By STEFAN MODRICH, Staff Writer
Brownsville Veterans Memorial appeared to be well on its way to defending its District 32-5A title in girls golf and was beginning to turn heads with its young team in the boys division when the University Interscholastic League first suspended all spring sports March 13.
Just before the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic brought upon sweeping shelter-in-place measures across the Rio Grande Valley, the Chargers’ boys team led the 32-5A field by at least 40 strokes through 13 rounds and the Lady Chargers were ahead of their opponents by 30 strokes in 11 rounds of pre-district play.
The Brownsville Veterans girls had a team average score of 365.7 in 11 rounds, good for third place behind only Sharyland High and Los Fresnos.
The Brownsville Veterans boys were ranked eighth, with a team stroke average of 349.3.
The top performer for the Chargers was Alex Ramirez, a freshman who recorded the 18th-best stroke average in the Valley at 81.8 through 13 rounds. He helped Brownsville Veterans capture the BISD Invitational championship Feb. 8 at River Bend Resort & Country Club.
Chargers junior Raul Silva posted an average score of 84.5 and is ranked 29th in the Valley.
“We were favored to win with both the boys and girls,” Brownsville Veterans coach Thomas Abete said. “Unfortunately we don’t know what would have happened. It’s always different when you’re out there on the course when it’s a big tournament like that. We are disappointed. My kids are a little disappointed that they can’t finish (the year.).”
Replacing Fahtima Avila, one of the top golfers in the Valley last season, and Daniel Yznaga, the top boys golfer in District 32-5A who won a playoff hole to bump the Chargers into second place in 2019, wasn’t going to be easy.
But senior captain Anisa Nieto, who on March 6 signed with Concordia University, a NCAA Division III program in Austin, proved she was up to the challenge.
Nieto maintained the fifth-best stroke average in the Valley at 79.6 through 13 rounds.
She shot a two-day total of 152 to finish second overall and guide the Lady Chargers to a runner-up finish to Los Fresnos in the BISD Invitational.
Not far behind Nieto was junior Fabiola Nino, whose 85.3 stroke average in 11 rounds had her ranked 10th among Valley golfers.
“(Nieto) was really excited to have her opportunity,” Abete said. “She came in second last year (behind Avila), so this year was her year to try to win it all outright. She was hoping to lead her team to a district championship as well.”
Nieto also had aspirations of advancing to the regional and state tournaments, which were canceled by the UIL after Texas schools were closed for the remainder of the school year under the order of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Reality had started to set in as contingency plans continued to be pushed further and further into an uncertain future before the ultimate call.
Abete said his athletes were doing interval training, staying in shape without the need for weights or other equipment, and using the Remind smartphone app to post workouts and motivational messages for his temporarily homebound golfers.
“It is what it is,” Abete said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to look at it in a positive way and continue to live life. We’re all healthy, thank God, so we just need to continue to work hard, and wake up tomorrow and try your best at whatever life gives you.”
Abete also noted that Avila, a freshman at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, and Julie Lucio, another Brownsville Veterans alumna and a sophomore at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, were disappointed to see their respective seasons cut short.
“They were both pretty sad about the situation,” Abete said. “I know they were pretty down about it as well, (especially) with it being Fahtima’s first year. It’s something everybody’s going through, and the impact it’s had worldwide is crazy.”
While students, families, coaches and educators alike have been forced to adapt in the midst of a crisis and adhere to social distancing regulations, the sudden halt of one of the year’s most active periods on the sports calendar has been perhaps the most difficult adjustment to what appears to be a new normal.
“We had a lot of preparation,” Abete said. “Our goals were high but attainable as well. Just for (the season) to be taken away in the blink of an eye left us kind of lost. It’s a surreal feeling, not knowing what’s next. … I feel bad for the kids more than anything, not being able to finish their years off.”