Author: henry miller

by henry miller

Del Angel overwhelms field at McAllen City Amateur

Miguel Del Angel Jr. chipped onto the green from about 80 yards out and left the ball within a foot of the cup.

If the tournament wasn’t already out of reach prior to hole 15, it was then. He tapped in for that gave the Mission native a five-stroke lead as he breezed down the stretch to win his tournament-best sixth McAllen Amateur Golf Championship over the weekend at Champion Lakes Golf Course.

Miguel Del Angel Jr. celebrates with the crowd after finishing his last putt on the 18th green during the McAllen City Amateur at Champion Lakes Golf Course on Sunday, June 23, 2024, in McAllen. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

Angel was the only golfer under par for the two-day event, penciling in a 72-70 for a 2-under 142. HE recorded a 34 on the front nine Sunday to extend his lead to five over Gonzalez heading into the final nine holes.

“That was big,” Del Angel said of his approach on 15. “I was hitting some good shots on 10 and 11. On 13, I left myself a little longer putt and on 14 I missed it left – I’d rather keep a large lead but it’s hard to play with a lead. I almost try to thing I’m five down and chasing them to stay aggressive but you have to be conservatively aggressive on certain holes and then you have to be playing to the middle of the green.

The next closest golfer to Del Angel in championships is Luke Antonelli and Ron Kilby with three apiece. Antonelli has won the tournament in 2019, 2021 and 2023 – setting him up possibly for another odd year title in 2025.

Former McAllen Memorial golfer Raul Gonzalez, eagled No. 18 to break a tie with defending and three-time champion Antonelli to capture second at 145. After the putt, local fans threw out an emphatic cheer and Gonzalez did a pump fist and heaved the ball out of play in celebration.

Former McAllen Memorial golfer Raul Gonzalez takes a shot during the final round of the McAllen City Amateur Golf Championship on Sunday, June 25 and Champion Lakes Golf Course (Joel Martinez / The Monitor)

“Miggy is a great champion. He’s unbelievable and he kept his foot on our throats and made it tough for us,” Gonzalez said. “Playing against these Valley legends, I was blacked out for about six holes, but I finished birdie-birdie-eagle so that was exciting, and to make a putt in front of all these fans, it was awesome.

“I told myself if I won it, I would be one and done, but I feel I have some unfinished business now.”

Albert Ochoa, the former No. 1 golfer in the NCAA when he played at Texas Christian University, finished fourth with a 147 total.

Angel and Ochoa, who have known and golfed together for many years, shared the lead after the first day at par-72. That round included drizzles and one rainy patch with winds sending the rain parallel to the course. After about a 45-minute delay, golfers returned to finish their rounds.

 

 

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by henry miller

Ochoa, Del Angel in the lead at McAllen City Amateur

Albert Ochoa and Miguel Del Angel Jr. each shot par 72 and hold a slim lead heading into today’s final round of the 22nd McAllen Amateur Golf Championship at Champion Lakes Golf Course in McAllen.

The two will be paired as the final group when they tee off at 2:05 p.m., weather permitting.

Raul Gonzalez is alone in third at 1-over-par with a 73. Gonzalez led a good portion of the day during Saturday’s rainy round but then bogeyed holes 5, 6 and 8 and double bogeyed nine to drop behind the leaders.

Play was suspended at one point when the skies opened up and gusts of rain whipped across the course. After about 45 minutes and some work done on the greens, golfers returned to the course.

Four golfers, including three-time and defending champion Luke Antonelli sit three strokes behind the leaders at 75. Along with Antonelli are Arnoldo Curiel, Willie Gonzalez and McLean Beckwith.

Angel has won the event five times (2022, 2016, 2013, 2010 and 2008). The next closest is Antonelli (2023, 2021, 2019) and Ron Kilby (2007, 2005, 2003). Ricardo Samar, the 2018 champion, is tied for 11th at 77 and 2004 champion Ross Ledesma is 12th at 78. Two-time champion Genaro Davila is tied for 23rd at 8-over.

