TJ GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
Randy Bermea knew that it was the right thing to do.
Harlingen High’s celebrated hurdler was beginning to come into his own during his sophomore year at the University of California, Berkeley.
The former Cardinal had just finished fourth at the 2014 Pac-12 Track and Field Championships in the 400-meter hurdles and advanced to the NCAA qualifiers, where he ran a 50.91 — one of his fastest times ever — but fell short of the NCAA finals.
Bermea entered the 2015 season optimistic and ready to improve, but that’s when he faced the biggest and most real hurdle of his young life. His grandmother, who helped raise him, was critically ill in the Valley, and he wanted to be by her side.
So he left Cal. He stepped away from track altogether, packed his bags and moved 2,000 miles back to Harlingen. His grandmother passed away on Feb. 6, 2015. Bermea then reached out to his Cal coaches and decided that staying in Texas was the best thing for him.
“I think I knew it in my heart what I needed to do,” said Bermea, now a senior hurdler at the University of Texas-San Antonio. “I had a lot of alone time during those weeks in the hospital (with my grandmother), and it was something that I kind of did on my own, because I didn’t want my parents to worry about my future along with my grandma. So I made the moves myself. That way, when I came to my parents with what I was thinking, I already had a plan of action.”
His parents were supportive of his decision to leave Cal. Bermea said in addition to spending time with his grandmother before she died, he needed to be there for his parents after she passed away. He said his family needed him, and he was glad to step in and be supportive.
The 2012 state 300 hurdles champion worked out at McAllen’s Cavazos Sports Institute and got ready to transfer to UTSA for fall 2015, set to run track in spring 2016. But that almost didn’t work out, and it could have ended his collegiate track career.
Bermea said he had to petition his transfer case to the NCAA before he could compete in spring 2016. But he didn’t regret his decision, even though it was precarious, because family came first.
“In hindsight, it (transfer) was a lot riskier than I had thought it was going to be,” Bermea said. “Luckily for me, I won my petition and was able to compete. In that sense, it was very risky, but that didn’t change the fact that I needed to come back home.”
Bermea, now 23, is enjoying his time at UTSA and doing well, but he also cherishes his two years at Cal Berkeley.
“The Pac-12 was an unbelievable experience,” Bermea said. “I had the opportunity to live in one of the most historic cities in the U.S. while competing week in and week out with Olympians, and even walking amongst some of the greatest athletes on my campus. That was something unique about Cal.”
Cal heavily recruited Bermea out of Harlingen, and he signed in 2012. He got the attention of scouts nationwide for his football prowess and ability to run the hurdles. He set RGV records in the 110 and 300 hurdles, won the 300 hurdles gold at state in 2012 and had more than 1,000 yards receiving during his senior season (2011) for the Cardinals’ 13-1 football team.
At UTSA, he has not disappointed, either.
Last year at the Conference USA Track and Field Championships, Bermea placed second in the 400 hurdles and won a bronze medal as part of the 1,600 relay team. He went back to the NCAA qualifiers, but still fell short of the NCAA Championships. This season, Bermea has been unable to compete due to injury, but he said he’s feeling better every day and will return to the track soon.
“My one and only individual goal is to make it to nationals,” Bermea, a criminal justice major, said. “My past two years I have come up just short. As a team, we aim for that conference championship every year.”
Bermea said he would like to see more Valley athletes compete on the collegiate level.
“Too many kids think that people can’t make it out of the Valley and be successful,” he said. “These athletes (featured in Where Are They Now?) are walking proof that their dreams are attainable through hard work and dedication.”
SHARYLAND HIGH’S CHAPA IS SOFTBALL ALL-AMERICAN AT KINGSVILLE
Although Roxy Chapa stepped into the catcher’s position at Texas A&M-Kingsville as a wide-eyed freshman last season, she played it like a wily, experienced veteran.
The Sharyland High product ended up batting a team-high .345, drove in a team-record 55 runs and had 10 home runs. All told, she had 61 hits, 17 doubles and scored 36 times. The McAllen native also had a .945 fielding percentage with 158 putouts. Chapa started all 55 games.
For her 2016 exploits, she was named a third-team Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-America selection. Chapa is the first D2CCA All-American in Javelinas history, and she was also put on the Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-South Central Region First Team and All-Lone Star Conference Second Team.
This season, the Rattlers’ four-year letter winner (2012-2015) is at it again. Chapa is batting .308 with a .500 slugging percentage and leads the team in hits, home runs and total bases through eight games.
AFTER UTPA SUCCESS, PSJA’S RAMIREZ ALL-CONFERENCE AT ST. MARY’S
Former PSJA High and UTPA star Bryan Ramirez is doing more of the same at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Ramirez sat out the 2015 season, and then graduated from UTPA (summa cum laude, bachelor’s degree in Business Administration) before he transferred to NCAA Division II St. Mary’s with two years of eligibility remaining.
Ramirez, the 2011-12 All-Valley Offensive Player of the Year, was absolutely scintillating at the plate last year, batting .351 (second best on the team) with 71 total hits and a .505 slugging percentage. He also scored a team-high 64 runs and started all 53 games at second base (.916 fielding percentage).
Ramirez, a redshirt senior, was named to the 2016 All-Heartland Baseball Team’s first-team offense as the utility player and helped St. Mary’s make the postseason conference tournament. This year, the second baseman is batting .276 with 12 runs scored on eight hits.
Know an RGV athlete doing well at the collegiate level in any sport? Send us a tip at [email protected].