SAN ISIDRO — Jaime Mendoza didn’t have access to state-of-the-art training facilities during his four years at San Isidro. He describes the Tigers’ home track as “barely even a track.”
Additionally, while Class 5A and 6A programs tend to have a coach for each event, San Isidro, a Class 1A school with an enrollment of 72 according to the UIL’s realignment numbers, is limited to just one coach to the entire program, making specialized training difficult to come by.
Mendoza didn’t let his limited resources slow him down, however, capturing the silver in the Class 1A long jump during the UIL state track and field championships in May to solidify his spot as one of the state’s top jumpers.
The recent San Isidro graduate added collegiate athlete to his decorated resume Monday, signing his national letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic career at UTRGV, an NCAA Division I university which competes in the Western Athletic Conference.
“The feeling is a lot different. It’s about to be a whole different ball game for me,” Mendoza said. “I feel like I have a natural ability. Of course, I feel like I could be a lot better if I put myself into it a lot more. It’s one thing to love the game and another to love to work at it. The track we had at our school, it’s not the best. It’s not even really a track so I never had the facilities to really work. I feel like I’m pretty raw material heading into college.
“I’m looking forward to the weight room, equipment, just all of it. I get more one-on-one training now. … My coach, Elva Smith, she’s a good coach. She would stretch herself out a lot for our team. But now I get more one-on-one to learn the mechanics and everything.”
Mendoza joins the Vaqueros after competing in six events for San Isidro as a senior. He advanced to the area meet in the 100- and 200-meter dash, capturing the District 32-1A title in the 200.
His specialty was the jumping events, however, taking home district, area and regional titles in the long and triple jump.
Mendoza set a personal best in the triple jump during the Region IV-1A meet, coming in first with a mark of 44 feet, 3.25 inches. He saved his best performance in the long jump for the state meet, jumping 22-0.75 en route to the silver medal.
“My bread and butter have always been the jumping,” he said. “The running part helps me stay a little more in shape and get more speed here and there. So, it all works out in the end. I’m pretty much trying to keep it the same as high school. But I’m trying to focus more on the jumping events.”
After rising from Class 1A to an NCAA Division I program, Mendoza hopes his journey inspires others to chase their dreams regardless of where they come from.
“I hope small school athletes or even younger kids from anywhere get to see a kid that comes from basically the middle of nowhere. I want them to see me becoming something and it pushes them to want to be here one day. Maybe not specifically be like me, but I hope it inspires them to chase something big. Even when you become something big, you got there with your goals. Once you get there the only thing that can happen is become something bigger.”
As for his own goals, Mendoza is aiming for the top, just as he did in high school.
“When you have big goals and you accomplish those goals the next thing to do is make your goals bigger for yourself,” he said. “I did what I set out to in high school. My goals now are to eventually become an NCAA champion.”