Nov. 21, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State junior swimmer Melissa Rodriguez (Chihuahua, Mexico) participated in the Central American and Caribbean Games from Nov. 15-20 in Veracruz, Mexico. Rodriguez, who was competing for Mexico, collected three gold medals, one silver medal and set a meet record.
Rodriguez's best performance was in the 200-meter breaststroke on Nov. 18, setting a meet record with a mark of 2:29.37 and earning a gold medal. The junior also recorded a first place finish in the 50-meter breaststroke on Nov. 19, clocking in at 32.52.
On the final day of competition, Rodriguez was a member of the 4x100-meter medley relay team, which topped the field with a time of 4:10.04. On top of her three gold medals, Rodriguez also collected silver in the 100-meter breaststroke, clocking in at 1:10.97 on Nov. 15.
Team Mexico finished the event in second place with 24 total medals.
The Chihuahua, Mexico, native qualified for the games with her strong performance at the Mexican Long Course National Championships in July.
The Central American and Caribbean Games take place every four years. The games are a regional sports event much like the Olympics. Every four years, there are competitions in 36 sports, with 12 of those leading to qualification for the Pan American Games in Toronto in 2014.
Q: As this is not your first time representing Mexico at an international meet, is there any leadership or advice you passed down to younger swimmers?
A: My advice would be don`t let the pressure affect you. When you are representing your country, people are watching and expect things from you. You earned your spot on the team and you know how to go fast. The only difference is that the meet is on a bigger scale. Just have fun, make friends and kill it!
Q: Was there anything fun or different Mexico did as a team or a group before or during the meet to get excited?
A: Yes! My friend Liliana Ibañez (she goes to Texas A&M) and I organized this activity where each of us would have a note card with our name on top of it, and each member of the team had to write something that she/he admired about our race. It was the first time with had this kind of activity with the national team. Also, before every final session we would do a cheer to get excited and get the people excited."
Q: How does this meet play into your ultimate goal of representing Mexico in Rio in 2016?
A: This meet helped me realize that my training is working, my technique is getting better and my strategy is on the right track for Rio 2016. I still have many details to work on, but that means that I can go much faster and get ready for Rio in 2016.