KINGSVILLE, Texas — Kingsville is home to one of the fastest hurdlers in the nation, and he's only a junior. What once seemed like an obstacle is now the reason Jasiah Rivera has a chance to make it back to state.
"It's just fun. It feels smooth," Rivera said. "Once you get it down it's fun to do."
Last year at the UIL 4A state meet, Jasiah Rivera finished fifth in the 110 meter hurdles. Now the H.M. King junior is also doing the 300 meter hurdles, and he recently broke the Brahma school record set in 2018.
"It's a tough race, but it's fun," Rivera said. "It's a long race. You get to make a lot of moves."
His time of 38.32 seconds is one of the top 10 hurdle times in the country so far this season. A sport he needed encouragement to attempt back in eighth grade from coach Rueben Flowers.
"He's just so smooth, and a lot of people don't have that," Flowers, H.M. King track and field head coach, said. "His legs have gotten a lot stronger, so I was like alright let's go. Let's go for it, and then he goes 38-low and I'm like oh yeah, that's good."
Coming up this weekend, Rivera will represent Kingsville against the best in the country at the Nike Indoor Nationals in New York on Saturday. He'll compete in the 60 meter hurdles.
"Meeting new people, obviously getting to see a bigger field. More competitors. A lot more speed," Rivera said. "It means a lot. My coaches and my family put a lot into it. Just trying to do the best for them."
Rivera will run in heat 2 of the prelims on Saturday, March 9 at 8:43 a.m.
H.M. KING SCHOOL RECORDS
300m Hurdles: 38.32 seconds (David Garza (2018) - 39.44)
110m Hurdles: 14.08 seconds (David Kuti (2000) - 14.29)
Long Jump: 22'3" (Razel Garcia - 22'1.25")
