The winners will be announced at the 2017 All-Valley Sports Awards Banquet on June 10 at Mario’s Banquet & Conference Center in Mission.
Former San Antonio Spurs forward Robert Horry will be the keynote speaker.
The nominees for Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year:
>> Beth Ramos, Edinburg North: Ramos earned the right to compete in the state meet after placing second in the 1,600- (5:05.71) and 3,200-meter (10:57.84) races at regionals. Making her second consecutive appearance at the 6A state meet, Ramos set an all-time Valley record in the 3,200 with a 10:40.81. She also finished sixth in the 1,600 at state with a 4:57.26.
>> Brianna Robles, La Joya Palmview: As one of the top distance runners in the Valley, Robles performed well in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 competitions. While she set a personal best in the 800 this season, she excelled in the 1,600 (5:04.48) and 3,200 (10:55.34), earning the fastest times at the regional meet in San Antonio. At the 6A state meet, she finished eighth in the 1,600 with a 4:58.97 and eighth in the 3,200 with a 10:54.95.
>> Tina Sierra, La Feria: No girl’s name has been more synonymous with La Feria track and field in recent years than Tina Sierra. This year, the senior qualified for the 4A state meet in three different events: the 3,200, the 1,600, and the 800.
>> Valery Tobias, Edinburg IDEA Quest: Tobias won state gold for the second consecutive season in the 3A girls 800 run, posting a new personal record with a 2:13.08. As a sophomore, Tobias won gold in the 800 run at state, as well, with her previous best coming in at 2:16.86.
The nominees for Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year:
>> Sydney Mock, Port Isabel: Mock won eight gold medals in discus this season, including district, area, regional and 4A state championships. His mark of 175 feet, 4 inches at the state meet is the Valley’s best mark this season.
>> Tristan Pena, Edinburg North: Pena has consistently placed in the top five in the Valley in both the 1,600 and 3,200 (9:24.36) runs. He owns the fastest time in the 1,600 with a mark of 4:14.25 at the regional meet and finished seventh at the 6A state meet with a 4:19.57.
>> Joseph Ian Torres, Port Isabel: Torres had a big senior season throwing the shot put for Port Isabel. After winning championships at the district and area meets, Torres finished second at the Region IV-4A meet to qualify for the state meet. He will be signing with the University of Houston.
>> Jordan Wilson, Sharyland Pioneer: Wilson placed in the top five in long jump (23 feet), triple jump (44-0.5) and high jump (6-4) in the Valley this year. He qualified for the 5A state meet in the long jump and finished fourth in the event with a 23-00.75.
The Banquet, hosted by RGVSports.com and AIM Media Texas in conjunction with the RGV Sports Hall of Fame, will see 33 awards presented to standout athletes, coaches and teams across all 12 UIL sports. The highly prestigious Tom Landry Award of Excellence will honor a student-athlete for outstanding achievements on and off the field.
The Monitor, Valley Morning Star, The Brownsville Herald, Mid-Valley Town Crier and RGV Sports Hall of Fame will vote to determine the winners in the sports categories. While The Monitor, the Star and the Herald have previously named their All-Area teams in certain sports, the All-Valley Sports Awards Banquet will recognize the very best across all three coverage areas.
Tickets for the catered banquet, which will run 6 to 8 p.m., are available through each newspaper’s website at a cost of $40 per person. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, contact Marcia Kitten at 956-683-4463.
Horry won seven NBA Championships and earned the moniker “Big Shot Rob” for clutch performances during his 16-year NBA career that included stints with the Spurs, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers.