BY CRAIG CRAKER ccraker@oaoa.com
Odessa American, April 28, 2007

Monahans High School’s Arnold Rodriguez was pretty sure he had won the long jump on Friday at the Region I-3A Championships.

He had to wait 40 minutes for official word, though. Rodriguez had just jumped 23 feet to take the lead, but he had to wait for Sweetwater’s Joseph Banyard, Abilene Wylie’s Gary Edwards and Burkburnett’s Nate Brown to run in the 400-meter relay before taking their last jumps.

After the three competitors came up short in their last jumps, Rodriguez had his victory — and a berth in the Class 3A state meet in Austin.

“It feels really good,” Rodriguez said. “I felt weird early on, and I started with the worst jump out here, and I kicked it in.” Fort Stockton’s Adrian Nevarez was second at 22-7.25.

“I was in first with a 22-4 and Adrian went 22-7, and it got my adrenaline flowing for my jump,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez spent the break talking to his girlfriend, Ashley Pedraza, who helped convince Rodriguez to compete in track this season.

He had competed as a sophomore before sitting out last season. After the basketball season ended, he decided to give it one more try.

“Everyone wanted me to jump,” Rodriguez said. “I gave in because I saw how much my girlfriend believed in me.” Now, the senior is headed to state for the first time.

"I can’t even explain it,” he said. “I don’t think (23 feet) is good enough to win state, but it was good enough to get me there.”

Nevarez’s jump was his longest of the season, easily besting his previous high of a wind-aided 21-9.
“I just decided on my second jump to just leave it all out there,” he said. “I told myself I had to go to state.”
Nevarez qualified for the state meet in the 1,600-mile relay last season, but he is going as an individual for the first time.

 “It’s different. There is a lot more pressure, so I feel pretty good,” he said. “When I was up in the bleachers, I told my teammates it pumped me up to do better in my other events.”

Nevarez qualified for the finals in the 400 meters and the 800- and 1,600-meter relays. He also will compete in the triple jump today.