By EDWARD SEVERN, Staff Writer
Brownsville Veterans Memorial Lady Chargers soccer player Vivianna Gutierrez signed with Our Lady of the Lake University on Wednesday.
“I am really excited,” she said. “I have been dreaming of this day since I was very young.”
Gutierrez has started all four years, Lady Chargers coach Luis Troncoso said. He also lauded Gutierrez’s discipline, dedication and the support she has received from family and friends.
“Vivi is a very skillful and versatile player,” Troncoso said. “Her skill, quickness and fight-for-the-ball mentality helped her adapt quickly to any position on the field. I asked her to play forward this season, and the outcome has been fantastic.”
While playing this season for the Lady Chargers, Gutierrez has netted 22 goals in all competitions and 13 district goals, her greatest goal-scoring season, Troncoso said.
Gutierrez will return to her native San Antonio. Gutierrez moved to Brownsville when she was a freshman and is excited to call San Antonio her home again because she has a lot of family members that live in the area.
“We are just so proud,” said Elizabeth Bojorquez, Gutierrez’s mother. “We made the move from San Antonio, that was hard, and so she came here and found teams. Here at Vets she made a home that she loves, and she just kept her focus.”
At OLLU, Gutierrez plans to study business marketing as well as kinesiology. Before she heads off to San Antonio, she still has the playoffs to look forward to.
“We have done really good this season,” she said. “I am really proud of the girls. I am nervous, but I am excited. (McAllen) Rowe is pretty good, but a lot of teams are. We just got to push through.”