AUSTIN — La Villa junior Kaycei Salazar didn’t know if she’d reach the podium just one year after capturing a pair of medals at the UIL state track and field championships.
A stress fracture in her right leg during the fall ended her cross-country season prematurely, leaving her track season up in the air.
A nagging injury to her left leg further clouded her questionability, leaving Salazar questioning her potential.
Despite the numerous obstacles, the Cardinals’ junior pushed through, capturing back-to-back District 32-2A, Area 31/32-2A and Region IV-2A crowns in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs to make a return to state.
Salazar left it all on the table in her return to state, coming from behind in the Class 2A girls 1,600-meter run to capture the silver during Day 2 of the UIL state track and field championships Friday at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.
The second-place finish marked the RGV’s lone medal during Day 2 of the meet.
“When I crossed in second, I was speechless,” Salazar said. “I didn’t know if I could do it this year after all the setbacks. Cross country I couldn’t run and that hurt me. Just coming back here and doing this in my favorite race, it feels so good.”
Salazar’s second state meet appearance didn’t open like planned. One year after capturing the silver medal in the 2A girls 3,200-meter run, the junior distance runner just missed out on another podium finish, coming in fourth with a time of 11 minutes, 43.94 seconds.
Her finishing mark was less than a second away from bronze medalist Yarida De Leon.
| The Monitor)
“In the beginning of the season my mentality was bad,” Salazar said. “When it started, I kept telling myself I can’t, and it would beat me up mentally a lot. In practices I felt like I was trying my hardest and I couldn’t move. It hurt and it was just draining. My confidence changed after the Meet of Champs. That race broke me. It changed my mentality for the rest of the season. My brain went from telling me I can’t do it, to me telling myself to stop and just keep on pushing.”
The motivated Salazar refused to leave the state meet without a medal, entering the 2A girls 1,600-meter run hungry for a return to the podium.
After falling behind early, the Cardinals junior battled her way back into third heading into the bell lap, with the second-place competitor in her sights.
Salazar turned on the burners during the final 100 meters, overtaking Malakoff Cross Roads Calista Turner en route to the silver. The La Villa junior clocked in at 5:15.54 for second place, with Turner finishing in third with a time of 5:16.24.
The silver-medal finish marked the third time Salazar has reached the podium in her career, winning the gold in the Class 2A girls 1,600-meter run last year, along with a silver in the Class 2A girls 3,200-meter run.
“This motivates me a lot,” Salazar said. “I’m going to take a break to make sure I’m not hurt. I want to come back even stronger for cross country, powerlifting too. I came in third in powerlifting, and I want to be first. In the 3,200 and the 1,600 it’s the same thing. I’m going to go harder next season, and nobody should beat me.”
Salazar was just one of 15 state qualifiers to represent the RGV during Day of the UIL state meet.
Despite the loaded field, medals were hard to come by throughout the competition, with only Salazar reaching the podium.
Still, the Valley’s best yielded some strong performances.
Santa Maria’s Mia Picazo just missed out on a podium finish, coming in fourth in the Class 2A girls 800-meter run. The UTRGV signee clocked in at 2:20.14, just 0.96 seconds behind third-place finisher Nocona’s Graci Brown.
Picazo closed out her high school career with a fourth-place finish in the Class 2A girls 1,600-meter run, finishing in 5:20.06.
Over in Class 5A, Edcouch-Elsa’s Kaely Trantham capped her four-year varsity career by setting a personal best in the girls shot put, recording a throw of 40 feet, 10.75 inches on her fifth attempt.
The mark came in over 10 inches further than her previous personal best of 40-00.25 set during the Area 31/32-5A meet.
Meanwhile, Edinburg Vela’s Kristopher Perez made his second straight state meet appearance during Day 2, competing in the Class 5A boys shot put.
Despite an injury to his throwing hand, the junior thrower still managed to improve on last year’s eighth place finish at state, coming in sixth this season with a mark of 54-09.75.
PSJA Southwest’s Marcela Trevino also improved on her state finish from last year, finishing fifth in the Class 5A discus after coming in sixth a year ago.
The Houston signee jumped from sixth to fifth on her final attempt of the day, recording a personal meet best of 134-08 on the throw.
McAllen High’s Dana Rojas Vazquez made a return to state as a junior after making it last season in the 3,200-meter run, only this time getting in as a wildcard in the Class 5A girls 1,600-meter run.
The Bulldogs distance runner set a personal best during the state meet, finishing in 5:00.51 for fifth in the event.
Other notable performances by RGV athletes during Day 2 of the state meet included state debuts by several area athletes.
Sophomore Angel Rodriguez recorded a mark of 21-04.75 on his fifth attempt of the day to finish sixth in the Class 5A boys high jump. The sophomore also competed in the 5A boys 800-meter run, coming in eighth with a time of 49.68 seconds.
Sharyland High’s Callie Keith, a senior, competed in the 5A girls high jump after finishing second at the regional meet two weeks ago, coming in seventh at state after clearing a mark of 5-02.
McAllen High’s Dariana Luna, who captured the Region IV-5A girls 100-meter hurdle title two weeks ago, finished eighth in the same event Friday, clocking in at a personal best 14.46 seconds.
Rio Grande City senior Dante Barrera wrapped up his high school career with a seventh-place finish in the Class 5A boys discus, recording a throw of 172-11 on his second attempt.
The 2024 UIL state track and field championships conclude today with Class 1A and 6A competitors. The final day of the competition begins at 9 a.m. with the field events and 3,200-meter run, with running events to follow at 5 p.m.
For full results from the weekend’s events feature RGV athletes, visit RGVSports.com.