By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
Athletes from San Perlita, Lasara and Santa Rosa will be representing the Rio Grande Valley at the UIL state track & field meet in the sub-4A classifications.
High jumper Ely Terry from San Perlita and three Lasara Lady Lions — Selissa Gonzales, Xiomara Rodriguez and Victoria Velazquez — will be competing in Class 1A on Saturday. Santa Rosa’s Reese Lara will run Thursday in Class 3A. It will be the first trip to the state track & field meet for all five athletes.
Terry is heading to the meet with high expectations for himself after winning the Region IV high jump. His 6-foot, 2-inch jump, which is a personal record, is tied for the second-best qualifying jump among the nine advancers.
Terry, nicknamed “Showtime” among the Trojans faithful, has a simple approach to the state meet: jump higher than everyone else and win. He didn’t start high jumping until he was a freshman, and he’s proud of the work he put in and the growth that made him a state qualifier.
“It feels pretty good that all my hard work is paying off. To be honest I wasn’t expecting to win regionals, but it was pretty exciting. It’s more motivation to get the highest jump,” Terry said. “It’s great to represent the school in a big way and make it to state. It’s pretty exciting. It’s a great experience, once in a lifetime. I just like jumping. I have a passion for it.”
The Lady Lions are proud to be representing their small town and excited to be experiencing the track meet with friends. Rodriguez advanced in the discus and shot put, and becoming a state qualifier is extra special for her since it’s something of a family tradition.
“I set (reaching state) as a goal because I want to represent my school and my family. My older brothers also went to the state meet, and I wanted to follow their footsteps,” Rodriguez said. “I’m very, very excited to be going. It’s cool because I get two chances to be a champion, so it’ll be fun.”
Gonzales will be running in the 800 and 1,600. Velasquez will be running in the 3,200. Both distance runners have experience on the biggest UIL stage after qualifying for the cross country state meet in the fall and the academic state competition in April.
For Velazquez, making her third trip to a state event shows that her hard work and reinforced focus paid dividends. She’s looking forward to this experience with teammates who are also friends and competing against the best of the best.
“This year, I saw that I could actually put our school on the map in different things. That realization pushed me and made me even more self-motivated,” Velazquez said. “I’m very proud of myself and proud of my teammates. We’ve come a long way. I have been improving every single week, and I plan to continue improving this track meet. I know with the competition I’ll definitely push myself to my max, and I hope I’ll be able to be in the top few. But I’m very happy to just be there. It’s a huge honor.”
Gonzales suffered through injuries last season, so this athletic year has been encouraging for her as she sees what she’s capable of at 100 percent health. She thanked her parents, physical therapist and trainers for their support and for making her stronger, which has helped her bring pride to Lasara.
“This is the first time Lasara’s being represented at the state meet, not by one but three athletes. We all have a really good chance at getting medals,” Gonzales said. “I’m feeling confident. I’m not too nervous, and I know how I want to run the race. I’m looking forward to the competition and facing runners who are just as good as I am. I’m excited to have them running next to me to push me to my best efforts.”
Lara will be representing the Warriors in the 800 and had to battle at the regional meet to punch his state ticket. After being boxed in early on the first lap, he navigated out to Lane 3 and opened up his stride. Lara feels his stamina helps him have a big kick at the end of the race, and having the crowd on its feet and cheering fires him up for a strong finish.
The senior is working to continue his track career at the college level, and he’s looking forward to performing well on the big stage as a stepping stone for the next chapter. He’s excited to have one final chance to make Santa Rosa proud.
“It feels really good knowing I’m one of the fastest in the state. It definitely means a lot. With (the season) being cut short last year, we were all hungry this year,” Lara said. “I know those guys are extremely good, and I just want to compete with the best. I feel very blessed, being able to go over there for my team. It’s been a hell of a ride. I’ll never forget this season. It’s been special.”