Ochoa, from Edinburg, was once the No. 1 ranked NCAA Div. I golfer on the country while playing for TCU. This is his second time competing in the event and heed some of last year’s tournament.

Champion flight tee times begin at 12:37 p.m. today.

A TIGER TALE

Taylor Crozier is 11-over heading into today’s final round. However, the Corpus Christi native may be the biggest celebrity on the course. A video of Crozier went viral in March, 2016, as the then 11-year-old teed off in a tournament in front of a watching Tiger Woods.

Crozier sank the shot, recording a hole-in-one, sending the crowd into an uproar and celebrating with high fives all around. Then Woods ran up to him and gave him a big hug. Tiger teed off next – but it was Crozier’s shot that was the talk of the day.

“I was really excited when I saw the ball go in the cup,” Crozier told ABC, one of the many media outlets that showed the video. “All of a sudden I just felt my feet lift off the ground a little bit.”

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by henry miller

C’est Shaine: McAllen’s Casas headed to Paris for the 2024 Olympics

McAllen’s Shaine Casas is competing in the Olympics.

Casas, a McAllen High graduate, finished second in the finals of the 200-meter individual medley, earning a berth at the Summer Olympic Games beginning next month.

Casas finished with a time of 1 minute, 55.83 seconds, just 0.18 seconds behind winner Carson Foster. Casas led at the 50-, 100- and 150-meter marks before touching the wall just a second earlier than third place Kieren Smith.

Casas entered the finals with the second best time during the competition, at 1:57.87, only behind Chase Kalisz at 1:56.83. Kalisz captured fourth on Friday.

Casas, a McAllen High alum, advanced to Friday’s finals by winning his heat and has the second fastest time going into the finals.

The Olympic swimming trials were held for the first time on a football field — Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Summer Olympics, which will be held in Paris, run fro Wednesday, July 24, until Saturday, Aug. 11. The 200 IMs, Casas’ event, will begin Thursday, Aug, 1 with heats competition. The semifinals will be held later that night and the championship will be Friday, Aug. 2.

Casas swam in the first of two semifinals and posted a time of 1 minute, 59.10 seconds to reach Thursday’s semis. He entered the event as the top seed in the 200 IM in 1:56.06.

Casas also has the second fastest time entering the 100-meter Butterfly. but chose to not compete in that event so he could focus on the 200 finals.

An 11-time world championship medalist and three-time NCAA champion, Casas barely missed qualifying for the 2020 Olympics, a stunner for him and more in the swimming world. After that, he quit swimming for a couple of months to regroup.

“I feel great,” Casas said during a recent phone interview with RGVSports.com. “The result I had last time taught me a lot about myself and the sport. It’s great to win but sometimes losing teaches you more than winning.

“Everything I’ve been through since then — the obstacles and the growth — have given me confidence as an athlete and as a person. I’ve been through hard times and some great times and have been able to make the best of things in both situations.”

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by henry miller

Casas eyes another step toward Olympics – swims at 9 p.m. tonight

For each of the past three seasons, McAllen’s Shaine Casas has led the United States in the 200-meter individual medley.

At 9 p.m. tonight, Casas, a McAllen High alum, will compete in the same race – this time for a shot at making it to the finals – and, then, the 2024 Olympics in Paris – in the 200 IM.

The Olympics swimming trials are being held for the first time on a football field – Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. For information on where to watch the events, go to teamusa.com/swimming-trials.

Casas will swim in the first of two semifinals and posted a time of 1 minute, 59.10 seconds to reach the semis. He entered the event as the top seed in the 200 IM in 1:56.06. If he advances, he will compete in the finals at 7 p.m. Friday

Casas has the second fastest time entering the 100-meter Butterfly. The heats and the semifinals will take place on Friday and the final is scheduled for Saturday. His time of 50.80 in that event places him behind Dare Russell, whose qualifying time is 50.46 and ahead of Caleb Dressel at 50.84.

An 11-time world championship medalist and three-time NCAA champion, Casas barely missed qualifying for the 2020 Olympics, a stunner for him and more in the swimming world. After that, he quit swimming for a couple of months to regroup.

