South Texas Walking Club

PRESS RELEASE effective May 13, 2012

From: A.C. Jaime, Coach, South Texas Walking Club, Phone – 956-821-6659

Elementary & Middle School Sponsored Race Walks

The PSJA Elementary School District coaches now completed their fourth 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 of PSJA ISD Physical Education Coordinator, Coach Jaime Chavana. They were now joined by the middle school 6^th graders that were also taught race walking by their coaches and the South Texas Walking Club students that attend those schools. The top five girl and boy race walkers in each 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 year age bracket divisions from the twenty-six elementary schools and the seven middle schools were bused to the stadium on Wednesday and Thursday. The results were again magnificent!

The coaches experience, determination and resolve to build a strong race walking program at the PSJA schools was admirable. The form and technique demonstrated by the majority of the more than six hundred 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 students participated in twenty 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 and Fire Departments. Other volunteers included many high school teachers and parents.

The PSJA High School track team and South Texas Walking Club children also donated their time helping to run the events very smoothly. There were always three to four high school and club children warming up thirty to forty of the elementary school children and another three to four had another group of thirty to forty children going through the drills while another group of thirty to forty children were on the track walking their 800 meter walk under the watchful eyes of yet another group of club children 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 and cheerful since many are not able to compete in other sports.

North Alamo Elementary School edged out last years winner Reed-Mock Elementary School by eleven points, 131 to 120. Last years third place winner, Longoria Elementary School retained 3^rd place. Napper Elementary School was also able to retain its 4^th place finish from last year but Doedyns Elementary School took over the 5^th place spot from Carnahan Elementary School who fell to 6^th place.

Liberty Middle School, led by their 2010 Junior Olympic National Race Walking Champion Julisa Juarez and last years 6^th place National Junior Olympic winner Ryan Hernandez of Pharr, took the top honors among the middle schools with thirty-six points. Audie Murphy Middle School, led by 2009 Junior Olympic National 4^th Place Winner Ivana Cavazos of Alamo, took second place with 29 points followed by San Juan and Kennedy Middle Schools with fourteen and thirteen points each.

North Alamo Elementary School children won four first place races. Ford, Reed-Mock and Longoria Elementary Schools each had two first place winners.

North Alamo and Reed-Mock Elementary Schools placed twenty-one and twenty children respectively in the top ten. Longoria Elementary School placed ten in the top ten while Cesar Chavez, Carnahan and Napper Elementary Schools tied with eight each. Doedyns and Bowie had seven each followed by Ramirez and Garza-Peña who each had six.

South Texas Walking Club head coach A.C. Jaime credits PSJA I.S.D. Physical Education Coordinator Coach Jaime Chavana and all his 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, other schools throughout the USA will soon implement similar programs with the assistance of our USA Track & Field National Office.