News and Announcements
Elementary School Sponsored Race Walks
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.
VIDEO OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WALKS WILL BE POSTED SOON!
Chavez wins New Balance Indoor Nationals !!!!!!!
Chavez Wins Another Championship
PSJA High School star athlete Alex Chavez claimed his second race walk National One Mile Championship this Saturday. The seventeen year old fifteen time high school All-American senior won the Nike Indoor National Championship in Boston two years ago and easily won the New Balance One Mile Indoor National Championship in New York Saturday lapping the entire field of eleven young men in a time of six minutes twenty-six seconds. Alex had just returned from New Mexico two weeks ago where he walked the 3rd fastest 3K indoor race walk ever walked by a high school student in the USA. This, in addition to having walked the 12th fastest 10K last month in Florida; the 6th fastest 5K in Pharr on January 1st and the 2nd fastest indoor one mile walk ever walked by a high school junior two years ago in Boston.
He will now prepare to travel to Medellin Columbia on March 24th where he will represent the USA at the Pan American Race Walking Cup Competition. This event became the last indoor high school race walk for Alex and the first ever walked by Kasandra Rodriguez of Alamo.
Kasandra, an honor role 6th grade student at the Idea Academy in Alamo, became one of the youngest girls to ever qualify and participate at a national high school championship. “I was overwhelmed,” she said as she finished her heat among the top ten and twenty-third overall among the other twenty-seven high school girls. Kasandra found herself in last place at the end of her first lap but overwhelmed or not, she still managed to go around one junior and three senior girls before crossing the finish line. Kasandra was a straight “A” student at Bowie Elementary School last year and the AAU National Race Walk Silver Medalist in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
She will now prepare to attend the AAU and USATF Junior National Race Walk Championships that will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana and Wichita, Kansas respectively this July.
Chavez Signs Letter of Intent with Missouri Baptist
Thirteen time high school All-American Alex Chavez of PSJA High School in San Juan Texas signed a letter of intent to race walk for Missouri Baptist University this week.
The seventeen year old is the top high school senior race walker in the country graduating this year that plans to continue race walking in college next year. Coach Gorden Reiter, Head Men's Cross Country and Men's Track & Field coach at Missouri Baptist University said "I feel we are planting a seed that will bring great results to our school in the future by recruiting Alex.
Alex walked the 2nd fastest one mile walk ever walked by a high school junior in the USA last year when he was a junior. Last month he walked the sixth fastest 5K walk ever walked by a high school student in the USA and last week he placed 3rd at the prestigious Madison Square Garden Millrose Games in New York City outpacing many of the country's top collegiate walkers.
PSJA ISD Superintendent, Dr. Daniel King, congratulated Alex for his accomplishments in race walking and academics since Alex has maintained an "A" average at PSJA High School and is a member of the National Honor Society. He furthermore has been an All Valley Band member and solo state tuba qualifier for two years.
Alex has also been a member of the USA Junior National Team which is made up of the top six race walkers in the country ever since he was an eighth grader. He has set three AAU National Junior Olympic records and walks and average of 55 to 62 miles per week. Alex head race walking coach A.C. Jaime said, "Alex has been a tremendous asset to our team and will be that and more to Missouri Baptist University."
TEXAS LARGEST JUDGED 1-MILE RACE WALK
From: USATF Junior Elite Race Walk – Olympic Development Camp
The week long camp took a break today from the daily grind of twice a day workouts to assess the high end speed of the camps attendees. In the always friendly competition billed as Texas’s Largest 1 Mile Race Walk - and without doubt it is - numerous PRs were set.
Hometown hero Alex Chavez, walking on his high school’s track, dominated the field in posting a 6:31.4 winning time. Rachel Seaman, one of the camp’s instructors’, helped lend an international flavor of the field by claiming the women’s title.
Second place in the men’s race went to Edinburg’s own Ricardo Vergara who attends college at Lindsey Wilson University in Kentucky. Third went to Pickens, South Carolina, high school senior Jonathan Hallman.
Second in the women’s event went to Chihuahua, Mexico, high school star Nirvana Zalbo, in a lifetime best of 7:16. Katie Burnett, who attends William Penn University in Iowa was third, also in a lifetime best.
