BROWNSVILLE — It has been two weeks since Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s David Perez finished fourth in the 100 breaststroke at the Class 5A UIL State meet.
Despite being one of the most athletically and physically gifted swimmers in the Rio Grande Valley, the more prestigious swim schools have not come calling. Perez understands his situation though.
The Brownsville Veterans senior stands at 6-foot-1, around 6-2 with track spikes. The sport comes down to a 10th of a second sometimes, every inch matters, and the top schools want that, Perez said.
“I almost certain that I am not going to swim,” Perez said. “I have already been accepted into the engineering program at Texas Tech. I think I am going to focus on that.”
He can still go on to a college or university, but not going to a NCAA DI school for swimming is a tough sell to one of the best swimmers in Brownsville history. Perez holds three individual Brownsville records.
The grind of having to train at a small school or university with even more studying in a tough degree plan like engineering is not an ideal situation. And some of those schools do not even offer engineering, Perez said.
The Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering at Texas Tech seems like Perez’s next stop on life. Texas Tech does not have a swimming program for a walk-on opportunity.
“I am still thinking about it,” Perez said. “In the next week, I will make my final decision about it. I probably won’t swim. The past two weeks have been really stressful. It is hard to make it fade away, but I have to think what is best for the future.”
Perez’s fourth place earned him first team All-State honors. Los Fresnos Jada Ashford was the only other swimmer from the Rio Grande Valley, boy or girl, to even advance out of the prelims. Ashford finished 13th at the Class 6A state meet.
Even though he did not medal, Perez’s fourth place is as good of a finish by a Valley swimmer since 2018 when former McAllen High swimmer Shaine Casas finished second in the 100 back and third in the 100 fly at the Class 6A state meet in 2018.
Casas won the gold in 100 back at the 2021 Short Course World Championships and has won golds on a relay team, as well as a number of other medals at the highest levels of swimming.
Casas stands 6-4, and is a physical specimen, Perez said. The Brownsville Veterans senior timed Casas when he set pool records in 2018 at the Brownsville Aquatics Center, he said.
Perez swam at the Brownsville Aquatics Center since he was 9 years old under coach Ryan Shea.
“He is the man who made as good of a swimmer as I am today,” Perez said. “He deserves a lot of credit, he has been there for me – when I was not focused, ready to swim or even scared of the competition. He pushed me hard.”
Perez has switched the goggles for some track spikes and tights as his senior year winds down.
Whatever Perez decides to do in the next week or so, he is going to go down as one of the best swimmers in recent times, not only in Brownsville, but the Rio Grande Valley.