BY TJ GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
McALLEN – In the category “Valley athlete playing furthest from home,” let’s just go ahead and give the medal to Gabby Lerma right now.
Lerma is a full 4,255 miles away, playing outside hitter for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks’ volleyball team. The UA-Fairbanks Nanooks, in NCAA Division II, play just 200 miles from the arctic circle and are located on a real frozen tundra — an estimated 70-hour drive from the palm trees of the Rio Grande Valley.
So how did Lerma, the Monitor’s 2015 All-Area Player of the Year, end up so far from home? She wanted to play at the next level, feed her youthful curiosity for travel, and she loved the green, wooded campus.
“I tried to reach out to as many schools that would want a 5-foot-8 outside hitter, and luckily I found Coach (Brian) Scott at UAF, and he flew me up for a visit within a week,” Lerma said. “I chose this school because I fell in love with campus, the coaches and team instantly. It was an opportunity of a lifetime for a Valley volleyball player to travel the United States while playing in Alaska.”
UA-Fairbanks plays in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with UA-Anchorage and DII schools mostly in Washington state and Oregon. Lerma has made the most of her opportunity to travel. The Nanooks have competed in tournaments in Virginia and San Francisco, and they have also played games in North Carolina, Idaho, Montana and Oregon.
The sophomore, who spent her freshman year at Cameron University in Oklahoma, has also done well on the court. She’s third on the team in total points (205) and kills (181) and has added 18 assists. On defense, Lerma’s 138 digs are fourth best for the Nanooks (10-11 overall).
Her outstanding performances got the notice of the D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase tournament in San Francisco in early September. Lerma played some of her best matches of the year as the team went 3-1. She had statistical season highs against the University of Hawaii-Hilo (18 kills) and Biola University (17 digs) and was named to the all-tournament team.
“There is always room for improvement, but overall, the team chemistry and coaching is exactly what I was looking for in a collegiate program,” Lerma said. “The blocks are definitely bigger than they were before, so it’s more of a challenge for someone my size.”
The circuitous route that led her to play far away from home is not that uncommon. The Valley has athletes competing collegiately in New York, Mississippi, Wisconsin and other states. But, her decision to travel nearly 4,300 miles away — north of Canada — demonstrates how important volleyball is to Lerma.
“Hard work and dedication pays off in the end,” Lerma said from a snowy, 11-degree UA-Fairbanks campus on Sunday.
EX-MCHI QB HOVER SCORES SEVEN TOUCHDOWNS IN WIN
It’s fun to score, but when you hit paydirt seven times, it’s time to party. That’s what Southwestern University quarterback Frederick Hover did for the DIII Pirates on Oct. 14 against Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi. What made the outburst even more special is that he scored three different ways in the 60-31 victory — a game that was tied at 21 in the third quarter.
The 5-foot-9, 190-pound junior went 9-of-12 passing for 211 yards and four scores. Meanwhile, he rushed 27 times for 201 yards and two touchdowns. He also had one reception for 32 yards and a score as he finished with 444 yards of offense and seven touchdowns. Through seven games, Hover has 652 yards and nine TDs rushing, plus 1,296 yards and 12 TDs passing. He was named American Southwest Conference Player of the Week for his performance.
PIONEER’S CHAPA MAKING STRIDES FOR TEXAS A&M
Southeastern Conference track is no joke, but Sharyland Pioneer product Lizette Chapa may be getting the last laugh running cross country for Texas A&M University in College Station. The junior has reached new personal records in 4,000-, 5,000- and 6,000-meter races so far this season, including an impressive fourth-place finish in the Aggieland Open on Oct. 6.
Earlier in the year, Chapa came in 40th among 90 runners with a time of 23 minutes, 30.0 seconds in a 6K at the SEC Preview meet at the University of Georgia. The Aggie women placed third overall. On Friday, she and the Aggies will compete at the SEC Conference Championships at the same location in Athens, Georgia.
Chapa was a standout at Pioneer after moving over from Sharyland High. In 2014, her senior season, Chapa finished 29th among 150 runners at the State UIL Cross Country Championships.
MCHI’s RANGEL DELIVERING IMPACT AT ST. EDWARD’S
Brandon Rangel is making the most of his playing time at St. Edwards University. The redshirt freshman from McAllen High has only logged 183 minutes in 12 games — on average about 15 minutes per match. Yet the forward is tied for sixth-most points (5) on the 30-player roster. He is one of a handful of players who has not started a game.
The 5-foot-5 Rangel, an all-district star and District 30-MVP in 2016, has recorded two goals and an assist this season. He has six shots on goal for the year. St. Edwards (9-2-1 in the Heartland Conference and 12-3-1 overall) is a Division II university located in Austin that plays against schools such as West Texas A&M, Midwestern State and Eastern New Mexico.
LOS FRESNOS’ COLON A RECEIVER AT RUN-FIRST NAVY
Through their first seven games, the Naval Academy Midshipmen, a well-oiled, triple-option running machine, have completed just 22 passes. But that’s Navy (5-2 overall). The Midshipmen’s leading receiver has caught eight. Los Fresnos product Brandon Colon has pulled down two for 61 yards, and he’s run the ball once for 9 yards.
At Navy, there’s no shame in that. The military academy is known for its discipline, teamwork and winning. When there, players are expected to sell out for the team. Colon, a senior, is no different. Although he’s listed as a backup on the depth chart, the wide receiver has started three games this year.
For his career at Navy, the 6-foot-4, 223-pounder has appeared in 46 games, catching 12 passes for 255 yards and a TD. He’s also run the ball twice for 32 yards and a TD. His teams have gone a combined 33-14, and so far he’s played in three bowl games. In 2015, Navy went 11-2 and finished the season ranked No. 18 in the nation.
Know an RGV athlete doing well at the collegiate level in any sport? Send us a tip at gluca@ themonitor. com.