By ROY HESS | Staff Writer
Going to state as an individual competitor is a great accomplishment. Going in a group is even better.
That’s the way five Los Fresnos swimmers view their trip to the UIL state meet Friday and Saturday in Austin.
Luis Osuna was the only one for the Falcons to advance to state a year ago in the 500 freestyle as a sophomore. Osuna is headed back to Austin again with teammates Will McKinney, Daniel Escamilla, Carlos Paredes and Sarah Villarreal.
At state, Osuna is competing individually in the 200 and 500 freestyles. He’s also swimming on the Falcons’ record-setting 400 freestyle relay along with McKinney, Escamilla and Paredes. The same four boys also qualified for state in the 200 freestyle relay. Paredes is entered individually in the 500 freestyle as well.
In the girls division at state, Villarreal will compete individually in the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle.
All in all, it figures to be quite a busy weekend for the Los Fresnos swimmers. Prelims are Friday with finals the following day.
“I’m going to do the best I can and hopefully drop my times and maybe break some (school) records,” said Villarreal, a junior who also plays volleyball. “I am really thankful to my teammates and my coaches (Erica Amador and Jaime Perez) for motivating me to do my best.”
The Falcons showed they belong at state by winning the 400 freestyle relay with a pool-record time of 3 minutes, 14.71 seconds on Feb. 3 at the Region VIII-6A meet at Brownsville’s Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center.
“It’s the best day of my life without a doubt,” said McKinney, a senior, after the Falcons’ stellar finish at the regional meet. “This is the most incredible feeling in the world.
“I’m an only child, but these three guys (Paredes, Escamilla and Osuna) have shown me what it’s like to have brothers,” McKinney added. “To be going to such a prestigious event as state with my brothers is just the most incredible feeling.
“The time we’ve put in (practicing) over four years all culminated with our (record-setting) swim. You get out what you put in, and I knew by going to practice every day with these guys that we could do it, and we did. I just can’t stress enough how proud I am of these three guys for qualifying to go to state with me.”
It’s a mutual feeling of appreciation among all the relay members.
“This year has been the best, and I just want to make the most out of it with my family (of swimmers),” said Osuna, a junior. “Going to state with these guys makes it even better (than going by myself last year). It feels pretty amazing.
“Now let’s see if we can make the finals at state,” he added. “That’s our goal.”
Perez returned as Los Fresnos’ swimming coach this school year. He’s happy to see his athletes rewarded with success for their many hours of practice in the pool.
“I am extremely proud of all our swimmers and divers for what they have accomplished in the pool and in the classroom this year,” Perez said. “Earning a trip to state is extra special. If you have a (swimming) lane, you have a chance. It’s an opportunity for our state qualifiers to continue to shine and accomplish more lifetime-best swims in Austin.”
The Falcons have believed since the start of the school year, and actually, even before then, that making it to state was a realistic goal.
“I love my team and I love everything we’ve been doing this (school) year,” said Paredes, a senior. “We’ve put in such hard work and I’m just really happy for all of us that we’re finally able to do what we’ve wanted to do since we started swimming. We couldn’t have done it individually. We had to do it all together.”
Added Escamilla, also a senior, “This is is a great experience, and it’s not just my experience, it’s the experience of all of us. We came together as a family and we’re doing our best out there (in the pool).”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess