The top high school athletes and teams across the Rio Grande Valley will be honored at the 2022 All Valley Sports Awards Banquet from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Edinburg Conference Center At Renaissance in Edinburg.
The Valley’s top student-athletes, coaches, programs and teams will receive 35 awards recognizing their achievements and success in their respective high school sports, as voted on by AIM Media’s three local newspapers — The Brownsville Herald, The Monitor and Valley Morning Star.
Former MLB pitcher, World Series champion and Sharyland High alum Jaime Garcia will serve as the keynote speaker at the 2022 All Valley Sports Awards Banquet.
Garcia was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 22nd round of the 2005 MLB Draft out of Sharyland High. He put together an eight-year career with the Cardinals before spending time with the Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs.
“I had to overcome a lot of adversity in high school and wasn’t able to play my senior year, but I’ve come a long way. Not only to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish in my life and my career — playing for the best teams and winning a World Series ring and playing 11 years at the highest level — but also the ability to overcome adversity with three major surgeries,” Garcia shared. “To be in the position to become an impactful person, to make a difference in people’s lives, here’s what God gifted me to serve as an inspiration and encouragement to others. To use this platform and give back to young athletes that have the same desire to not only become a public success in whatever sport or whatever career they choose, but also to become a private success, a person of excellence and true champion in all areas of life. I’m really excited to share a few words with the student-athletes.”
The Sharyland High product was part of the starting rotation on the St. Louis Cardinals’ 2011 World Series champion team that defeated the Texas Rangers 4-3 in a seven-game series. Garcia, who retired from the MLB in 2019, finished with 70 career wins, a 3.85 earned run average and 925 strikeouts in 218 games.
“That’s my biggest thing — to become a public and private success, to become a person of excellence in all areas of life,” Garcia said. “That’s what I’m after, that’s what we need as a society, that’s what student-athletes need to know. If you want to pursue sports, do it. Whatever it is you want to pursue, we’re going to pursue excellence and bring a good message to the kids.”
Ticket information for the All Valley Sports Award Banquet can be found at MYRGV.com.
ALL VALLEY SPORTS AWARDS NOMINEES
VOLLEYBALL
Juli Bryant Harlingen High
Kenya Ibarra Brownsville Rivera
Natalie Reyes Sharyland Pioneer
FOOTBALL
Michael Cisneros Mercedes
Isaac Gonzalez PSJA North
Gilbert Medina Port Isabel
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
Geovany Cisneros Harlingen High
Kevin Hernandez Donna High
Hector Solis PSHA North
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Naia Gracia Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Liana Navarro La Feria
Danielle Salinias Sharyland High
GIRLS TENNIS
Monica Castellanos Sharyland High
Sofia De Leon Brownsville Hanna
Clarissa Rubio Harlingen South
BOYS TENNIS
Francisco Gamez Brownsville St. Joseph
Agustin Salazar McAllen Memorial
Alan Gonzalez Sharyland High
GIRLS GOLF
Joslyn Lopez Sharyland Pioneer
Samira Salinas McAllen High
Jazlyn Segura Weslaco High
BOYS GOLF
Esteban Gonzalez McAllen Memorial
Parker Smith Harlingen High
Dylan Villarreal McAllen Memorial
GIRLS POWERLIFTING
Miranda Escamilla Los Fresnos
Aisha Garcia Edcouch-Elsa
Daniela Maximo Harlingen South
BOYS POWERLIFTING
Ever Crispin Edcouc-Elsa
Caleb Davis Harlingen South
Anthony Elvir Los Fresnos
GIRLS WRESTLING
Eternity De La Garza McAllen Memorial
Serenity De La Garza McAllen Memorial
Jessica Villanueva PSJA High
BOYS WRESTLING
Thiago Almeida Los Fresnos
Paolo Miranda Sharyland High
Roman Saldana Weslaco High
GIRLS SOCCER
Ana Barragan Brownsville Hanna
Jayline Garcia Hidalgo
Julianna Millin McAllen High
BOYS SOCCER
Julian Gallegos Brownsville Porter
Fernando Ortuno La Joya Juarez-Lingoln
Miguel Solis Edinburg High
GIRLS SWIMMING
Jada Ashford Los Fresnos
Natalie Bravo PSJA High
Gabriela Gonzalez Sharyland High
BOYS SWIMMING
Ricardo Rodriguez Brownsville Hanna
Dayan Rodriguez Vallejo McAllen Memorial
Issac Velasquez PSJA Southwest
SOFTBALL
Jaisy Caceres Weslaco East
Ariella Saenz PSJA North
Mie Wetegrove Lyford
BASEBALL
Carlos Garza Brownsville Veterans Memorial
JC Gutierrez La Joya High
Juan Rivera Sharyland Pioneer
GIRLS TRACK
Alondra Loya Brownsville St. Joseph
Destiny Quintanilla La Joya Palmview
Jazjmine Thompson Harlingen High
BOYS TRACK
Ayden Granados McAllen Memorial
Mark Marroquin Lyford
Hector Solis PSJA North
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Jordan Bravo Sharyland Pioneer
Kaylah Hernandez PSJA High
Avery Hinojosa Harlingen High
BOYS BASKETBALL
Ray De Leon Edinburg Economedes
Cristian Guajardo Brownsville Pace
Gerry Martinez Brownsville St. Joseph
GIRLS COACH
Patrick Arney McAllen High soccer
Eddie Gonzalez McAllen Memorial wrestling
Jaime Vela Los Fresnos powelifting
BOYS COACH
Jose Espitia Brownsville Porter soccer
Ryan Flores McAllen High basketball
Israel Gonzalez III Harlingen South football
BOYS 6A Team
Brownsville Hanna Soccer
Edinburg Vela Football
Harlingen Track and Field
SUB 6A BOYS TEAM
Brownsville Porter Soccer
McHi Basketball
Sharyland Pioneer Baseball
GIRLS 6A Team
Edinburg Economedes track
Los Fresnos Powerlifting
Weslaco High softball
GIRLS SUB 6A TEAM
Edcouch-Elsa powerlifting
McHi soccer
McAllen Memorial Wrestling
6A PROGRAM
Edinburg Vela
Harlingen High
Harlingen South
SUB 6A PROGRAM
La feria
McHi
McAllen Memorial
BOYS 6A ATHLETE
Nathan Huerta Harlingen High
Gregory Jones Los Fresnos
Viggo Lopez PSJA High
SUB 6A BOYS ATHLETE
Jayson Cantu Raymondville
Marco De Ochoa McAllen Memorial
Gilbert Medina Port Isabel
GIRLS 6A ATHLETE
Aliyah Castillo Brownsville Hanna
Kaylah Hernandez PSJA High
Rosa Zapata Harlingen High
SUB 6A GIRLS ATHLETES
Mia Alvarado San Isidro
Kaya Dickerson La Feria
Celina Saenz McAllen High