By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer
Fresh off of a regional championship, the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons are headed back to the state meet, the capper to a memorable season for coach Jaime Perez’s team.
But one particular moment stands out in the mind of sophomore Rebeca Osuna.
“ Before our (200-yard freestyle) race, it was such a great moment,” Osuna said. “Because we were all motivating each other and supporting each other so much. We were so motivated to swim not only for ourselves but for the rest of us, and we did. The moment that we saw that we made it to state I started crying, because I was really, really happy for us.”
The Lady Falcons improved on their entry time in the 200 freestyle relay by nearly a second and a half, finishing in 1 minute, 47.32 seconds. The young group that set out to make a splash at the regional meet hopes to have another surprise in store on a larger stage in Austin.
“ As a team, we won regionals, which no one thought we were going to do,” senior Sarah Villarreal said.
Villarreal has assumed the leadership mantle, mentoring Osuna and juniors Emily Rodriguez and Maria Monogas along the way.
Monogas experienced a bout of shyness that is common in high school, but she chose to combat that by embracing the opportunity to surround herself with teammates that soon became good friends.
“ I used to be really shy,” Monogas said. “But then I joined swimming, and it just helped me get out of my shell. These girls helped me a lot.”
As a freshman, Villarreal and her 200 freestyle relay team finished second and just missed qualifying for state.
“ I went my freshman year in this same event,” Villarreal said. “It’s really exciting that I’m going my senior year with people that I’m excited to share it with. I’ve gone before, and I’m just excited that they get to share this awesome experience with me.”
While they aren’t taking Villarreal’s last trip to Austin for granted, her teammates knew before the postseason that the group was on the precipice of accomplishing something special.
“ I think we all kind of knew throughout the season, throughout high school,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve all kind of known that we’re good individually, and we stood well within our region. Coming together (for the relay) we knew we had a real chance, and we did it.”
A setter on the Lady Falcons’ volleyball team, Villarreal said she had to overcome shoulder pain from playing on the court that sometimes lingered after she joined her teammates in the pool at the conclusion of volleyball season in late November.
Perhaps no one else knows better than Villarreal, a two-sport athlete for four years, about the importance of remaining even-keeled through the highs and lows of a season.
“ I had a really great freshman year, an awful sophomore year and a great junior year,” Villarreal said. “And an (average) senior year. We’ve all had our mountains to climb and our faults, but I think we’ve overcome a lot of obstacles to get here, the four of us.”
Villarreal is confident that she’s done all she can to leave a lasting mark on the Los Fresnos program. Perhaps the best evidence of the elevated standard for the Lady Falcons is Rodriguez’s confident assertion that competing in state is going to “spark a fire in us to go again next year and the year after, and to have that goal of winning again.”
Regardless of the outcome in Austin, Villarreal will be satisfied with the conclusion of this chapter of her swimming career.
“ I’m really happy with the way my senior year is ending,” Villarreal said. “With the regional title and being able to go to state with these girls, it’s the perfect way for me to end it.”