HARLINGEN — Harlingen Marine Military Academy’s track and field team came, saw and conquered the TCSAAL state meet in San Marcos on Saturday.

The Leathernecks came home with plenty of medals, state champions and an overall team title from the meet. Other athletes in the TCSAAL from the Rio Grande Valley also had success in Houston, but the day belonged to the Marine Military Academy.

“The way they performed was remarkable for our school,” head track and field coach Rick Lucio said. “The talent at state was great. There is so many speedy guys out of the Fort Worth and Houston area, so being able to compete against them and win, made it that much nicer for us.”

Leatherneck senior William Webb won his third straight discus state championship with a throw of 158 feet, beating second by 38 feet. Webb plans on attending Texas A&M, while under scholarship from the Marine Corps and hopes to become an infantry officer.

Webb is happy about winning again, being competitive is always important, he said. But, the state champion has been focusing on preparing for life in college and a future in the military.

“Overall, it feels pretty good,” Webb said. “I have been working at it for awhile now. Three years in a row always feels nice.”

Webb was the state champion in shot put last year but was beaten this year by teammate Mehkhi Blue. The junior’s throw of 41 feet, 10.25 inches was more than enough to win state. Webb said Blue could be throwing over 50 feet next season.

Lucio said he needed the field event athletes and the track athletes to pick up the necessary points to win the title. The Leathernecks finished with a total of 94 points, second had 66 points. The field events came through and so did the runners.

The Leathernecks 4×100 team of Alexis Duffy, Ben Smith, Jose Tijerina and Gilberto Flores Gamboa won gold and then silver in the 4×200. The 4×400 relay team also came in second place.

“We have been working on this for two years now,” Smith said. “Last year we came in second and the year before that we got third, so we had to go for the top this year.”

Marine Military Academy’s Ubaldo Flores finished third in 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs to also help contribute to the state title. Scott Ford’s bronze in triple jump also picked up points.

IDEA Weslaco’s Jonathan Cavazos finished second in the 200-meter dash and third in the 100-meter dash. IDEA McAllen’s Enrique Perez came in third in the 800.

The Valley has two state champions from the girls events. IDEA Weslaco’s Lynzie Zapata won the 800 and IDEA McAllen’s Julia Trevino won gold in the 1600.

Sharyland High’s Alan Gonzalez spent two years playing UIL tennis as a Rattlers competitor, and in that time he won two silver medals in singles at the Class 5A state tournament.

Gonzalez begins his next chapter in his tennis career at St. Francis (Pennsylvania) in the fall. Gonzalez signed to play for NCAA Division I tennis team on Tuesday at Sharyland High.

“This was one of my dreams since I was a kid,” Gonzalez said. “Seeing my sister play tennis in college motivated me to keep playing and working harder. I feel pretty blessed and excited for the opportunity that coach Eric Hovan gave to me.”

Gonzalez’s sister, Maria Gonzalez, played tennis at Sacramento State and joined UTRGV’s women’s tennis program as a volunteer assistant coach in December 2022.

Gonzalez played in Mexico before arriving at Sharyland High. The Monterrey native was once the No. 1-ranked tennis player in Mexico in his age group as a 14-year-old, he said. Prior to coming to Sharyland High, Gonzalez was rated as a top five player.

The now-Division I athlete spent time playing in international tournaments in the fall and winter instead of team tennis. Gonzalez competed in Tampico, Guadalajara and Cancun. Gonzalez went on to go undefeated in all spring tournaments then district and regionals. Gonzalez’s only loss in the spring came in the state final.

Gonzalez lost to Fort Bend Kempner’s Noey Do 6-2, 7-6(4) after not dropping a set his other two matches to set up the final.

“He was consistent and played a pretty good outside shot the whole game,” Gonzalez said. “Not mad at all that I lost. I could have done a lot of things better. It is what it is. I was just happy to get out there again because I could have lost in the previous round.”

