BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
PHARR — Adolfo Pacheco knows the feeling of competing at the state level. As a sophomore, the Weslaco High diver traveled to Austin for the UIL swimming and diving championships and recalls the scene well: the size of the pool, the high-tech facilities, the nerves that come with competing against the best in Texas.
Since then, Pacheco has longed for a return visit.
His first steps were taken Thursday at the Pharr Aquatics Center during the District 31-6A diving championships, where he won gold with 363.85 points. Pacheco, along with three other divers, advance to next week’s regional meet in Brownsville.
Pacheco’s best dives occurred during the eighth and ninth rounds where he scored 43.70 and 41.80, respectively. While he breached the 40-point mark, his scores dipped as low as 28.90. Pacheco credits his erratic scores to nerves.
“I saw my old coach here to watch me,” Pacheco said. “So that really put me on edge at the beginning of the meet. I didn’t want to mess up or anything.”
Pacheco’s former coach is Thomas Brandon, who retired in 2014. Brandon’s position remains unfilled, making Pacheco’s quest for another trip to Austin largely a one-man effort.
Without a full-time diving coach in his corner, he often relies on instinct and feeling during competition. Though Pacheco got by on the basics, he craved the outside perspective.
“Relying on yourself can only take you so far,” the senior diver said. “Only a coach can help you get into the details, the nitty-gritty of diving to really help you get better.”
Weslaco’s coaching staff experienced midseason upheaval. Coach Justin Esparza was reassigned in November, and Alexandra Treviño was named interim head coach. Assistant Josie Rodriguez serves as Pacheco’s de-facto diving coach.
Pacheco spent the early portion of the afternoon in a tight race for first with PSJA North’s Reuell Cuellar — who finished second with 307.65 points. After six rounds, Pacheco held first by only 3.15 points.
But Cuellar’s first-place aspirations were dashed during the seventh round, when he failed a twisting dive that required two rotations. Cuellar performed three instead.
Edinburg North’s Jerry Silva placed third in the boys competition with 261.5 points. Silva performed with a sprained ankle he suffered a week ago during a skateboarding accident. Though Silva was acrobatic in the air, he often entered the water with knees bent instead of straight.
“I couldn’t get my legs straight,” Silva said. “It hurt too much because of my ankle. And when I was on the board, I was just testing it to see how much pressure I could put on it before I dove.”
In the girls competition, PSJA North’s Carolina Carillo won her second district diving title in as many years with 272.15 points. The result was expected, as her competitors were a pair of Edinburg Economedes divers (Lauren Martinez and Julie Lopez) who are newcomers to the board.
Such light competition might have been a blessing for a diver who is only now rounding into full-time diving form. Carillo, a senior, didn’t dive during the summer and spent the fall tending to academic needs and applying to colleges.
“I didn’t get back on the board really until January,” Carillo said. “I took me about a week of practicing just to get back up to speed with the basics.”