South Texas Walking Club

OFFICIAL RESULTS ARE IN FROM THE USATF Jr. Olympic Regional Championships in Texas.... 100 DEGREES DURING THE AFTERNOON WHEN THE KIDS WERE RACING !!! TOP THREE QUALIFIES FOR NATIONALS IN MIAMI ON JULY 29th and 30th !!! South Texas Walking Club has 16 kids that will qualify on to Nationals. BANTAM GIRLS: 1. Claudia Ortiz - 8:30 2. Jessica Reybal - 8:57 3. Wendy White (HOUSTON) - 9:28 4. Dana Flores - 10:25 5. Crystal Mireless - 10:51 As anticipated, this race turned out to be a nail biter. There were 7 girls in the lead pack for the first two laps and then Samantha opened it up a bit. Jeanette then passed the girl from Houston and so did Maria, but Ariel came on strong and caught Maria. Listened to this race via the phone was intense as you could hear the "edge of his seat" voice of Coach Bert Jaime as he was giving me the play by play. AMAZING is all that I can say - and I can't wait to see the video. Midget Girls: 1. Samantha Olivarez - 8:24 2. Ariel (HOUSTON) - 8:31 3. Jeanette Avitia - 8:36 4. Maria Villareal - 8:41 5. Sarah Garcia - 8:52.88 6. Karla Mireless - 8:52.90 7. Brooke Shannon - 8:53.34 8. Bailey Shannon - 9:14 9. Alejandra Thomas - 10:27 Ruby was down by 50 meters with 600 meters to go and she slowly started catching up to Karla. With one lap to go they were neck and neck, and then Ruby put one more surge on to take the win. Youth Girls: 1. Ruby Perez - 17:30 2. Karla (Houston) 17:35 3. Corina Ortiz 18:16 Bantam Boys 1500m - 1. Casey Remirez - 9:22 Midget Boys 1500m - 1. Andres Jaime - 8:54 2. ????? (Houston?) 3. Bernie Garcia - 9:39 4. Arcadio Resendez - 9:54 5. Marcos Kellar - 9:54 6. Caesar - 11:42 Youth Boys 3000m - 1. Roberto Vergara - 16:14 2. Ricardo Vergara - 16:27 3. Abraham Villareal - 18:28 INTERMEDIATE and YOUTH BOYS and GIRLS: Race was stopped in the middle due to heavy rain and lightning. All qualify on to Nationals: Andrian Jaime Chris Diaz Ernesto Vergara Cindy Resendez Becky Pichardo

After the Regional USATF Jr.Olympic Championships being held in Pharr, Texas on July 19th, we will put the complete team roster going to Nationals - for now here is the schedule: 37th Annual AAU Jr. Olympic Games in Detroit: Wednesday July 23rd 9:30am - continuous schedule in this order Sub-Bantam Girls 1500m Sub-Bantam Boys 1500m -- CASEY !!! Bantam Girls 1500m -- CLAUDIA & JESSICA !!! Bantam Boys 1500m -- Sub-Midget Girls 1500m -- BAILEY, BROOKE, MARIA QUALIFY !!! Sub-Midget Boys 1500m Midget Girls 1500m -- SAMANTHA, JEANETTE, & KARLA QUALIFY !!! Midget Boys 1500m -- ANDRES QUALIFIES !!! Thursday July 24th 11:00am start time Youth Girls - 3000m -- RUBY & CORINA QUALIFY !!! Youth Boys - 3000m -- ROBERTO, RICARDO, & ABRAHAM QUALIFY !!! Intermediate Girls - 3000m -- CINDY QUALIFIES !!! Intermediate Boys - 3000m -- NETO QUALIFIES !!! Young Women - 3000m -- BECKY QUALIFIES !!! Young Men - 3000m -- ADRIAN & CHRIS QUALIFY !!! USATF Jr. Olympic Games in Miami, Florida: Tuesday July 29th 11:30am - Youth Girls- 3000m Walk -- RUBY & CORINA QUALIFY !!! 12:30pm - Youth Boys - 3000m Walk -- ROBERTO, RICARDO & ABRAHAMN QUALIFY !!! 1:30pm - Bantam Girls - 1500m Walk -- CLAUDIA & JESSICA QUALIFY !!! 2:15pm - Bantam Boys - 1500m Walk -- CASEY QUALIFIES !!! 3:00pm - Midget Girls - 1500m Walk -- SAMANTHA & JEANETTE QUALIFY!! 3:45pm - Midget Boys - 1500m Walk -- ANDRES & BERNIE QUALIFY !!! Wednesday July 30th 10:00am - Intermediate Girls and Young Women - 5000m Walk 11:00am - Intermediate Boys and Young Men - 5000m Walk NOTE *** IF NAMES ARE NEXT TO THE TIMES, THAT MEANS THAT RESULTS ARE IN FROM THE USATF JR. OLYMPIC REGIONAL MEET IN PHARR, TEXAS.