The two-time state silver medalist has visited the campus in the small town of Loretto, Pennsylvania, where he plans on studying finance. A little more than 1,000 people live in the university town.

“It is a quiet environment,” Gonzalez said. “When you go there, you know you are going to be focused on what you are doing. That is why I like it.”

Brownsville St. Joseph junior Alondra Loya is a TAPPS Class 5A state champion for the second consecutive season.

Loya won the TAPPS 5A discus state title with a throw of 126 feet, 11 inches Friday in Waco.

Brownsville St. Joseph head track and field coach Teddy Lopez said Loya is a consistent thrower, always hitting 125 feet to 135 in practice or at meets before Loya embarked to state.

“I could have definitely been better,” Loya said. “I was a little bit upset because I have been working so hard for that moment and it felt like a lot of hard work was put into it, and in the end it was not the numbers I wanted but it was the best that I could do and that is all I can ask for.”

Loya is still extremely happy about winning state. The senior had some goals of picking up a throw in the 140-foot range, but it is excited about the possible opportunity of competing with other TAPPS state champions, she said.

The state champion traveled with two other discus throwers from Brownsville St. Joseph. Andrea Jasso finished in fourth place and freshman Olivia Wood picked up a bronze medal. Wood set a personal record of 114 feet, four inches.

“I am extremely proud of her,” Loya said of Wood. “She has worked extremely hard, and I am just so happy for her because she has been so supportive for everyone else. Sometimes she got discouraged because she did not always have the best day, but we knew she had it in her.”

Brownsville St. Joseph also brought home a medal in pole vault as freshman Nicole Richer won bronze.

Lopez said the freshman was disappointed. But it was a tremendous season for the newcomer in pole vault. Richer is set to be one of the best returning girls pole vaulters in the Valley. Richer finished second at the RGVCA meet of champions this season.

BISHOP — The whole Mercedes team gathered behind home plate, dancing and pumping up the fans who made the two-hour trip for an area-round series with Gregory-Portland prior to Game 3.

The Tigers then took their at-bats and exploded offensively to win Game 3 against Gregory-Portland 23-1 after being shut down in Game 2, losing 3-1 in the early game.

Mercedes, now Class 5A area-round winners, face Corpus Christi Carroll in a Class 5A regional quarterfinal series or game next week.

It was a stark contrast to Game 2, when the Tigers scored a run during the first inning and then not again until Game 3. Errors defensively and an absent offense forced the third game Saturday at Bishop High School’s softball field.

“We just could not get things to go our way,” Mercedes head coach Kristy Leal said. “Offensively, that was not us. I knew we were going to catch a break because these kids are relentless.”

Mercedes did it without power hitter and pitcher Zelinda Camacho not hitting. Gregory-Portland opted to walk Camacho after she nearly went deep in the first inning of Game 2.

Next up in the lineup after Camacho is Ashley De Leon. The sophomore catcher drove in seven runs during her first three at-bats of Game 3 to help put the Tigers up 10-0. De Leon added an eighth RBI in the top of the fifth.

“It just gave me motivation to do it for Zel and my other teammates — just have her back,” De Leon said.

Designated hitter Rhianna Sierra drove in four runs, including two in the top of the fourth. The Tigers scored eight runs in the inning. Lindsey Lopez started the inning with a home run and came back up to the plate to hit a RBI double.

The Tigers added five more runs in the top of the fifth to make it 23-1.

“These kids have been tested in I do not know how many district games,” Leal said. “They prevailed in most of them, we won the district championship. I knew that they were going to be relentless, come out, figure it out and they did. They fought until the end.”

Corpus Christi Carroll, also the Tigers, defeated Weslaco East in Corpus Christi on Saturday to set up the third-round meeting with Mercedes.

“District 29-5A is tough,” Leal said. “We always look forward to getting them, but everyone is beatable in the playoffs. It is about who shows up and continues to fight. These kids want it.”

