Rodriguez and Keith rise above the rest
This weekend, two Big 7 athletes, Sharyland Pioneer’s Angel Rodriguez and Sharyland High’s Callie Keith, will compete in the 2024 UIL 5A State Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas. The meet is unlike any other sporting event in the state. The competition showcases five-star recruits, Division-1 athletes, and future pros. Both athletes have earned the right to represent their schools on this prestigious stage, finishing inside the top two of their respective events at the Region IV 5A Track meet last weekend in San Antonio. After injuries plagued their 22-23 seasons, Keith and Rodriguez entered their off seasons re-energized and hungry; hoping for a chance to make things right. Now, they sit on the precipice of glory, awaiting the most important track meet of their lives.
Angel Rodriguez, Sophomore Sharyland Pioneer High School
Events: 400 Meter Dash, Long Jump
Sophomore Angel Rodriguez from Sharyland Pioneer High School. Photo courtesy Troy Chapa.
2024 Outdoor Season Accolades: 3x District Champion, 2x Area Champion, Region IV Runner-up (LJ), Region IV Champion (400M)
At this time last year, Angel Rodriguez had risen to become one of the Valley’s premier athletes as a track and field star for the La Joya Coyotes. However, his left quadriceps left his track season in shambles. After qualifying for the Regional meet, Rodriguez decided to disqualify himself, choosing rehab over glory. Instead of feeling sorry for himself and veering off course, he used the off-season to work harder, growing even stronger than before.
“The break where I was injured in La Joya changed me. I used it as motivation to work harder. I increased my effort and got stronger and more explosive. I had a different mentality,” Rodriguez said
A summer move to Sharyland changed everything. Under the tutelage of head coach Marcelino “Marcy” De La Fuente, jumps coach Christopher Garcia, and sprints coach Jordan Lee, Rodriguez shaved 6 seconds off his 400 time and improved his long jump by almost two feet.
“[I like] Mostly everything here, the coaches’ work ethic, them wanting to make you better, the discipline the kids have here to work and get better,” Rodriguez said when asked about how he likes his new school.
Now Rodriguez is a 23-foot long jumper and a sub-50-second 400-meter runner. As a sophomore in high school, he is only a few inches and seconds away from the NCAA Division 1 freshman standards in both events. At the Region IV 5A meet last week, Rodriguez set personal bests in both events. He walked away with the 400 gold and the long jump silver for his efforts. Rodriguez needed his third and final preliminary jump to make the finals and blindsided the entire 400 field after emerging as champion.
“It felt amazing because no one thought I was going to win it. But I knew I was capable of winning it,” Rodriguez said when reflecting on his Regional championship.
Rodriguez’s track and field ambitions extend beyond this year. Not only is he set on returning home with a state championship, but he’s also an honor roll student with college ambitions. He credits his Mom with taking him to practice every day since he was a seven-year-old novice. Ever since then, all he’s done is work to achieve his dreams. And while he’d never prepare to lose, Rodriguez understands it’s part of life and uses that as motivation to try his best every time he steps out on the track or runway.
When asked to think about how he might feel if things don’t turn out his way, Rodriguez didn’t shy away from the question:
“I’d be proud of how far I made it. Since I was a little kid, I’ve dreamed of making it to state.”
Dream accomplished. Onto the next one.
Callie Keith, Senior Sharyland High School
Event: High Jump
2024 Outdoor Season Accolades: District Champion, Area Champion, Region IV Runner-up
Photo courtesy of Sixtum.
After struggling through hamstring injuries in her sophomore and junior years and losing her basketball season to that same pesky injury, Callie Keith was dead set on making things right this track season. Keith willed herself to recover despite differing advice from medical professionals.
“I was told to do absolutely nothing for 3-5 months. I knew if I didn’t get better fast I wouldn’t be able to compete in track and field. I trained hard even when I wasn’t cleared, doing what I could despite the pain. It was slow, tiring and the soreness was almost unbearable. I knew it had to be done so I could get to where I wanted to be,” Keith said.
Keith was cleared three meets before the area meet and has not looked back. With the help of her father and head girls’ track coach, Melissa Dearth, she worked tirelessly, honing her craft every day. Keith never measured herself against her competition and killed herself over numbers. Her only worry was doing “better than the last meet.” She used that attitude to motivate herself in every meet she competed in until she was left alone atop the District, Area, and now Region.
“Being a state qualifier means I’ve proved myself and others wrong. It means I’ve put my words into action. It means I didn’t give up despite my injuries. It showed me I really can do anything through my God and faith. It also means I can do more than what feels comfortable to me. It means a new step, and it can only lead to more life changing steps. Being a state qualifier showed me you really can do whatever you put your mind to.
The UIL 5A State Track and Field Meet will take place at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas this weekend. Field events and long distance runs are scheduled to begin today at 9 am while other events will begin at 5:00 pm.