Brawley’s Chavez is off to the races at Azusa Pacific
BRAWLEY – The day after attending the 2020 “drive-thru” graduation from Brawley Union
High School, Adrian Chavez signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Azusa Pacific University this fall on a combined educational and trackand-field scholarship.
For Chavez, the combined scholarship equals a full ride to Azusa Pacific University, a private, 10,000-student evangelical Christian university located in Azusa, Calif. He’ll compete for the Cougars in the NCAA Division II Pacific West Conference.
“First I would like to thank God for giving me my speed, and to Azusa Pacific coach Blackett (Andrea Blackett, sprints and hurdles coach) for offering me a scholarship so I can show my talent on the next level,” Chavez said at the signing.
While Chavez’s 2020 season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, his 2019 track season, which included his winning the Imperial Valley League the 100- and 200-meter individual championships and not losing a single race at either distance in league competition, attracted attention from a number of colleges.
“I have worked with Adrian for four years and been impressed by his skill and dedication; he put in the work, and I told him he would get noticed,” said Brawley track coach Marcial Tagaban.
“After every meet I post our kids’ results on Athletic.net and Adrian received several offers, and Azusa went after him the hardest and invited to him to visit the school.”
That Azusa’s coaching staff had an eye on Brawley track is the result of another Wildcat track alumnus, junior Cougar sprinter Isaac Garcia.
“Adrian will be the second runner from Brawley to go to Azusa Pacific in track and having Isaac there doing well and talking to the coaches helped,” Tagaban said.
An All Imperial Valley League performer on the Wildcat football team as well as being an IVL sprint champion, Chavez felt given his 5-foot-7, 135-pound frame, his future was in track.
“I felt in track I stood out more than I did in football,” said Chavez who also anchored Brawley’s 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams. “Football is about size, and I’m not very big … but I’m fast and I thought that could take me to college, and it did.”
Brawley football coach Jon Self noted at the signing that Chavez was amongst a group of Wildcat defensive backs who played “bigger” than their size.
“Maybe not big in stature, but Adrian is big in heart. … He was a very good tackler and hitter, when Adrian went up to tackle you, you went down,” Self said. “He’s always had a strong work ethic. Adrian never shied away from the hard work, and that will do him well in college.”
Chavez is drawn the individuality of track and the pressure it brings on him to perform at his highest level.
“I like both (football and track), and your success in both is built on how much work you put into it, but football is at team sport and frankly, I like the pressure of it all being on me, especially when I go against a fast runner.”
While Chavez chose track for the next level, it wasn’t influenced by Tagaban who in addition to being Brawley’s track coach is also an assistant football coach.
“Coach Marcial knows a lot about each sport and for the last four years, and we just transitioned from sport to sport,” Chavez said. “In football, we worked on different things like my footwork, and in track it was mechanics. … He helped make me an AllIVL defensive back and a championship sprinter so it worked out well.”
At Brawley High, Chavez applied his noted work ethic to the classroom as well as the field.
“I work hard in the classroom, too. It comes more from my mom. She was the one who stayed on me to get my homework done and keep my grades up,” Chavez said, noting his mother, Veronica Gaytan, has been in his life in other ways, as well. “She was my youth soccer and Little League coach. She’s always been there for me.”
Originally raised in Calipatria with the aid of a large extended family, Chavez moved to Brawley in the fifth grade, and as dedicated as he in the classroom and on the field, he is equally dedicated to his family and his adopted hometown.
“My success is because of my family and especially my grandfather, Hugo Gaytan, who has been my role model and taught me that anything is possible with hard work,” Chavez said.
“And I want to thank the town of Brawley for having my back and showing support for me in football and track.”