Former-PSJA North standout and Pharr-native Jiovanna Martinez became a graduate assistant coach with the men’s and women’s track & field programs on January 18, 2012.
Martinez works directly with the discus, shot put, hammer, indoor weight and javelin throwers.
Under her guidance, freshman Jasmine Davison made the third longest hammer throw in program history at 51.44 meters at the Trinity Alumni Classic. Davison also earned UTPA Female Rookie of the Year honors.
Martinez also helped both Davison and senior Oscar Barrera to multiple Great West Conference athlete of the week awards thanks to strong performances in the hammer throw. Barrera made a career-best throw of 57.19 meters at the Trinity Alumni Classic, the second best in program history.
Martinez joined the Broncs after spending five years on the Texas State University track & field team as a discus, hammer, weight and shot put thrower. Several of her career highlights include qualifying for USATF Junior National Championships in 2007, as well as gaining NCAA Outdoor Regional Championships qualifying marks in the discus in 2007, 2009 and 2011. Martinez was also a member of the Dean’s List for four years.
While a senior at PSJA North in 2006, Martinez became the first female discus thrower from the Rio Grande Valley to earn first place honors at the Texas Relays. A four-time 31-5A champion in the discus throw, Martinez earned a silver medal in the Class 5A state meet her senior year after earning a bronze medal as a junior.
Martinez earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition (Dietetics) in 2010 and is currently pursing a Master’s in Kinesiology at UTPA.
Records and Achievements at UTPA:
Graduate Assistant Coach 2012-Present
12 Top 5 All Time UTPA Performers
1 Conference Runner Up
