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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Thursday, January 23, 2003
Eagles start season at home, District 4-3A on road
By Jon Fulbright
Staff Writer
The Pecos Eagles baseball team will be facing several of their
former district rivals at home before going on the road to take on their new
District 4-3A opponents in the 2003 season, which opens on Feb. 18 at
home against the Odessa High Bronchos.
Workouts begin on Monday for the Eagles under new head coach
Elias Payan, who'll get most of his starters back from last year's team,
which finished with a 22-8 record, but were swept in the area round of the
Class 4A playoffs by the Frenship Tigers.
"We need to find a catcher, and when Matthew (Levario) is
pitching we'll need to find a shortstop,"
said Payan of his main concerns going into the 2003 season. He also said
the Eagles will be looking for a first baseman when senior
Barney Rodriguez is not on the mound.
Levario and Rodriguez are two of the four pitchers Pecos returns
from last season, when they won the District 2-4A title. But the Eagles
will be facing tougher competition this season in District 4-3A,
where Monahans advanced to the Region I-3A finals a year ago and Kermit
went two rounds into the Class 3A playoffs.
Those also are the two teams Pecos will begin district play against
in March, both on the road.
They'll go to Kermit on March 21, then travel to Monahans on March
25 before playing their 3-4A home opener on March 28 against Fort
Stockton. All of Pecos' district games are scheduled for 7 p.m. starts, with
the exception of their April 1 game at Greenwood, since the Rangers are
the only district team with no lights at their field.
The Eagles were district rivals with the Panthers and Loboes up until
the late 1990s, and have faced them in non-district play in recent years.
This season, Pecos will also play three of their other former district
opponents during pre-district play, beginning with a doubleheader on Feb. 22 at
home against the Snyder Tigers. The Eagles will also host San Angelo Lake
View on March 11 and Big Spring on March 18 in their final pre-district game.
In between those games, Pecos will have three tournaments _ the
Sandhills at Monahans and Kermit on Feb 27 through March 1, the
Midland Greenwood Tournament at Christensen Stadium on March
6-8, and the Alpine Tournament on March 13-15.
The Eagles also have two pre-season scrimmages scheduled, on
Feb. 4 against Odessa High at the Bronchos' home field, and at
home Feb. 7 against the Midland Christian Mustangs.
On the sub-varsity level, moving out of the El Paso-based District
2-4A has allowed the Eagles to add more April games to their junior
varsity schedule, though the freshman schedule will end on April 1 with
a game at Midland Trinity. "We need to try and get the freshman more
games next year," Payan said.
Both teams will scrimmage Fort Davis on Feb. 11 and open
their seasons against Monahans on Feb. 21. The JV will play the same
schedule as the varsity, except the home and road dates are reversed, while
the ninth graders will only face one District 4-3A rival, Monahans, but will play
two games each against the Loboes, Midland Christian, Lamesa and
Fort Davis.
Bates ready as junior high season begins
The junior high school swimming season will get underway for the Pecos
Eagles in February, and sign-ups for sixth, seventh and eighth graders
will be held next week, coach Evan Bates said on Monday.
Bates is in charge of the junior high team, and also supervises the
Age-Group Swim Team program along with Joan Capshaw. "We'll have a meeting
with all three grades and see what happens," Bates said.
Practices are scheduled to start on Feb. 3 at the Pecos High School
pool, and The meeting for 7th and 8th graders will
be held at Crockett Middle School in Kittie Gibson's room, (room number
107), at 3:10 p.m. on Monday. The meeting for 6th graders will
be in Carolyn Bynum's room (room number 100) at Zavala Middle School at
3:10 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Age Group swimming has been going on since the fall, and includes
both elementary and junior high students. In that group, Bates said six
boys and one girl are at the sixth through eighth grade level, but Capshaw
added, "We always pick up quite a few who don't do age-group."
The Age Group will have their area A-B meet on Feb. 7-9 at the City
of Midland Pool, while Pecos will host the C meet on March 1. March is
also when the junior high swimmers are scheduled to have the first of their
two meets as of now, here in Pecos on the 29th. Pecos also has
a meet in Andrews on April 12, and Capshaw said Monahans will also have
a meet on a yet-to-be-determined date.
""Well practice from 5 to 6:30, but I may move it up or move it back
once the high school season is over," Bates said. "We'll try to accommodate
the junior high kids who are in track or playing baseball, because they're
right after school."
This is Bates' first season as assistant swim coach for the high school
team and head coach for the junior high squad. The former PHS swimmer spent
two years swimming at John Brown college, and then transferred to Sul Ross
State University in Alpine.
"It's nice to be back working in the program again," he said. "I really
enjoy working with coach (Terri) Morse and I'm picking up a lot of things
I didn't learn in high school.
"Eventually, I'd like a head coaching position, but right now I have
no plans for the next two years except for coaching and teaching," he said.
