By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
Rio Grande Valley swimmers and divers have an opportunity to compete this weekend in the last big meet before the holiday break at Brownsville’s Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center.
It’s the Brownsville ISD Pre-Regional Showcase with swimming prelims today and finals Saturday. Diving is scheduled both days as well.
The event is attracting 29 teams from the Valley, Corpus Christi and Laredo with an estimated 600 competitors participating.
Swimming is a sport that spans much of the school year. The most important meets of the season, which include district and regional competition, take place in late January and early February with the UIL state meet set for Feb. 19 and 20 in Austin.
With those meets in mind, swimmers and divers are gearing up for what the new year will bring competition-wise.
“We’ve got a young team, and a strong team (particularly with our girls),” Hanna coach Sam Perez said. “We’re anxious to see what we can do. Our boys are a small, young group with two (exchange student) swimmers from Germany. It’s a small group that’s been swimming specialized strokes.”
Added Hanna swimmer Gloria Orta, a sophomore for the Lady Eagles, “I’m focusing a lot right now on leg power and getting a really strong kick, plus getting really good turns off the wall and nice starts (for upcoming competitions).
“I see a lot of potential for us,” added Orta, who mostly swims the 200 individual medley and 50 freestyle plus relays. “We’re working hard, we’re competitive and we support each other a lot, so I think that’s going to get us through it and help us do a good job.”
Today’s three warmup sessions for swimmers are scheduled at 9:15 a.m., 10 a.m. and 10:45 a.m., with times assigned to the participating schools. Swimming prelim competition and diving warmups start at 11:30 a.m. today.
On Saturday, swimming warmups are at 9 a.m. with finals competition starting at 10 a.m. Also Saturday, the divers warm up at 8 a.m. with finals competition at 9 a.m.
Teams at this weekend’s meet hope to return good numbers of their swimmers and divers for the Class 6A Region VIII Meet on Feb. 5 and 6 at the Clark Aquatic Center.
Regarding the Pre-Regional Showcase, Clark Aquatic Center director Monica Rosales said, “It’s definitely a good indicator of how things might shape up (at the regional meet in February). It’s a good feeler for which teams might do well.”
Rosales said McAllen High’s boys appear to be a favorite at this weekend’s meet along with Laredo United’s girls and Roma’s girls.
“Roma’s swimming program has come a long way under coach Calvin Snyder,” Rosales said.
The Roma girls and McHi boys were team champions at the BISD Fall Festival on Nov. 13 and 14 at the Clark Aquatic Center.
Corpus Christi King’s boys and girls are defending team champions of the BISD Pre-Regional Showcase.
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.