The South Texas Walking Club is getting ready to send its best and strongest to the AAU Jr. Olympic Games in Detroit, as well as the USATF Jr.Olympic Games in Miami. On July 21st the team leaves to get its first crack at the best kids in the country and boy are they ready to rumble. The team will be announced shortly as final arrangements are still being made, but rest assured, this team is ready for any challenge. Any weather that is less than 100 degrees will seem like a cool day to these Fighting Turtles, and that is what we are hoping for - a cool 90 degree day. Leading the team is Adrian Jaime, one of the original founding members of this great team. He will be racing the 3000m walk in Detroit and the 5000m walk in Miami. Chris Diaz as well as Ernesto Vergara will be joining him. For the girls it will be Cindy and Becky fighting it out to make the team proud. Also, racing the 3000m in both races, are the Vergara twins who have been amazing everyone each and every race. Starting their year getting their first taste of indoor walking, they walked in the two National Scholastic races in Washington DC and NY. Now, they are looking forward to racing against the best of the best from all over the country. If there is anyone on the team that has the "EYE OF THE TIGER" it is them. For the girls 3000m, Ruby Perez and Corina Ortiz are fighting to get a legitimate crack at the times of Allison from New Jersey. Watch out if the weather is hot.... For the 1500m - this team is yet to be determined, but rest assured the likes of Andres Jaime - the kid with the amazing kick - will be amoung the chosen. For the girls, we have 11 girls trying for just three spots. Only the top three will go and it could be anyone of: Samantha, Karla, Jeanette, Maria, Bailey, Brooke, Sarah, Alejandra, Nicole, Kathleen, and Gricelda. Who will it be, will be decided at the USATF Regional Meet on July 19th. We must not forget to talk about our really young kids in the 1500m. Claudia Ortiz, the AAU National record holder, will be going for her second title - at 10 years old! Marcos Kellar, also will be a strong favorite. He has made huge strides this past year, and will be wearing the pride of the turtles across his chest. Watch here for more information about the Best and Largest Racewalking Team in America.

