Catarina Hernandez marked down every one of her daughter’s throws during high school in a spiral-bound notebook. With parental care, she recorded Johvonne Hernandez’s rise to the top of Texas’ discus and shot put rankings.

When it came time to go home after a meet, Catarina Hernandez perused local newspapers, scanning the sports page for the state’s top distances.

Now that Johvonne Hernandez is a freshman thrower for the Syracuse outdoor track team, her parents have adapted to new technology.

Rather than scouring newsprint, they search the Internet. Rather than rating Texas, they cover the country.

‘It’s hard for them,’ Johvonne Hernandez said. ‘Without this season, I don’t know what they’d be doing — I guess just working. My mom always says stuff like, ‘Oh, you’re placed fifth, you have to start throwing better.’ ‘

On Saturday, Hernandez returns to Texas for the second consecutive weekend to participate in the Tom Tellez Invitational at Houston University.

Hernandez’s mom never missed one of her daughter’s meets in high school. And she attended last week when Hernandez returned to the Lone Star State for the Texas Southern Relays, also in Houston.

Even the lengthy eight-hour trek north from the Hernandez home in Port Isabel won’t keep her away.

‘Long?’ asked Johvonne’s father John. ‘What do you mean long? That’s a short trip. We’ll drive up there and stay in the hotel.’

Last week’s return was a happy one for the family. They watched Johvonne win the shot put and place second in the discus.

Even with all that winning, Johvonne found free time to visit family.

They ate with assistant coach Allen Bradd and fellow thrower Tim Adrian at a popular rib joint. The Hernandez family didn’t let Adrian’s teammates go hungry either, recommending a variety of Mexican restaurants so the 53-member team could indulge in the local flavor.

‘They had so much fun,’ head coach Andrew Roberts said. ‘It was a breath of fresh air.’

Roberts expects the Houston trip to be much less enjoyable than the last one, when SU netted seven first-place finishes.

Although rankings have not yet been posted for the outdoor season, most teams don’t see much roster turnover between the two seasons.

Instead, Roberts, expects Syracuse to be overwhelmed by the competition. The meet features three of the Top 25 indoor men’s teams — No. 2 Louisiana State, No. 15 Texas and No. 25 Baylor — as well as three of the Top 25 indoor women’s teams — No. 1 LSU, No. 12 Illinois and No. 15 Texas.

‘We’re gonna get whomped,’ Roberts said. ‘There’s no hope. It’s not going to happen. There’s no magic wand. There’s no prayer. We’re not going to beat them.’

Roberts feels his throwers have the best chance to be competitive, both on the men’s and women’s sides.

For the men, Adrian is the top thrower and barely missed out on the national championships during the indoor season, and teammate Steve Bedard ranks close behind.

Still, the competition has Adrian focused not on winning, but on improving his scores.

‘You can’t base how you did on how you place. It’s more on your personal best,’ Adrian said. ‘I’m not basing how I do on how I place.’

On the women’s side, Roberts said it would take a Herculean effort from Hernandez and fellow freshman Nicole Kendrick — and perhaps all the strength of Hernandez’s cheering section — to place among the top eight.

‘(Our) better athletes expectation is they want to beat people,’ Roberts said. ‘Beating anyone wearing the other school’s colors is going to be a victory. The closer they can be will be a victory.’

Published on March 27, 2002 at 12:00 pm