McALLEN — Area swimmers head to Austin today to get ready to compete in the 2020 UIL Swimming and Diving State Championships scheduled for Friday and Saturday at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center on the University of Texas at Austin campus.
PSJA Southwest’s Issac Velasquez returns to Austin for the second time to finish off his sophomore swimming campaign competing in the Class 5A in 500-yard butterfly, ranked No. 13 in the event with a seed time of 53.32 seconds in the UIL state meet qualifying rankings. He’s also ranked No. 11 in the 500-yard freestyle entering the competition with a time of 4 minutes 53 seconds.
“My plan is to swim my race and try to drop the time I want, cool down and get ready for the 500-yard freestyle because I won’t have that much time to rest between events,” Velasquez said. “I want to try my best, and do what I have been training all year long. My goal is to get in the top six, and just do my best.”
Also qualifying in Class 5A 100-yard butterfly is Sharyland High’s Alvaro Garza. He is ranked No. 14 with a seed time of 53.59.
Other individuals qualifying in Class 6A state competition include McAllen High’s Jacye Lyon (59.96) in the 100-yard breast stroke. McAllen Memorial’s Dayan Rodriguez Vallejo (1:00.95) also qualified for the same event. The two have gone head-to-head with each other all season and come in ranked No. 15 and No. 16, respectively, only one second apart.
Vallejo will also compete in the 200-yard IM carrying a No. 16 ranking and 2:00.35 time in the event.
McAllen Memorial’s Sophia Santos heads into the 200-yard IM ranked No. 16 with a time of 2:25.40.
McAllen High’s Nilton Dos Santos qualified for the 100-yard butterfly and is ranked No. 13 with a time of 50.65. He also qualified for the 200-yard freestyle and is holding the No. 16 rank with a time of 1:48.38.
McAllen Rowe’s Jenny Wyna is ranked No. 16 in the girls’ 100-yard breaststroke, holding a time of 1:14.07.
“Jenny is a sophomore. She is quiet and works really hard,” McAllen Rowe head coach Amy Gallegos said. “She is talented, she’s improved and the breaststroke is her favorite event.”
Wyna will also be competing in two team events with teammates Jessamine Barocio, Kaitlyn Bzibziak, Amy Lou Ortiz and Mia Salazar in the 200-yard medley and 200-yard freestyle.
The Rowe team is heading back to compete at state after not making it last year.
“It’s really nice to be going back,” Gallegos said. “They were only 11 points away from winning the district championship. They trained hard and they have done better than we thought we would this year. It’s going to be difficult, it’s going to be a challenge, but I told my girls this is an opportunity to keep growing and improving. Swimming with people faster than you is only going to make you better.”
The McAllen High boys qualified for the 200-yard medley with a seed time of 1.39.48. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 15. They will also compete in the 400-yard freestyle, holding on to a No. 16 ranking and a seed time of 3:19.28.
Class 5A Swimming and Diving prelims will begin at 10 a.m. Friday, while 6A prelims are scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Finals on Saturday for Class 5A will begin at 9:30 a.m., and 3:30 p.m. for Class 6A.
Also heading to state is Brownsville Veterans’ Daniela Chapa in the 500-yard freestyle.
Brownsville Veterans’ Nico Chapa will appear in the 1-meter diving event.
PSJA High’s Natalie Bravo is ranked No. 23 in the girls’ 1-meter dive event entering with a 255.25 point score.
Los Fresnos’ girls’ relay team is ranked No. 15 in the 200-yard freestyle, carrying a time of 1:43.52. The Falcons are also ranked No. 16 in the girls’ 400-yard freestyle with a time of 4:00.83. They will make an appearance in the 200-yard medley ranked No. 15 with a seed time of 1:54.82.
Los Fresnos’ Jada Ashford is ranked No. 10 in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 51.57. Ashford will also compete in the 50-yard freestyle with a seed of 23.26 and No. 4 ranking.
Los Fresnos’ Anapaula Hernandez qualified for the 1-meter diving event with a score of 243.40 at regionals.
Brownsville Hanna’s Quinten Deysel will compete in the 50-yard freestyle in Class 6A entering with a seed time of 22.05. He also qualified for the 100-yard freestyle ranked No. 16 with a 48.03 seed time.
Brownsville Hanna’s Matthew Lovett will compete in the 100-yard backstroke ranked No. 16 and 55.88 seed time.
Brownsville Hanna is also sending its boys’ 200-yard freestyle relay team carrying a No. 16 ranking and 1:30.58 seed time.