Working with the high school swimmers, Bates said, "The main thing is
just helping out with the daily duties and coaching aspects. One thing
coach Morse does have me working with is the stroke and turns, if any students
have any problems with that."
Bates' younger brother Kevin also swam for Pecos, while his father Earl
still serves as an official at District 3-4A meets, though the family moved
to Midland two years ago.
Quintana seeks healthy competition
Jennifer Galvan
Staff Writer
With flu symptoms going around Pecos High School and the other schools
in the district, Daniel Quintana of the Pecos High School swimming team
hopes to stay health so that he may compete in the district meet.
Quintana, a 17-year-old junior, said that he is trying to stay health,
eat right and get plenty of rest for when they host this year's district
swim meet.
"We will be hosting this year's district swim meet," Quintana said.
"We want to show the other teams that they are now in our pool."
Quintana said that he along with the whole swim team has worked hard
to prepare for this moment and to get sick now and not get anything out
of it would be really hard.
"This district meet is the first part of the championship," Quintana
said.
Now a junior, Quintana has competed in the 200-freestyle, 100-freestyle
500-freestyle and three relays.
"For district I will be competing in the 200-freestyle and three relays,
the 200 medaly, 200-freestyle and the 400-freestyle," Quintana said. "Coach
had me swimming the 100 free during our other meets but for district she
placed me on three relays."
Quintana said that he began to swim when he was in the fourth grade
and has continued to do so up through high school.
Senior Reynolds ready for final run at District meet
JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
The changing of divisions and a case of strong headaches has not affected
one Pecos Eagles swimmer.
Rebecca Reynolds, 17, a senior at Pecos High School said that at the
end February of last year she began to suffer from headaches, but said
that the headaches have helped her out.
"I began to get headaches at the end of February last year," Reynolds
said. "I still have them but I am now taking medication for them."
While taking the medication, Reynolds said that she has slowed down
on her swimming but sees it as a challenge.
"At first I wanted to quit swimming," Reynolds said. "But now I look
at it as a chance to see if I can make it through."
Another reason she did not stop swimming because of the inspiration
she received from a pro-swimmer.
"I can't remember his name right now, but his appendix was bothering
him and he had to have it taken out the day before he competed," Reynolds
said. "He went ahead and swam his event the next day and got first place
in the event."
Reynolds said that she first began to swim when she was in third grade
but then stopped in junior high to play volleyball.
"I have been swimming for five years now," Reynolds said. "I started
to swim again when I was in the eighth grade because my brother Randall
started to swim."
Reynolds added that her mother made her stop competing in volleyball.
The alternative was knee surgery.
As Reynolds went from volleyball practice to swimming practice she said
that it was not that hard to make the transition.
"Though the workouts were hard, my body was use to working out," Reynolds
said.
However, she added that her body did have to adjust to the working out
in water.
"The workouts are different when you are in the water," Reynolds said.
"The workouts are totally different exercises."
According to Reynolds swimming requires more aerobic stamina than volleyball.
Though she might have had knee problems while playing volleyball, Reynolds
says that she now has shoulder problems because of swimming.
"I never had shoulder problems before," Reynolds said. "They now grind."
For Reynolds, this year's swim team consists of younger swimmers who
are very good at what they do.
"They are so young but I see them as advanced swimmers," Reynolds said.
Her interest in swimming began when she was taking swimming lessons,
Reynolds said.
While on the Pecos Eagles Swim Team, Reynolds said that she has competed
in the 100-butterfly and the 100-breast stroke.
"Last year I swam in the 200-free style," Reynolds said. "I also got
third place at regional last year in the breast stroke."
Reynolds said that she was also the captain of the swimming team last
year.
As Reynolds and her younger sister, Amie, a sophomore, compete in the
same event, the 100-breast stroke, she says that there was a competitive
side at first.
She said that at first she felt that she had to compete against her
sister and but that now she is happy for her.
"In our district we are both seated in the top three swimmers," Reynolds
said.
As Reynolds and her team prepare for district Friday, January 24, here
in Pecos, she said that she hopes to gets the same time in the breast stroke.
"I just want to get the same time as I did in regionals in the breast
stroke, which was a 1:18:23," Reynolds said.
"I also want to cut my time on the butterfly and score as many points
as I can for my team."
With Pecos going from 4A to 3A this year, the Pecos Eagles swim team
has had to compete with several 5A schools and as the district meet comes
to Pecos several 4A schools will be competing with Pecos for the district
title, but Reynolds says that she is not worried about it.
"There have been some schools that have done the same,' Reynolds said.
"We have competed against some of the schools that will be here for the
district meet and we have defeated them as well."
"There won't be anyone there that I haven't swam against before," Reynolds
said.
As Reynolds prepares to graduate from high school, and maybe leave swimming
behind, she has a message for those who choose to keep on swimming.
"Never give up, always give a 110 percent during workouts and when swimming,"
Reynolds said.
