Announcement
PRESS RELEASE effective May 9, 2011
From: A.C. Jaime, Coach, South Texas Walking Club, Phone – 956-821-6659
Elementary School Sponsored Race Walks
The PSJA Elementary School District coaches now completed their third year of teaching a three week race walking course to all their 3rd, 4th and 5th graders and held their second annual elementary school sponsored race walks under the direction PSJA ISD Physical Education Coordinator, Coach Jaime Chavana.
The top four girl and boy race walkers in each 8, 9, 10 and 11 year age bracket divisions from twenty-four of the elementary schools were bused to the stadium, thirteen schools on Wednesday and eleven on Thursday. The results were magnificent!
The coaches experience, determination and resolve to build a strong race walking program at the PSJA schools was clearly evident this week. The form and technique demonstrated by the majority of the six hundred twenty-two young children participating was exceptionally good. The Tri-City staff and school administrations support of the program was also evident since many of the Alamo, San Juan and Pharr city staff and school staff were seen actively assisting during the races. The six hundred twenty-two students participated in sixteen 800 meter race walks over the two day period.
Over one hundred volunteers donated their time and energy to help make the race walks as successful as they were. Among the judge volunteers were officers of the Texas Department of Public Safety plus officers from the Pharr, San Juan and Alamo Police Departments. Other volunteers included many high school teachers, parents and members of the PSJA High School track team. The PSJA High School track team and South Texas Walking Club kids once again donated their time helping to run the events very smoothly. There were always three to four high school and club kids warming up thirty to forty of the elementary school kids and another three to four had another group of thirty to forty kids going through the drills while another group of thirty to forty kids were on the track walking their 800 meter walk under the watchful eyes of yet another group of club kids that were assisting the officers serving as judges. Many positive comments were again heard from volunteers, parents and other spectators that had never witness a race walk before. The children looked very impressive.
North Alamo Elementary School, last years top winner, was edged out by last years sixth place winner Reed-Mock Elementary School by an incredible one point margin, 106 to 105. Last years second place winner, Carnahan Elementary School, fell to fifth place as Longoria Elementary School moved up from fifth to third place while Napper and Garcia Elementary Schools earned their first spot on the top six. This years top six schools, their coaches and the points scored by each were:
Reed-Mock Elementary School - Coached by Mari Garza And Cesar Escobedo -- 106
North Alamo Elementary School - Coached by Hector Rios, Maricella Ibarra and Santos Flores 105
Longoria Elementary School - Coached by Marisol de la Garza And Norma Ruiz -- 91
Napper Elementary School - Coached by Martin Gow And Hilda Rodriguez -- 55
Carnahan Elementary School - Coached by Eric Yañez And Arturo Gonzalez -- 53
Garcia Elementary SchoolCoached by Aaron Cortez And James Southwell -- 51
North Alamo Elementary School children won three first place races as they did last year but were tied for the top honor by Ford Elementary School. Pharr and Napper Elementary Schools each had two first place winners.
Reed-Mock and Longoria Elementary Schools placed the most children in the top ten. Each school placed seventeen while North Alamo and Garcia Elementary schools placed sixteen and eleven respectively. Trevino, Bowie and Carnahan Elementary schools tied for fifth place as each school placed nine of their athletes in the top ten.
Video excerpts of the races may be seen on the clubs www.eteamz.com/stwc web page starting Monday May 23rd.
The top winners, their school and times in each of the Wednesday 5/4/11 race walks were as follows:
8 year old girls – Jayda Ureña – Clover Elementary School……………………….5:33
8 year old boys – Bryan Hernandez – Ford Elementary School…………………..5:19
9 year old girls – Gisela Flores – Ford Elementary School……………………….. 4:43
9 year old boys – Jonathon Aguilar – Farias Elementary School………………….4:35
10 year old girls – Cielo Martinez – Napper Elementary School…………………..5:01
10 year old boys – Ryan Hernandez – Ford Elementary School………………….4:23
11 year old girls – Fanny Reyes – Reed-Mock Elementary School………………5:08
11 year old boys – Robert Colula – Napper Elementary School………………….5:11
The top winners, their school and times in each of the Thursday 5/5/11 race walks were as follows:
8 year old girls – Mariana Juarez – North Alamo Elementary School…………….4:56
8 year old boys – Jared Rivera – North Alamo Elementary School……………….5:25
9 year old girls – Gladys Sanchez – Pharr Elementary School……………………4:38
9 year old boys – Marcos Martinez – Pharr Elementary School…………………..4:51
10 year old girls – Julisa Juarez – North Alamo Elementary School……………..4:11
10 year old boys – Alexis Garcia – Graciela Garcia Elementary School…………4:56
11 year old girls – Itzel Gonzalez – Sgt. Leonel Treviño Elementary School……4:35
11 year old boys – Max Moya – Doedyns Elementary School…………………….5:11
South Texas Walking Club head coach A.C. Jaime credits PSJA I.S.D. Physical Education Coordinator Coach Jaime Chavana and all his elementary school coaches for the exceptional success of their race walking program. “This is the only elementary school race walking program in the USA, “ Coach A.C. Jaime said, “and because of its great success, our USA Track & Field South Texas Association has been awarded a grant by the USA Track & Field National Office to assist all regions in the USA to start the same program in their elementary schools.
A National and Regional committees are now being organized to accomplish this task.” The race walking program continues now through the summer under the direction of the South Texas Walking Club. Practices are being held Monday through Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the PSJA High School Stadium on Ridge Road in San Juan. Parents are encouraged to register their children with club secretary Diana Flores at anyone of the afternoon practices. A $14.00 annual fee for insurance coverage is required.
