BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
During his senior season, McAllen Rowe’s Abraham Rodriguez has been a standout on the diving board. He won the regional title in Brownsville with a new personal best of 375 points, and has come close to breaking the pool record of 384 at his home pool.
Still, Rodriguez knows his first trip to state will be a different experience. Compared to the rest of Texas, he’s projected to finish near the bottom.
“It’s a whole new level,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a higher level. We don’t have many tools to work with down in the Valley. I’m just looking forward to being a better diver and getting a higher score than my personal best.”
For his final season, Rodriguez says he’s improved his approach on the board in order to attain more height and allow maximum airtime. He’s emphasizing his leg and his core during dryland workouts in hopes of doing just that.
“Mentally, I’m a much tougher diver,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t’ care about smacking the water or hitting the board to learn new dives. … I’ve just gotten better at concentrating and overcoming that type of fear.”
OVERCOMING NERVES
Patty Rocha’s time at the state meet a season ago was mostly a learning experience. As a freshman, Rocha took her lumps against the state’s best. For her sophomore year with McAllen Memorial and second straight trip to Austin, she’s looking to break her personal record of 342 set at the regional meet in Brownsville.
“It gets harder the farther you go to get to state,” Rocha said. “The judges are harder because they judge you the way you’re supposed to be judged.”
Rocha isn’t taking any chances with new judges, either. She says she’s sticking with the dives she knows in hopes of not overthinking while on the board. But whatever is thrown her way at state,
Rocha is confident she can succeed.
“My coach knows I can do some dives,” she said. “And if I have to do anything new, I’ll just have to give it my all.”
WATER GYMNASTICS
Eddie Barrera’s journey to state began on the gym mat. In middle school, Barrera participated in gymnastics and only discovered diving on a whim.
At a year-end pool party, Barrera was showing off his athleticism and performing various flips when a lifeguard referenced him to the La Joya High swimming and diving team. As a sophomore, Barrera is traveling to Austin for the first time. He says he’s going for experiences first and foremost, but knows he’ll be back for future visits.
“I still have two years to perfect everything,” Barrera said. “This is something to learn from and see what kind of competition I’ll have the next year I go to state. I’m confident that I’ll be back.”
MAKING THE BEST OF IT
Sharyland Pioneer’s Alexander Cervantes doesn’t have the luxuries of other divers in the state, including a full-time diving coach, foam practice pit or even the proper boards — the boards at his home pool at Bannworth Park in Mission are meant for public use and lack the spring of those found at the state meet.
Looking to adjust for his trip to Austin, the junior diver has been practicing on the boards at the Pharr Aquatic Center.
In addition to getting used to new boards, Cervantes is also adding new dives to his arsenal, including a two and a half back double and an inward one and a half pike.
“My coaches say that whatever I’m comfortable with doing, I should do,” Cervantes said. “I feel confident enough in my abilities to do whatever it is that’s asked of me.”