach’s never-satisfied approach into action. He already set a new personal record in 2018 when he hit 57-9 at the Mission Invitational Feb. 23.
“Early my freshman year, I was surprised I made varsity,” Treviño said. “After a while, I started working harder and practicing more. I started hitting higher marks. I hit 49 (feet) my district meet, then 52 at regionals. That’s when I knew I had a lot more in me.”
Treviño advanced out of the Region IV-5A meet as a freshman with a throw of 52-05. The rest of the top four finishers were seniors.
At the 5A UIL state meet, Treviño placed ninth with a throw of 50-09. That season sparked Trevino’s dedication, and he became fully invested in the sport. Through his training with Garza, as well as pointers from local coaches and even opposing programs, his throws have continued to climb through the 50s.
“At the end of the day, throwers in general are a community,” Garza said. “There’s no ego involved. That’s what it’s all about — sharing our knowledge and continuing to grow the opportunities our athletes down here have.”
Last year, Treviño made throws of 53-8.8 and 55-10.5 at the PSJA North Winter Relays and La Joya ‘Betito’ Memorial Relays in February. He reached the 55-foot plateau two other times as a sophomore.
In the 2016 Meet of Champions final, he used a 55-09 to earn gold, and in the Region IV-6A meet he recorded a throw of 55-01 — a foot behind the state cutoff set by seasoned veterans.
Prior to the school year, Treviño added more big meet experience to his repertoire when he advanced to the USATF Hershey National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships in Lawrence, Kansas, in the 15-16 age division. He won first in the South Texas and Region portions of the competition but scratched without recording a throw in the final stage.
Despite the disappointment, the additional meaningful meets past the UIL campaign only helped Treviño, who seems to be sharpened when faced with a setback.
Marking a throw at 60 feet would equate to a fifth-place finish in the 2017 6A state final. That’s where Trevino has set his sights.
“(USATF) helped me out a lot,” Treviño said. “Even last year, even in this meet, I’d be nervous throwing. I just need to work harder on my technique. Sixty is going to come in soon.”