WESLACO — Corpus Christi Carroll jumped on Weslaco East early to take Game 1 of a Class 5A area-round softball series at Weslaco East High School.

The Wildcats knocked in some runs late, but it was not enough as the Tigers built a strong enough lead to win 15-6 and take a 1-0 lead back to Corpus Christi for Game 2 2 p.m. today at Cabaniss Field.

Weslaco East head coach Victoria Vasquez praised her team’s hitting, but said the team needs to improve defensively for Game 2.

“I think we had a little jitters coming into the game,” Vasquez said. “Got to clean up defensively and take care of our pitcher in the circle. We need to sleep on it and get back at it tomorrow.”

Weslaco East outfielder Ambrosia Peña, Ariel Lopez and Aubrey Zuniga picked up RBIs in the bottom of the seventh after the Wildcats gave up four runs in the top half of the inning, including a two-run home run by Carroll’s Ameris Garcia.

Carroll went deep during the top of the fifth with a solo shot by Katelyn Mendez, and scored three in the top of the fourth. The Tigers scored seven across the first three innings. The sixth inning was the only inning the visiting Corpus Christi school did not pick up a run.

“Carroll is a great team,” Vasquez said. “We played them a couple of years ago, they were great then. We just have to take care of business I think.”

Weslaco East’s Angie Herrera drove in two runs while Carroll piled on in the middle innings. University of Incarnate Word commit Piper Caceres hit a single and a double. Wildcats pitcher Kaylin Morales also had a good night at the plate, hitting three singles.

Class 5A Rio Grande Valley Schools have struggled against District 29-5A opponents this playoff. District 30-5A’s Mission Veterans, Rio Grande City, Roma and La Joya Palmview did not pick up a win against the Coastal Bend schools in the bi-district round.

Only Mercedes has picked up a win against District 29-5A competition. Harlingen South was eliminated in two games by Corpus Christi Flour Bluff and Sharyland Pioneer dropped Game 1 to Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial.

LOS FRESNOS — Los Fresnos swimmer Jada Ashford never lost in an individual race at a Class 6A regional meet in all four years at Los Fresnos High School.

Ashford is staying in the region by signing with the University of Incarnate Word’s NCAA Division I swimming program. Ashford signed with the school from San Antonio on Thursday at Los Fresnos High School.

“I was waiting for the perfect opportunity to swim,” Ashford said. “I had toured some schools and received offers, but I just did not feel 100% matched with them.”

Ashford mulled over the decision to secure opportunities educationally. Ashford wants to be a nurse and wanted to make sure if she did swim for a university that it had nursing program.

Incarnate Word does, making it a perfect fit for Los Fresnos’ standout swimmer.

“It matched both my educational goals and athletic goals,” Ashford said. “I kind of wanted to put swimming on the back burner, focus on my career, but now that this came up I thought maybe I can manage both.”

Ashford was sensational in her time swimming in UIL events for the Falcons. Ashford swam sprint freestyle events, butterfly and relays mainly for the Falcons.

Ashford figures she is going to be a 50-yard freestyle swimmer, her best event while in high school.

Los Fresnos swimming and diving head coach Jaime Perez plans on taking a bus filled with Falcons to watch Ashford swim at the highest collegiate level.

Perez was grateful for having Ashford in his program, he said.

“Jada has really improved our program by raising the bar,” he said. “Our saying in our program is: ‘Good, better, best, never let it rest until your good is better and your better is best.’ Jada has really been the best swimmer we ever had.”

All of Ashford’s records and accomplishments helped motivate the team, Perez said.

“Getting that kind of help from an athlete is priceless,” Perez said.

ROWNSVILLE — Track and field is black and white as athletes head to state, no times, distances jumped or feet reached are hidden. All the cards are on the table.

Brownsville St. Joseph has two aces in its hand as it heads to the TAPPS 5A state meet Friday in Waco.

