RGVSPORTS.COM
A solid group of Rio Grande Valley athletes comprise the list of finalists for the top Class 6A and sub-6A female athletes of the year to be named at the 8th annual RGVSports.com and Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame awards ceremony June 9 at Yeckel Memorial Auditorium at Marine Military Academy in Harlingen.
The free-admission event, which starts at 6:30 p.m., will celebrate the Valley’s best high school performances by individual athletes, teams and coaches during the 2014-15 school year.
There are three finalists for the 6A female athlete of the year award and three for the sub-6A female honor as well.
In the 6A category, the finalists are San Benito’s Crystal Castillo, Harlingen South’s Cierra Peña and McAllen Rowe’s Mayda Garcia.
The sub-6A finalists are Lyford’s Thalia Polanco, Sharyland Pioneer’s Nora Monie and Port Isabel’s Daniella Murchison.
Castillo, a senior, is a driving force as a pitcher in helping the 30-3 Lady Greyhounds return to the UIL state tournament this week in Austin for the second time in three years. With Castillo on the mound, the Lady Greyhounds have won a fifth straight district title and made a seventh Sweet 16 appearance in the playoffs. At one point during the postseason, the senior standout boasted a 25-1 record with an ERA less than 1.
Peña, also a senior, was one of the many bright spots on the South Texas track scene this season. Her personal best time of 11.97 seconds in the 100-meter dash set a new Valley record, as did her bronze-medal jump of 19 feet, 8 inches at the UIL state meet earlier this year in Austin.
Garcia, a tall, high-leaping senior, was a force at the net for the Lady Warriors in volleyball. The two-time All-Valley honoree, named MVP in 2014, recorded 688 kills, 868 digs, 144 blocks and 41 aces. She was also named MVP at the McAllen Poundfest and Sharyland tournaments early in the season.
Polanco was a solid performer for Lyford as a runner. Last November she advanced to the UIL state cross country meet in Round Rock and placed 18th in the Class 3A girls division. At the UIL state track meet in May at Austin, Polanco placed second in the 3,200 meters (11.21.40) and took seventh in the 1,600 meters.
Monie was a bright spot for the Pioneer girls track squad, winning the Class 5A gold medal in the discus at the UIL state meet in May with a throw of 141-8. She also earned the bronze medal in the shot put with a toss of 41-4 3/4. Moniewas a three-sport standout who also played volleyball and basketball.
Murchison completed her stellar track career at Port Isabel by becoming the first Valley athlete — boy or girl — to capture a gold medal three consecutive years at the UIL state meet in May. This year, she won the Class 4A shot put with a toss of 44-1 and placed sixth in the discus with a throw of 120-10. The previous two seasons she had won the 3A shot put. Murchison set an all-time Valley best with a shot put toss of 46-1 1/2 at the Meet of Champions in March. It was a mark that set a new standard in the Valley for current-era girls competing with the 8-pound, 9-ounce shot put.