In the division for 13 & 14 year old girls Katie Michta from Long Island, New York, was the winner. Pharr’s own Geraldo Flores took home the title on the men’s side. In the 12 year old division for girls Kasandra Rodriguez from Alamo was the winner. In the 11 year old category Brianna Sanchez from Alamo was champion. On the boys side it was Alamo’s Jonathan Aguilar taking the title for boys 10 year olds and younger. Bianca Garza from Pharr was tops in the 10 year old and younger girls division.
The race walk camp will continue thru Sunday with TEXAS’ LARGEST 5 K RACE WALK taking place Saturday morning, January 1st, 8am. That event, and an accompanying 5 kilometer run, will begin and finish at Liberty Middle School, at the corner of Ridge Road and Fir in Pharr.
1 Mile results:
1) Alejandro Chavez (17M) South Texas WC 6:31.4
2) Rachel Seaman (24F) Canada 6:50.6
3) Ricardo Vergara (20M) Lindsey-Wilson College 6:51.2
4) Jonathan Hallman (17M) Pickens HS, SC 7:08.2
5) Nirvana Zalbo (17F) Chihuahua, Mexico 7:16.0
6) Katie Burnett (22F) William Penn Univ. 7:23.4
7) Jessica Ching (23F) Hong Kong (Lindenwood U) 7:24.0
8) Janelle Brown (22F) Cornerstone Univ. 7:29.2
9) Mitchell Brickson (16M) Miami Valley TC, Ohio 7:38.2
10) Miranda Melville (21F) U.of Wisconside-Parkside 7:41.4
11) Erika Shaver (18F) Miami Valley TC, Ohio 7:41.6
12) Molly Joshephs (16F) Garden City HS, NY 7:48.7
13) Rachel Zoyholsky (19F) R.I.T., NY 7:59.2
14) Aleks Jakobson (20M) Ashford College, Iowa 8:01.8
15) Katie Michta (14F) Sachem HS, NY 8:21.0
16) Geraldo Flores (14M) South Texas WC 8:22.4
17) Mallory White (16F) Lakeland Christian HS, Fla 8:24.7
18) Annie Schiede (17F) Gardiner Area HS, Maine 8:28.0
19) Lila Haba (15F) Lynbrook HS, Saratoga, Ca. 8:32.5
20) Emily Reed (18F) Farmington HS, Maine 8:48.8
21) Ellerie Lagerausen (17F) Dobson HS, Mesa, AZ 8:53.1
22) Ruth Barless (16F) WHHE, Katy, Tx. 9:27.3
23) Kasandra Rodriguez (12F) South Texas WC 9:30.4
24) Jonathan Aguilar (10M) South Texas WC 9:32.4
25) Diana Flores (16F) South Texas WC 9:44.3
26) Bianca Garza (10F) South Texas WC 9:48.6
27) Desiree Espericueta (12F) South Texas WC 9:50.0
28) Julisa Juarez (10F) South Texas WC 9:52.2
29) Brianna Sanchez (11F) South Texas WC 10:20.8
30) Ryan Hernandez (10M) South Texas WC 10:38.2
31) Abisai Aguilar (13M) South Texas WC 11:37.4
32) Mariana Juarez (9F) South Texas WC 11:57.5
33) Kayla Rodriguez (8F) South Texas WC 12:28.7
34) Natasha Zarate (12F) South Texas WC 12:52.7
35) Bryan Hernandez (7M) South Texas WC 12:53.0
36) Willian Lopez (52M) Wearm, Alabama 13:05.6
37) Sabrina Aguilar (12F) South Texas WC 13:40.4
38) Elaine Dispo (29F) Our Lady of the Lake Univ. 15:07.4
39) Melanie Cruiz (8F) South Texas WC 15:12.6
40) Ashley Cruz (9F) South Texas WC 15:13.0
41) Richard Jaime (14M) PSJA HS, Pharr Tx 16:27.8
42) Ochou Marifer (4F) San Juan, TX 16:45.6
43) Ulysses Samerripa (22M) Danna, TX 16:50.3
44) Silvia Duran (15F) PSJA HS, San Juan, Tx 16:50.8
DNF Roberto Vergara (20M) Lindsey-Wilson College
3000m Race Walk:
1) Tim Seaman (38M) New York AC 12:08.9
2) Vince Peters (56M) Miami Valley TC 16:16.4
DNF Jonathan Aguilar (10M) South Texas WC
DNF Elaine Dispo (29F) Our Lady of the Lake Univ
Judges: Tish Hanna, Dave Gwyn, Janis Blum, Pete Ramero
~~~ 0 ~~~
