State Bound: Garza heads to state with extra motivation

McALLEN — Soon after winning the 400-meter dash at regionals last week to advance to the state meet this weekend in Austin, Nick Garza memorized the eight qualifying times.

The way the McAllen High senior rattles off the numbers, it is easy to tell that it is important for him to know the times. Even when he was cut off after the sixth-best qualifying time, Garza made sure to go back and give the final two times.

“When I saw the times last year, I was last,” said Garza, who also qualified for the state meet in 2009. “That kind of put me back. I was like, ‘I’m going to have to work real hard to not get last.’ Unfortunately, I did get last. This year I have a little more confidence.”

Garza’s qualifying time (48.24 seconds) is fourth best this season. Ducanville’s Richard Gary will enter the race with the top qualifying time (47.57).

McHi boys track & field coach John Hamann said it is beneficial for Garza to know the times he is competing against, adding the his past athletes have tracked results around the state in order to know how much they need to improve to be the best.

“The Internet makes that stuff real easy to look up,” Hamann said. “His race at state is somewhere (on the Internet). You can look it up and watch his race. I didn’t go last year. He asked me, ‘Have you ever seen my Austin race?’ He told me where to go.

“That is when he told me, ‘Coach, I watch it two or three times a day.’ That is his motivation. That has been weighing on him.”

Hamann said there is a “realistic shot” of Garza coming back to the Valley with a medal. Garza’s goal is to finish the race in less than 48 seconds, which could be enough for a bronze.

“I do actually think I will do very well,” Garza said. “I know there are three guys that were there last year, and they did very well. I’m not going to doubt myself. I’m going into this meet with a swagger.”

Garza also enters the meet having competed in only six meets this season. Playing for a McHi basketball team that advanced to the regional tournament, Garza did not turn his attention to track until mid March. Both coach and athlete don’t think that has played much of a factor.

“He’s come out late every year,” Hamann said. “This year was no different. He was a little hurt at the end of basketball season. We did probably hold him back two weeks. Since then, he has run every weekend.”

Peter Rasmussen covers high school sports for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448 or via e-mail at prasmussen@themonitor.com.