The Region VIII Class 5A and 6A swimming & diving competitions are happening this weekend, and several East Valley athletes qualified to participate.
Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Los Fresnos shined especially bright during their respective District 32-5A and 32-6A meets last week at Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center in Brownsville, clinching district titles and advancing a number of athletes to compete in the regional meets. The Region VIII-5A meet is taking place at the Corpus Christi ISD Natatorium, and the 6A meet is in Brownsville.
Brownsville Lopez was the only other 5A school to have swimmers qualify. Brownsville Hanna, Brownsville Rivera, Harlingen High and Harlingen South will be represented at the 6A level. The top four swimmers or teams in each event advanced from their respective district meet to compete at in the regional events.
The top two divers and first-place finishers in each swimming event at the eight regional meets in both classifications advance to state, along with eight additional swimmers for each event with the best regional final times overall. The UIL state schedule has 6A girls competing Feb. 19, 5A girls Feb. 20, 6A boys Feb. 26 and 5A boys Feb. 27. All events will take place at the Bill Walker Pool & Josh Davis Natatorium in San Antonio.
Divers were scheduled to kick off the action in both classes Thursday. Makayla Schaelchlin, Karen Ortiz and Vanessa Lerma, all from Brownsville Veterans, were set to compete in the 5A girls 1-meter dive in Corpus. Brownsville Veterans’ Jaime Galindo was the sole East Valley representative in the boys 1-meter dive.
In 6A, Los Fresnos’ Anapaula Hernandez and Evangeline Wrinkle were scheduled to compete in the girls 1-meter dive. Brownsville Hanna’s Angel Alvarez was scheduled to participate in the boys 1-meter dive.
Both regional meets will follow the same schedule, with the girls competing Friday and the boys swimming Saturday. Preliminary races will begin at 10:30 a.m., and finals will commence at 5 p.m.
Los Fresnos sophomore Jada Ashford is a top swimmer to watch in the 6A girls meet. She’s the fastest qualifier in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyles, with times of 24.42 seconds and 53.32 seconds, respectively. Ashford also swims the 200 medley relay and top-qualifying 200 freestyle relay. Harlingen South junior Camille Conlu Lizada enters with the fastest time in the girls 100 butterfly and will swim in the 100 breaststroke and 200 freestyle relay.
Brownsville Hanna senior Quinten Deysel and junior Ricardo Rodriguez are the top two qualifiers in the boys 50 freestyle. Deysel also enters with the fastest time in the 100 freestyle with a 48.56 and will swim on two relays, the 200 and 400 freestyles. Los Fresnos’ Evyn Garcia and Jayden Crews are other swimmers to watch.
Seniors Daniela Chapa and Leah Rodriguez and sophomore Kaedee Errizruiz lead the way for the Brownsville Veterans Lady Chargers swimmers. Senior Karmen Hernandez and junior Vivian Granado are among the multi-event swimmers looking to represent Brownsville Lopez at state.
The Brownsville Veterans Chargers qualified a team in all three 5A boys relays, and the Brownsville Lopez Lobos will compete in two. Chargers junior Diego Gonzalez and senior Adrian Rodriguez, and Lobos seniors Raul Delgado and Jesus Vieyra are names to watch.