“I feel great,” Casas said during a recent phone interview with RGVSports.com. “The result I had last time taught me a lot about myself and the sport. It’s great to win but sometimes losing teaches you more than winning.

“Everything I’ve been through since then – the obstacles and the growth – have given me confidence as an athlete and as a person. I’ve been through hard times and some great times and have been able to make the best of things in both situations.”

 

 

 

 

 

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by henry miller

Antonelli, Del Angel among favorites at McAllen City Amateur

Luke Antonelli, Miguel Del Angel and Genaro Davila have won almost half of the 21 McAllen City Amateur Golf Championships, capturing 11 of those titles.

Del Angel has a tournament-best five titles, last winning in 2022. Antonelli has three wins during the past four tournaments and is the defending champion. Davila, along with Kyle Marburger, has two titles, his last coming in 2014.

Those three golfers are once again among the favorites as the 22nd city amateur begins Saturday with a stacked field across its five flights at Champion Lakes Golf Course.

Antonelli, from San Antonio, holds the lowest-winning score after shooting a 71-65 — 136 in last season’s event. His 7-under-par 65 was the lowest round in tournament history, which dates back to 2002.

There are 159 golfer scheduled to compete in what McAllen Director of Golf, Carlos Espinosa, said possibly is the most competitive field in tournament history for the par-72 course that measures 6,783 yards from the black tees. Golfers must also navigate the unpredictable South Texas winds, recent rains, 16 water hazards and 11 bunkers.

There will be practice rounds available all day beginning at 7:15 a.m. today. In the afternoon there will be a putting contest beginning at 4 p.m.

The two-day event begins with progressive tee times starting on both No. 1 and No. 10 tees. The awards/ring ceremony for the L&F Distributors Amateur Golf Championship is scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. Sunday at the 18th green.

 

 

 

 

 

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by henry miller

Commentary: The greatest moment in RGV high school sports history 

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Andrea Ortiz is suddenly a cliché.

That’s how much her name has been said since Saturday evening. The pace is not slowing down, either. If it’s not a household name yet, it will be shortly, and for quite a long time.

In what arguably could be the greatest and most significant high school sports moment ever in the Rio Grande Valley, Ortiz put an exclamation point as the final punctuation of the story, hitting a dramatic grand slam while her Weslaco High Panthers trailed 9-7 against Waco Midway for the UIL Class 6A softball state championship.

It’s Class 6A, the largest schools in Texas. It was the biggest moment of the more-than-month-long state tournament. It deserved big drama. It earned big drama. It was as if Ortiz and the Lady Panthers directed the made-for-the-big-screen-moment. Some even are saying it may have been the biggest moment in UIL softball history.

The grand slam gave Weslaco the first softball championship in Valley history. Not even Stephen Spielberg could’ve written or created such a fantasy world with that type of ending.

Down 9-7, Ortiz’s one swing turned it into a celebration. The only concern was whether or not she would pass her own teammates on the base paths as they all celebrated wildly, each sprinting to reach home plate. They must’ve pinched themselves when they got there — was this really real, did this truly happen?

11-9, game over. Weslaco Panthers, Class 6A state champions.

Prior to that, Ortiz wasn’t having what she would consider a magical individual postseason performance. In the state semifinal against Denton Guyer, she threw her helmet down in frustration after striking out during one at-bat. Later during that 13-inning heart attack, Ortiz laid down a bunt that advanced a runner to second with the game tied. Ema Galvan singled and brought Romy Nuñez home from second.

So, it would be fair to say and Ortiz had the most impact with her big hit and most critical “non hit” for Weslaco en route to becoming queens of the ballpark. It took big hits all season, during the playoffs, during the state semifinal matchup and, throughout that seventh inning where Panther after Panther turned clutch.

But at the plate in the seventh, less than a day after her bunt, none of that mattered. Going into that last inning, none of the girls wanted to make the final out.  If you look at the boxscore today, there’s still just one out; there will never be more than that.

