BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
Aside from bragging rights, today’s pre-district meet in Harlingen doesn’t mean much in the larger scheme of the track and field season, and Joshua McGowen hopes to keep it that way.
That’s not to say he doesn’t understand the hype given the circumstances.
Though the McAllen High senior is spending the season demonstrating his prowess on the hurdles — McGowen holds the nation’s fastest time in the boys 110-meter hurdles (13.59 seconds) according to Athletic.net — McGowen will rest his legs at Boggus Stadium and instead compete in the boys 100 and 200 dash.
Joining McGowen in both events will be a pair of athletes from McAllen Memorial, Michael Boltie and Trevor Speights. Boltie holds the Valley’s fastest time in the 100 (10.74) and the 200 (21.36) while Speights holds the sixth fastest time in the 100 (11.14).
Though the sprinting events will provide those in attendance with a must-watch showdown, McGowen says the timing is coincidental and more to do with preparation for the District 30-6A meet than showboating.
“It’s more about making sure my legs stay flexible with speed,” McGowen said. “We knew there were going to be a few meets where we wouldn’t do the hurdles, so I don’t stress too much.”
McGowen will also compete in the long jump and serve as the first leg in the 800-meter relay. He has yet to run the 100 this season and ran the 200 on Feb 19 at the Hog Relays at PSJA Stadium in Pharr. His time of 22.45 seconds is the fifth fastest time in the Valley this year.
McGowen is familiar with Speights, having competed against the Stanford signee during football season. McGowen also ran against Boltie during the summer.
“This will just be a speed workout for Trevor,” McGowen said to downplay the meet’s significance. “In the end, theses races don’t say anything. In a track meet, anything is possible. It could be a great day or just a good day. It all comes down to minor things.”
HIPS DON’T LIE
After suffering a mid-season hip flexor strain, La Joya Palmview’s Mirna Tamez was given a lighter load. To prevent the injury from worsening, the sprinter and jumper was relegated to the Lady Lobos’ sprint relays.
With nearly two weeks of adequate rest, however, Tamez showed her abilities when healthy at the Patriot Relays on March 11 in Mission. The junior won a trio of medals, including a pair of gold for her efforts in the girls 100 dash (12.63) and the long jump (17 feet 10 inches) and a bronze in the triple jump (35-09.25).
“We’ve been working her back slowly,” Palmview coach Claudia Bazan said. “It’s been a slow progression, but she’s gotten to where she needs to be. She wanted to break the school record in the long jump, and she was finally able to do that.”
Bazan estimates that Tamez is 95 percent healthy, and that her race-day itinerary has returned to its pre-injury workload. Tamez will compete today at the Rey Ramirez Relays in Mission in the 100 dash, the long jump, triple jump and the 400 and 800 relays.
But more than health, Bazan is stressing confidence for Tamez, especially in the triple jump, an event Tamez has competed in only twice.
“That event is more taxing on the body,” Bazan said. “It takes a bigger toll because of the way she lands. She needs that confidence. I think she’ll get there. We’re just taking things one meet at a time and going from there.”
RAMIREZ RELAYS MOVED
Due to Wednesday’s double murder involving members of Rio Grande City CISD, today’s Rey Ramirez Relays have been moved from Joe R. Sanchez Stadium in Rio Grande City to Tom Landry Stadium in Mission. Track preliminaries and field events begin at 1 p.m. Track finals begin 90 minutes after prelims conclude.