By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
The Brownsville City Meet Friday is perhaps the most fun event of the swimming and diving season for the participants.
Annually staged right before the December holiday break, the meet at Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center allows competitors a chance to see what they can do against each other in a city rivalry sort of way without feeling the same level of pressure that exists during the upcoming district and regional meets early in the new year at the same location.
“Yes, it is a fun meet,” said Monica Rosales, Clark Center director. “We’ll have the six (public) high schools competing. No St. Joseph, though. First Baptist might be there.”
Warmups for the one-day meet are scheduled at 9 a.m. Friday with swimming competition to follow at 10 a.m. Diving competition is scheduled to start once the 50 freestyle has been completed.
Medals will be awarded to the top three finishers in individual events and relays.
One year ago, Brownsville Veterans Memorial captured the girls team title with 304 points. Rivera was second with 259 and Hanna was third with 240. For the boys, Hanna was the team winner with 358 points, Brownsville Veterans was second with 325 and Rivera was third with 322.
The participants are coming off last weekend’s TISCA Zone/Brownsville ISD Pre-Regional Showcase that attracted 30 teams and more than 600 competitors.
One of the local swimmers with a standout showing last weekend was Hanna’s Maya Athena Imperial, a double-winner in the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle. Also, Brownsville Veterans’ Jonathan Ashford won the 100 breaststroke and took second in the 100 freestyle. Hanna’s Raul Garcia won the boys 1-meter diving..
For Rivera, Stephanie Castillo was third in the 200 freestyle and fourth in the 100 freestyle, while Adrian Flores was third in the 200 IM. For Pace, Jose de Jesus Hernandez was fourth in the 100 backstroke. Lopez’s Thadey Diaz placed fourth in the girls 1-meter diving.