By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
For those who did well enough at their district swimming & diving meets to quality for regional competition, now comes an even bigger challenge.
The Region VIII-6A Meet takes place Friday and Saturday at Brownsville’s Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center, with only the top finisher in each boys and girls swimming event qualifying for the UIL state meet Feb. 19 and 20 in Austin. Also, the top two divers at regional competition go to state.
In short, it’s a whole lot easier to qualify for a regional meet than it is for state, and that, thanks to the UIL, is by design.
Friday’s regional meet at Clark Aquatic Center brings together top Class 6A swimmers and divers from the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo.
Also this weekend, the Region VIII-5A Meet is taking place at Corpus Christi ISD Natatorium. The event also involves top Valley swimmers and divers, including some from Brownsville.
On the Class 6A level from the Brownsville area, four athletes will be trying to make return trips to state at the Region VIII-6A Meet.
Three of them are swimmers. They are Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Jonathan Ashford, Los Fresnos’ Ivana Besteiro and Hanna’s Maya Athena Imperial.
Lopez diver Thadey Diaz also is seeking a return to state.
The three swimmers all went to state in two events last year, and each has a chance to do so again, although some of them are competing in different events this time around.
At the District 32-6A meet last Saturday in Harlingen, Diaz won the girls 1-meter diving, and Ashford (50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke), Besteiro (200 individual medley and 50 freestyle) and Imperial (200 and 500 freestyles) were each double-winners.
“Jonathan has the ability to pull some amazing performances out of his hat (at crucial times),” Brownsville Veterans coach Frank Sanchez said of Ashford’s chances for a return to state as a senior.
Concerning Imperial’s chances at the regional meet, Hanna coach Sam Perez said, “The good thing about swimming is it’s data driven, and you can see the times (that other competitors have). We sneaked a peak, and things look hopeful for Maya and Natalia Davila. It’s that time (of year) to bring (out the best) of what they’ve been working on.”
Double-winners as well at the 32-6A meet, other local swimmers who hope their success carries over into regional competition, include Los Fresnos’ Carlos Paredes (200 and 500 freestyles) and Rivera teammates Adrian Flores (200 individual medley and 100 butterfly) and Stephanie Castillo (100 freestyle and 100 backstroke).
Los Fresnos won all the girls and boys relays at district and may have a chance for a state qualifier or two in those events.
Pace and Porter had swimmers who placed in the top six at their District 32-5A meet last month at Clark Aquatic Center to qualify for the Region VIII-5A Meet in Corpus Christi.
Among those who qualified for a regional trip are Pace’s Jose Hernandez and Victor Reyes.
“We’ve continued to practice hard (after the district meet) and we’re hoping for the best at regionals,” Pace coach Selina Gilman said.
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.