Ortiz came to the plate for the fourth time in the game. Waco pitcher Lanee Brown couldn’t have asked for much more. Here was a batter who was not only 0-for-3 at the plate, but Brown had struck her out twice already.

This is when all the other clichés came forward — things like never ever give up, time to step up, play with your heart, you’ve got to want it more — the same phrases that coaches tell kids (and the media) thousands of times. None of these, however, were clichés anymore. They were real life.

On a 3-2, pitch, with one out, Ortiz struck down Goliath. (Another cliché moment)

The rest is history — and there is no argument — it was the greatest moment in RGV high school sports.

Congratulations to Ortiz and to the Weslaco Panthers. As Kobe Bryant once asked, “is the job done?”

Yes it is, Weslaco. Yes, indeed.

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by henry miller

Palacios efficient, effective as McHi wins Game 1 against Memorial

Jaime Palacios made just one mistake and Jose Rivera sent the ball sailing over the left center-field wall for a two-run homer.

“Yeah, it was a hanging slider,” Palacios said. “It was a bad pitch.”

McAllen High’s Hayden Bortnick, left, is tagged out at home by McAllen Memorial’s Lukas Cabrera, right, during a Class 5A Region IV quarterfinals game at McAllen Memorial baseball field on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in McAllen. (Delcia Lopez | [email protected])

That pitch may have been the only true mistake as Palacios threw 87 pitches over seven innings to lead the Bulldogs to a 3-2 victory over the Mustangs in Game 1 of the Region IV-5A baseball quarterfinals at McAllen Memorial. Game 2 of the best-of-three series is at 7 p.m. tonight at McAllen High.

Palacios, a 5-foot-11 junior who looks even taller inside his lanky frame, attacked the strike zone all night with precision and by after the third inning had just tossed 37 pitches. He was in complete command of his curveball, fastball and changeup. His delivery may be a little quirky and he looked to sling the ball more than a traditional windup and delivery, but it was completely effective – and powerful.

In the seventh, Palacios collected his fifth and sixth strikeouts of the night. The Bulldogs recorded their second out on a terrific gem defensively by shortstop Luis Esquivel. Palacios hit the next better, bringing the winning run to the plate. Palacios, however, caught him looking and the Bulldogs took the 1-0 series lead.

“I trust my defense and they had been making good plays the entire game. I just needed to throw strikes,” Palacios said. “At the beginning, I was nervous but after the first inning I calmed down and just did my thing.”

McAllen High head coach Eliseo Pompa said he had absolutely know thoughts of taking Palacios out of the game, even after the two run homer, which he followed by falling behind 2-0 on the next batter but still got the next three hitters. After six, he had thrown just 70 pitches.

“We’ve been working on his strength and he can go about 105-110,” Pompa said. “The nig thing was that he didn’t have many full counts, which he had done in the past. He was on tonight.

“He made one mistake but that’s one thing about him, he’s always thinking.”

The Bulldogs scored their first run in the first on a run-scoring single from Aaron Cortez and added their second run after Nate Zaragoza was hit by a pitch and came around to score on a triple from Justin Garza. Zaragoza also scored McHi’s final run and the Bulldogs had the bases loaded with one out when he lined out to right field. Garza, who was on third, tagged and tried to score but was gunned down at the plate to end the inning.

 

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by henry miller

St. Joe’s Cortinas signs with Ranger College

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It’s not often that fans on both sides of a crowded gym stand in eager anticipation for the next play to develop.

It’s a collective deep breath, followed by shouts of excitement and awe, then the anticipation swells again.

That’s what it was like for Brownsville St. Joseph Academy’s Deliany Cortinas during the sub-5A All-Star volleyball game this past season at McAllen High.

Time and again, the 5-11 middle went up and not just attacked but exploded on the ball, oftentimes landing well inside the 10-foot line, bringing those in attendance — either cheering for the West or Cortinas’ East team — to their feet time and again, louder and louder, clearly having the most impressive performance of the day’s three matches.

