BROWNSVILLE — Five swimmers from the Metro area won gold at the Region VIII-6A swimming & diving meet Saturday at Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center to qualify for the UIL state meet.
It was a record setting night in the finals portion of the meet for Brownsville Hanna senior Quinten Deysel and Los Fresnos senior Evyn Garcia, who both advanced in individual races. Deysel swam a 21.85-second race to win the 50-yard freestyle and a 47.62 to take gold in the 100 freestyle. Both races resulted in Deysel breaking Hanna records that he previously held.
“I feel really great. I hit a PR for all my events, so that feels good, and I’m excited for what’s next. I couldn’t do it without my teammates, my coaches, my family and my girlfriend and everyone behind me, supporting me,” Deysel said.
Deysel was the anchor for Hanna’s 200 and 400 freestyle relays, which both placed third. He said it was a good night swimming for the last time in Brownsville, and he’s proud of how he represented the Golden Eagles in his time with the program. Now, Deysel has his sights set on putting Hanna on the map at state.
“I went to state last year, so I have more knowledge of what to expect and what kind of competition I’ll have, so I kind of know where I am,” Deysel said. “I’m glad I could have one more meet with my teammates and show them how to be a leader. I had so much fun the past couple of years swimming with Hanna, and it was amazing to be part of this team.”
Garcia won the 100 butterfly with a time of 54.28, setting a new school record and qualifying for state as an individual for the first time. He contributed an impressive final leg to Los Fresnos’ state-qualifying 200 freestyle relay, clinching gold with junior Jayden Crews, senior Efrain Mascorro and sophomore Israel Gomez.
Gomez had a strong swim as the third leg to close the gap between Los Fresnos and then-leader Laredo Alexander, and Garcia rocketed past Alexander coming off the final turn to punch his team’s ticket to state.
“I went to state my sophomore year on a relay, so that was awesome, but I didn’t feel as accomplished because I didn’t go individually. Now that I am, I feel more accomplished,” Garcia said. “Every time before I race, I’m always super nervous. I say a little prayer then turn it on. Finishing to the wall (in the 100 butterfly), I felt like crying, because I knew that I won and I had so much joy.
“When I jumped in the pool (for the relay), I felt a weight on me to bring it back,” he added. “I hit a 21, which is my fastest time ever, so that was nice, and touching the wall and seeing my team happy and their faces glowing was awesome. It felt like a family. I felt at peace that we made it to state.”
Garcia also finished third in the 200 IM and was part of Los Fresnos’ third-place 200 medley relay. The senior said this season felt special because he was a leader on the team, and he was thankful for the hard work put in by his teammates and coaches that made the Falcons successful.
“I felt it was my responsibility to help my team go to state, so practice after practice I’d always drill in them that we need to do this, we need to do that. Thanks to my coach for having great sets and helping us through everything. He really shaped us for what we were able to do,” Garcia said.
Laredo Alexander clinched the Region VIII-6A swimming & diving championship with a score of 348. Laredo United took gold in six of the 11 swimming events and finished second with 319 points. Los Fresnos (283) was third, followed by Mission High (221) and Brownsville Hanna (188) to round out the top five.
Weslaco High senior Nathan Parker finished second in both the 100 freestyle with a time of 49.89 and in the 100 backstroke with a 58.25. He could advance to state if those times are among the eight fastest overall that didn’t automatically qualify in their respective event from the eight regional meets.
