EDINBURG — The 2023-24 high school sports season was historic for Rio Grande Valley teams with a pair of softball state championship appearances, one state championship win, a state semifinal appearance in football and playoff success from several others in multiple sports across the RGV.
The Valley’s best and brightest were honored at the 2024 All-Valley Sports Award Banquet on Friday at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance with 36 awards presented to student-athletes, teams and coaches, including the highly prestigious Tom Landry Award of Excellence won by Lasara’s Xiomara Rodriguez for her accomplishments on and off the field.
Rodriguez, a Lamar signee, repeated as the Class 1A state track and field champion this season with gold medals in the discus and shot put.
Weslaco High took home the Program of the Year award after strong performances across the board, including the Class 6A state champion Weslaco softball team and 6A Boys Team of the Year going to the Panthers’ football team.
The Weslaco softball team, which won the first softball state title in Valley history, were greeted with multiple standing ovations from those in attendance Friday. The Panthers softball team led the way with four awards — Andrea Ortiz’s walk-off grand slam against Waco Midway to win the 6A state title was named Play of the Year, Madelynn Cantu earned Softball Player of the Year honors, head coach Mario Rodriguez was named Girls Coach of the Year, and the Panthers’ softball team won the Class 6A Girls Team of the Year award.
Harlingen South softball, which finished as state runner-up after a playoff run to the Class 5A state championship game, was named the Sub-6A Girls Team of the Year.
Brownsville Veterans football, which made the Valley’s first state semifinal appearance in football since 2003, was well-represented with winners in three categories — Sub-6A Boys Team of the Year, Football Player of the Year in all-purpose athlete Gilbert Trillo and Boys Coach of the Year JC Ramirez. Trillo also was named Sub-6A Male Athlete of the Year after competing in football, basketball and track and field.
Edinburg North’s San Juanita Leal, a 2024 graduate who signed to run at Texas A&M, won three awards — Girls Cross Country Athlete of the Year, Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year and 6A Female Athlete of the Year.
PSJA High’s Jaime Lopez was named the 6A Male Athlete of the Year after a standout senior season in football, baseball and track and field, and Progreso’s Sophia Pecina took home Sub-6A Female Athlete of the Year honors.
McAllen High had three student-athletes named All-Valley Sports Award winners with Amani Singh in boys swimming, Lexie Bzibziak in girls swimming and Julianna Millin in girls soccer.
Edinburg Vela’s Axel Garza won the Boys Basketball Athlete of the Year award, and Edinburg High’s Kimora Fagan was named the Girls Basketball Athlete of the Year.
Former Brownsville Veterans pitcher Cassie Valdez, who led Our Lady of the Lake to its first NAIA College World Series title in softball this past season and was named an NAIA All-American and National Pitcher of the Year, served as keynote speaker.
For a full list of Friday’s award winners, visit RGVSports.com.