Many of those friends, family, coaches and others were cheering her again Wednesday at St. Joseph as she signed a full-ride scholarship to play volleyball at Ranger Junior College. She joins Los Fresnos setter Jenna Rios as the second signee to join the Rangers’ volleyball team.

“It’s a great chance to go to a good school and to go with my friend (Jenna), who told me a lot of good things about it,” said Cortinas, who was the RGVSports.com All-Area Sub-5A Volleyball Player of the Year last season. “I need to just keep working hard. This is only the beginning.”

Confidence is now a part of her resume to pair with an obvious escalation of talent. Much of that confidence came from her high school coach, Dolores Olguin-Trevino, her club coaches at Valley Venom and that one day where she was a superstar of All-Stars.

“At first I was, like, it’s not a big deal,” Cortinas said about the All-Star event. “But once I saw the crowd and how loud they were, it was awesome and exciting. I’m so glad I’ve had people supporting me.”

Ranger College volleyball coach Nicole Smith said during a phone interview that she was excited to have Cortinas and Rios added to the roster.

“I’m looking forward to them working and growing, and bringing what they have to Ranger College,” Smith said. “They are two outstanding players who have had great coaches in high school and with the Valley Venom coaches. They’ve done a tremendous job getting these young ladies ready for the next level.

“It has also helped that they’ve played together in club, so they know a lot of what each other can do. We are totally excited about our future and them being a part of it.”

“I’ve been growing in my confidence, and I keep growing up,” Cortinas said. “I’m learning to take those things in the past and use them to become a better person. As time goes, you just need to keep working and learning.”

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by henry miller

Mustangs’ Sosa signs with Oklahoma Christian after inspiring season

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If Londyn Sosa ever needed to find inspiration, she didn’t need to look far. Her older sister Madisyn was always nearby.

Throughout her years playing volleyball, Madisyn was probably an inspiration to more people than she’ll ever know. An undersized outside hitter at McAllen Memorial, Madisyn exploded like a rocket blasting off when she left her feet on a kill attempt, facing whatever giants who were trying to shut her down. More often than not, she landed victorious.

She was an inspiration again Wednesday in front of family, friends, teammates, coaches and more as she signed to continue her academic and volleyball career at Oklahoma Christian, an NCAA Div. II program that competes in the Lonestar Conference and is located in Edmond, Oklahoma.

That inspiration, however, didn’t come with the end product — her signing day, but the grueling road she took to find her new home. What she endured her senior season would spell “it’s over” for many athletes.

Not for Madisyn Sosa, however,

Early during the first round of district play, at Sharyland, came back to earth from one of her short leaping flights, and collapsed to the floor – this time when she landed, there were no victories involved, no opposing giants to point at. It was the type of fall where anyone who has seen it before knew immediately – it was a knee, in this case a torn posterior cruciate ligament.

Somehow, she returned to the floor during that match, suffering with three different tears, clearly playing in pain. Her biggest weapons, a high flyer with a big arm and a deadly jump serve, were no good to her.

“I went back in with it torn in three different places. I felt this tingling sensation – everybody was telling me I’m fine but I wasn’t fine —  I tried, but it didn’t really work,” Sosa said.

“After that, I thought I wasn’t going to find a home because I tore my knee and was kind of like a has been,” Sosa said. “After visiting, though, I felt like I found a place I was happy with regardless of that knee injury. I found my home.”

However, she refused to let go of her dream of playing at the next level. She returned to play prior to the postseason and, while starting off tentatively, gained both her strength and confidence back to help Memorial to reach the Sweet 16 for the second time during her four years playing on the Mustangs’ varsity squad.

Sosa and her Mustangs, who finished fourth is in District 31-5A, defeated that same Sharyland squad she got injured playing against during the playoffs, ending the Rattlers’ 43-match win streak (the longest in the state at the time) to reach the Region 5-4A semifinals. Sosa ended the day with 10 kills, 13 digs, and one block. She was closer to being back 100% more than anyone could’ve expected in the short time she was out.

