Barroso overcomes injuries, illness

MERCEDES — Sporting a pretty smile and glittery eyes, Deandra Barroso goes on and on about how enthusiastic she is to be back at the Class 4A UIL state meet.

The talkative and upbeat Barroso can’t believe she’s overcome injuries, a stomach illness and dealt with a heavy heart after losing her grandfather in January. And Barroso’s injuries didn’t just come about this year. They date back to her sophomore and junior seasons. Hamstring problems prevented Barroso from qualifying for the state meet in each of the past two years after doing so only as a freshman. Yet the senior finds herself on the grand stage competing in the long jump this week in Austin.

It has been an emotional rollercoaster ride to say the least.

"My coach saw me in so many tears," Barroso said referring to coach Robert Robledo. "Forty percent was (hamstring) pain and the other 60 percent was like, ‘Not again, please don’t hold me back.’"

As a freshman, Barroso competed in five extracurricular activities. She excelled in all of them and her success was highlighted by a regional title in the long jump. She also produced results in the triple jump and hurdles. It was a sign of a brilliant high school career.

But the unfortunate happened: Barroso’s bad luck began during her sophomore year when she pulled her right hamstring one week before she would defend her regional title. At less than 100 percent, Barroso still came away third in the long jump but missed state by a literal inch. After intense therapy over the summer, Barroso had a strong junior season and won a district title in the same event, only to have her season come to an abrupt end after popping her left hamstring competing in the 300-hurdles. The disappointing result began to hit Barroso emotionally. She recalled how her friend and former Tiger great Alex Treviño went through his share of hamstring problems in his senior year.

"Like the coaches said to me, the good ones get hurt," Barroso said.

She wondered if she could bounce back, admitting that she may have overworked herself and that maybe she should’ve sat out a few races on her coaches’ advice. And even after Barroso saw first-hand what Treviño went through, her competitive nature wouldn’t let her do the smart thing.

"I said I’d never go through it, but after going through my first injury, I guess I was naïve," Barroso said.

Her senior year was anything but a great start. On top of losing her grandfather and dealing with a stomach illness — which sat her out two weeks — the hamstring problems returned.

With all the experience under her belt, coaches felt Barroso was better suited for preparing for district and regionals. This time Barroso listened and never lost her focus. All she wanted was a crack to compete for something she had earned as a freshman.

"That’s what I wanted, my title back," she said. "I said, ‘If I can pull through my sophomore and junior year injuries, I’ll pull through this."

At 100 percent, Barroso looked like the athlete everyone got to know as a freshman conquering the competition. It was raining, cold and against a hefty wind, not the best day for long jumpers at the Region IV-4A meet. Nevertheless, Barroso’s 16 feet, 10.5-inch performance was good enough for first place and punched her ticket back to Austin. It was a big weight that was lifted off Barroso’s shoulders.

"I get to end it right where I started," Barroso said. "When I think about it, I’m like, ‘Yes, my hard work paid off."

And no one knows better than her coach.

"You’ve got to give her credit," the coach said. "Usually, it has to be perfect to go to state, put it all at the right time. I’ll tell you what, she’s one determined individual."