PRESS RELEASE effective Tuesday, May 27 2003 To: The Sports Department From: A. C. Jaime, Treasurer, South Texas Walking Club, Phone - 956-686-2337 National USATF Youth Road Racewalk Championship-Pharr This is the first time that a USATF meet has been held in the Valley in southern Texas and for many of the kids, this is the first time that they did not race on a track. Also, it was a unique opportunity because the race was held in downtown Pharr, in front of the City Hall. Sundays race saw 54 kids from 34 schools compete for the traveling trophy and the chance to be National Champion. Blazing hot conditions slowed some of the kids times, but none of their spirits as some kids rose to the occasion and got the best times of their lives. OLS Catholic School students of McAllen won the 32" traveling trophy and will keep the trophy until the children walk series starts again next March. This year the children series was held in 6 cities and will probably increase to nine or ten next year. Girls winning at this Sunday's event by age bracket and times in the 1500 meter walk were as follows: 8 and under: (1) Ashley Zarate 10:34; (2) Angela Diaz 11:16:59; (3) Carolyn Valadez 11:41; (4) Sharon Zarate 13:26; (5) Dasey Villarreal 14:03 9 year olds: (1) Whitney Arnold 10:29; (2) Diana Flores 10:48; (3) Abby Koenig 11:35; (4) Carolina Garcia 11:42; (5) Crystal Mireles 12:05 10 year olds: (1) Claudia Ortiz 9:51; (2) Jessica Reybal 10:24; (3) Laura Zepeda 10:28; (4) Rosa Montelongo 12:14 11 year olds: (1) Bailey Shannon 9:01; (2) Sarah Garcia 9:11; (3) Brooke Shannon 9:13; (4) Alejandra Thomas 9:47; (5) Nicole Gomez 10:35; (6) Juanita Chavez 13:26 12 year olds: (1) Jeanette Avitia 8:32; (2) Samantha Olivarez 8:46; (3) Karla Mireles 9:17; (4) Itzel Zepeda 12:57 Girl winners in the 3000 meter walk were: 13 year olds: (1) Allison Snochowki 16:20 - GREAT JOB!! (2) Corina Ortiz 19:06 - First time walking 3,000m? (3) Sandra Gonzalez 22:49 14 year olds: (1) Karla Redfearn 18:26; (2) Ruby Perez 19:02 Girl winners in the 5000 meter walk were: 15 year olds: (1) Dana Vered 30:05 - Good job in the heat. (2) Cindy Resendez 37:36; (3) Kimmy Villarreal 39:21 Boy winners in the 1500 meter walk were: 8 and under: (1) Manuel Zarate 11:16; (2) Steven Valadez 11:16:81; (3) Arnold C. Ramirez 12:31; (4) Ricardo Lara 13:59 9 year olds: (1) Casey Ramirez 10:15; (2) Tony De Hoyos 13:54 10 year olds: (1) Ricky Vasquez 13:48 11 year olds: (1) Marcos Kellar 10:09 - Marcos making good progress. (2) Arcadio Resendez 10:33; (3) Brian Valadez 12:23; (4) Cesar Rodriguez 12:55 12 year olds: (1) Andres Jaime 8:21 - great time walking by himself (2) Bernie Garcia 9:46; (3) Eric Ramirez 11:21; (4) Sergio Gutierrez 11:59 Boy winners in the 3000 meter walk were: 13 year olds: (1) Roberto Vergara 15:38 - Excellent job for the twins! (2) Ricardo Vergara 16:04; (3) Abraham Villarreal 18:10 Boy winners in the 5000 meter walk were: 15 year olds: (1) Ernesto Vergara 31:55 16 year olds: (1) Jose Saenz 31:59 17 year olds: (1) Chris Diaz 26:26; (2) Adrian Jaime 29:49 USATF judges were Janis Bluhm of George West, Laverne Nielson of Pharr, Maria Redfern and Dave Gwyn of Houston, Bert Pickell of San Antonio, and apprentice judges Jose Montelongo, Yvette Barberena and Miguel Amadeo of Pharr.

This weekend was a BIG weekend for not only the South Texas Walking Club but also for many of the great guests that we had down here in the Valley to race. The weekend began with the kids from New Jersey and Houston accompanying Coach Jaime, Roberto and Ricardo Vergara and Bailey Shannon to two elemetary schools to give clinics for the kids. Later that night, there was the traditional WELCOME TO TEXAS Pasta Party that only special people receive. On Saturday there was the last of the weekly 1-Mile Walking Series, and then on Sunday the kids raced in downtown Pharr at the USATF Youth Road Walk Nationals. After the races the kids were treated to shopping in Progresso, Mexico and then a trip to South Padre Island. Don't we wish we were all there with them.