Defending state discus champion Alondra Loya and freshman pole vaulter Nicole Richer enter the state meet seeded as No. 1 in their respective events after winning regional championships a week ago. Loya and Richer are feeling confident in themselves for Friday’s meet.

Richer and Loya look at their competition’s jumps or marks and even their progression this year. It is part of the sport, similar to swimming: everybody knows what they have.

Richer defeated her main competition, Lutheran South Academy’s Alma Martin, at the TAPPS 5A South Regional.

“She is happy where she is at,” St. Joseph head track and field coach Teddy Lopez said. “Hopefully it equates to a good performance. That is all she has to do, put it together like she has been doing these last three meets. I try to drill in their brain to just focus on execution and effort, do not worry about the outcome. The outcome will take care of itself.”

Richer finished second at the RGVCA Meet of Champions last month in Harlingen. The freshman has vaulted herself as one of the best in the sport in the Valley. Lopez praised the support she has from her parents. Richer also acknowledged her parents as being an important factor for her success in pole vaulting.

The TAPPS regional champion started drilling during the seventh grade but did not really feel like doing it much. Eighth grade is when Richer really became invested in the sport.

“Last year me, would have been whoa,” Richer said. “This year, I am, like,no biggie, but I am excited.”

Richer, like Loya, is extremely competitive. They both want to be champions this year, through Loya already is one.

Loya is the returning state champion in discus and, despite injuring an ankle performing a musical, is poised for another go at state, with hopes of winning it again.

“That is the plan,” Loya said. “I think the bigger plan is improving so I can get out there, because the next step is to try and go to college for it, try to get a scholarship for it.”

Joining Loya in discus is Olivia Wood and Andrea Jasso. They call themselves the Three Musketeers, with their coach Ray Cortinas, d’Artagnan at their side.

“The end goal is to make it to state,” Jasso said. “I feel blessed to go with my teammates. We have been traveling to district, regionals and now state. To do that with my teammates is something really special to me.”

Jasso, a senior, was a pivotal player on the basketball team and is headed to Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, in the fall for academics. Wood is the baby of the Three Musketeers, only a freshman. Wood is ready to gain experience at state.

Wood does not have to go far for state experience, because she practices with a state champion.

“I watch her throw, and it is unbelievable,” Wood said. “Even when she hits 130, she is still upset with what she does. It is almost unreal to watch her throw sometimes.”

HARLINGEN — All but one of Corpus Christi Flour Bluff’s runs came off of home runs during an 11-5 win over Harlingen South in Game 1 of a Class 5A area-round series Thursday at Harlingen South’s softball field.

Flour Bluff’s Navaeh Lanter led things off in the first inning for the Hornets with a solo shot that almost landed in Harlingen South’s snack bar. Hornets outfielder Emily Mayo smacked two home runs to dead center, a solo shot in the second and a three-run blast in the fourth to give the Hornets a 5-1 lead after the Hawks threatened with the bases loaded during the previous inning.

Flour Bluff’s Kaitlynn Frakes smashed a three-run home run, the Hornets’ fourth of the night, in the sixth inning to put the Hornets up 8-1. Lanter picked up her second home run two at-bats later, just missing a cameraman to put the Hornets up 10-1.

Flour Bluff senior pitcher Jade Moreno is one of the better pitchers in District 29-5A. Moreno found herself in trouble in the third and the seventh.

Harlingen South scored one run off of a bad throw. The Hawks then had the bases loaded with one out, but did not find that solid hit to either tie the game or break it open as Moreno escaped the inning.

Harlingen South’s Janessa Rivera hit three times and Kailee Silva hit twice against the tough Moreno. Rivera smacked a single in the seventh to help load the bases. Hawks designated hitter Natalie Martinez cleared the bases with a single, but Moreno survived the inning to close out Game 1.

Game 2 is set for 6:30 p.m. today at Flour Bluff.

MISSION — The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks scored seven runs in the bottom of the second inning against Brownsville Lopez and never looked back en route to an 11-1 victory.