“I felt really wanted there,” Sosa said. “At first I didn’t want to go out of state but I thought I should at least give it a shot and when I went there I really wanted to be there – I knew I had found my new home —  and they have a good nursing program and that’s what I want to be. It all really drew me to the university.”

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by henry miller

USA Volleyball upholds Richardson suspension from coaching, training 

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USA Volleyball has upheld the suspension of Texas Fierce Elite volleyball director Ryan Richardson. This was confirmed by Lone Star regional director Will Vick last week.

“My job is always for the concern and safety of our young athletes, and that’s what we’re doing,” Vick said. “If I make an error in judgement, I’m going to make it on the side of the athlete to keep them safe.”

The extended suspension, which started Feb. 16, according to USA Volleyball, began March 27, 2024, and will continue through Aug. 31, 2024.

“I am extremely surprised by the suspension and disappointed that I have not been given any information regarding what I allegedly did wrong. The safety and security of the athletes that train with Texas Fierce Elite Volleyball is always my primary focus and concern,” Richardson said in an email. “I would never do anything to risk the physical or mental wellbeing of these strong young ladies. So, when Lone Star Region Commissioner Will Vick notified me about the suspension on February 16, 2024, I was shocked, because I had never received any complaints from any one of my players or their parents regarding anything that could have been construed as violating any of the SafeSport Rules or the USA Volleyball Code of Conduct, and Mr. Vick did not provide any information other than to generally reference these regulations.”

Vick said last week that the regional office, which reports to USA Volleyball, was flooded with communications regarding Richardson and the situation, but also had several calls of support for Richardson and his program. He added, however, that USA Volleyball’s job is to make sure that programs are run appropriately and are monitored to stop anything happening before it does.

“Again, our goal again is to keep all the kids safe, that’s it.” Vick said.

The Safe Sport Act requires “sports organizations to establish reasonable procedures to limit one-on-one interactions between an adult and an amateur athletes who is a minor … without being in an observable and interruptible distance from another adult.”

“My immediate reaction was to make a request to Mr. Vick for any evidence he had to justify the suspension, and I specifically requested that he provide me with any statement, complaint, message, text, photo, or screenshot of any activity or communication that he believed violated the rules,” Richardson said in his email. “To this very day, I have received nothing. The procedural and disciplinary rules of USA Volleyball require that any member who is disciplined receive notification of the specific evidence to support the decision, the specific rule that was violated, and an opportunity to appeal the decision to USA Volleyball. Despite numerous attempts on my behalf to get information regarding the allegation against me, to this very day, Mr. Vick has ignored my requests. He has failed to notify me of what I did wrong, he has failed to notify me of what rule I violated, and he has denied me the opportunity to appeal his decision, in violation of the procedural rules of the Lone Star Region and USA Volleyball.

“Mr. Vick passed judgment on me without telling me what I was accused of doing or giving me an opportunity to respond. I have filed a grievance with USA Volleyball for his failure to provide me with basic information during the process, as is required by the Rules, and for his violation of the Lone Star Region Rules and USA Volleyball procedures with regard to disciplinary action.”

Richardson’s name appears on the USA Volleyball website with a pair of violations: “Violation of USAV Code of Conduct, Violation of U.S. Center for SafeSport Conduct.” Richardson’s name, however, did not appear on the SafeSport database as of Monday afternoon.

“I am an enthusiastic proponent of the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) of SafeSport and in the USA Volleyball Code of Conduct, because they are important safeguards to protect our sport and the athletes that make it so great. I have always made a concerted effort in my club to educate my coaches, athletes, and their parents with regard to these rules, and do our best to follow them always,” Richardson said. “When Mr. Vick notified me of my suspension, he mentioned that I ‘appeared’ to be in violation of the ‘Media Rule’ for the MAAPP of SafeSport. I checked, however, and there is no ‘Media Rule’ for SafeSport.

“While this has not affected my club’s success in winning tournaments, as we just won the Big South Qualifer (sic) this weekend in Atlanta Georgia in both 15u and 16u, it has affected my ability to work with my athletes, who are my main concern.”

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