The Diamondbacks finished the game in five inning to take the Class 5A bi-district playoff series 2-1 and become the only team left from the Upper Valley remaining in the UIL softball playoffs.

Diamondbacks pitcher Reaghan Staehely was animated and emotional in the circle as she breezed through the Lobos lineup.

“It is an emotional game,” Staehely said. “I am definitely an emotional player. I like to think that it comes in handy some times because when those girls make those amazing plays. Seeing it happen, seeing it all flow, it just really pulls at your heartstrings.”

The pitcher praised her defense for the win and making herself look good in the circle.

“If it was not for them, I would not be the pitcher that I am today,” Staehely said. “When I am out there, I know that I have a sound defense behind me. We have great bats on offense, so I play knowing that those girls are there for me.”

Staehely led things off in the pivotal second inning with a double and was immediately driven in by Lexie Lopez. Alondra Rodriguez added an RBI, Faith Nunez drove in two runs, Daniela Ortiz then stepped up with an RBI and Staehely came back up to bring in the final run of the second inning.

Lopez put the game away for Sharyland Pioneer in the fourth inning with a two-run home run.

“I was shocked,” Lopez said. “It was a 3-2 count and I was very nervous, but I think all of my nerves went into that hit.”

Brownsville Lopez won the first game at Pioneer and had the Diamondbacks on the ropes for the second game, but a grand slam in extra innings by Sharyland Pioneer leveled the series for Monday’s showdown. Had the Lobos won, District 32-5A would have swept District 31-5A.

It was a rough game for the visiting Lobos, but still a successful season head coach Jessie Martinez said for the only team that made it to the playoffs from the city of Brownsville.

“They came out and had a bad night tonight,” he said. “One bad inning, they scored seven runs and the hit ball hard – bottom line. It is a game of inches, they had some rollers that barely made it through, but they capitalized on them. Overall, I am happy with this group.”

Sharyland Pioneer takes on Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial in the area round.

RAYMONDVILLE — Harlingen High’s Madison Vargas pitched a brilliant game and contributed offensively, the Cardinals defense showed out again and Lilly Rocha smashed a home run to deliver Harlingen High its first playoff series win since 2009.

The Cardinals were run-ruled in the first game only to win the last two games 3-2 on Friday night and 3-1 Saturday night at Raymondville High School to win a Class 6A bi-district playoff series.

Harlingen High head coach Kevin Ledesma said the team battled some adversity to pull off the win. Damages to the outfield fence at the Cardinals’ field caused the game to be moved to Raymondville instead of a home game.

“We adapted to our environment and the girls just balled out,” Ledesma said. “We are playing really good softball right now as a team. These girls deserve it. They work so hard.”

Vargas went the distance in the circle and also scored the eventual game winning run in the bottom of the fourth inning. In Game 2 Vargas found the gap between right and center field twice, in Game 3 she did the same to get on base in the fourth.

Vargas scored from third when left fielder Miranda Garza’s hit to third base was not fielded cleanly and Vargas booked it to home.

Vargas said she felt relaxed in the circle, good vibes and feeling great, she said. The vibes were flowing to her defense. Athena Linnartz was scooping everything at short stop. Garza and right fielder Charlise Ybarra pulled down terrific catches in the top of the sixth inning with La Joya pitcher Arlette Hernandez ready to tie things up while on base.

“They really had my back today,” Vargas said. “I knew I could count on them no matter what went to them.”

Harlingen High third baseman Lilly Rocha provided insurance with a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth to make it 3-1. Rocha started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a double. Rocha drove in Amaris Gomez after Gomez opened things up with a double.

“I was not even trying to swing for the fence,” Rocha said. “But, you know, it just happens.”

La Joya High scored in the top of the third. Alayali Alaniz picked up the RBI. Hernandez pitched three straight games for the Coyotes, but could not pick up the run support like in Game 1.

Harlingen High is set to face San Antonio Harlan in the area round in a time and date to be determined.