"The workouts may seem hard but the feeling you get when you are standing
in the first place spot is awesome."
Eagles face new challenges at District, Regionals
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
Pecos Eagles swimming coach Terri Morse doesn't plan on making many
changes to her lineup this weekend, for the District 3-4A Swimming and
Diving Championships at the Pecos High School pool.
The Eagles have won 11 district titles on the boys' side since 1990,
along with three regional titles since the Class 4A division was created
in 2000, and the girls have picked up eight since 1991, and have won the
past two regional crowns.
They'll be favored again at district this Friday and Saturday, and will
also be favored to repeat at the Region I-4A meet in Lubbock next weekend.
But where all finals qualifiers at district will move on to Lubbock, only
the winners of each race there are assured of trips to the Class 4A State
Championships next month in Austin, and the Eagles will face a few new
challenges in order to earn the automatic state berths.
The first will come from swimmers from Andrews, Monahans and Big Spring
this weekend, while next weekend, Morse said there will be a few new teams
from the El Paso area to worry about at regionals.
"The El Paso district has a couple of good swimmers and relays. El Paso
Chapin and El Paso High have a few good individual swimmers, and consequentially
they'll have a few relays that will do well," she said.
Some of the other districts already have held their meets, with regional
competition next weekend. "It's kind of tough this year because you only
have one week between district and regionals. You almost have to rest them
for district in order to get ready for regionals."
"I'm resting a few of them for district _ some of them who are not seeded,
so they'll have a chance to go to regionals, but I'm probably not going
to rest Will (Oglesby) and some of the others, because I don't think he'll
have that big a challenge, but I still want him to have a good district
meet.
For the girls, Chapin is the only 4A school so far this year to beat
the Eagles in the 200 medley relay, but Pecos will be a big favorite in
that event going into Friday's preliminaries. Their 2:05.80 time is almost
7 ½ seconds faster than the second best time so far this season,
by Andrews.
But the Mustangs will give the Eagles a bigger challenge at district
by in the freestyle relay events. Pecos has finished behind Andrews this
year, though their best time in the 200 free, 1:48.62, is almost five seconds
better than Andrews' 1:53.37. It's a lot closer in the 400 freestyle relay,
where Pecos' top time of 4:05.44 is just ahead of the Mustangs' 4:06.91
Individually, Morse said, "I think Teddie (Salcido) is going to have
some competition from Rachel Hogan _ in fact, she's seeded ahead of her
in the 200 (freestyle) and she's second in the 500 _ and Nancy Wallace
will be seeded right behind Susan (Moore, in the 50 and 100 freestyle races)."
Hogan's 2:11.40 time is 1.12 seconds faster than Salcido in the 200
free, while in the 500, Salcido's best time of 5:53.25 is 1.78 seconds
ahead of Hogan's top effort this season. In the 50 free, only two-hundredths
of a second separate the top time of Moore (25.98) and Wallace (26.00),
while in the 100 free, Moore's best of 57.91 seconds is .17 seconds ahead
of Wallace.
Catherine Minjarez will be challenging Big Spring's Jessica Hughey in
the 200 individual medley, while Minjarez will also seek a first place
finish in the 100-yard butterfly. Hughey has the best time of the year
in the medley (2:28.53) by just under two seconds, while Minjarez' 1:06.69
time in the 100 fly is over six seconds ahead of any other time going into
the preliminaries.
Lindsey Shaw in the 100-yard breaststroke is the other top-seeded swimmer
for the Eagles. Her 1:17.51 time in the 100-yard breaststroke is just under
four seconds ahead of teammate Amie Reynolds, while her sister Rebecca
has the third best time among district swimmers going into the meet.
Hughey has the top time in the other swimming event, the 100 yard backstroke,
at 1:08.98, while Pecos' Lauren Wein will go in seeded second, with a 1:11.42
time.
Wein is also seeded sixth in the 200 freestyle, with teammates Betsy
Lujan and Jessica Minjarez seeded fourth and fifth. Shaw is seeded third,
Chyloe Martin fourth and Ashley Mendoza fifth in the 200 medley; Kelsey
Holt is seeded fourth in the 50 free; Rebecca Reynolds is seeded fourth,
Ashley Carrasco seventh and Amanda Contreras 10th in the 100
fly; Holt is seeded third, Lujan fourth and Ashley Horsburgh fifth in the
100 free; Jessica Minjarez is seeded third, Mendoza fourth and Amie Reynolds
sixth in the 500 free; Martin is seeded fourth, Horsburgh fifth and Contreras
13th in the 100 backstroke; and Carrasco is the other seeded
swimmer for Pecos in the 100 breaststroke, in fifth going into the prelims.
The boys have had fewer numbers this year than the girls, but higher
overall placings with the swimmers they've got at most of the meets so
far. In fact, Morse said, "Will (Oglesby) and Max (Key) are actually seeded
ahead of the district records," in the 500 yard freestyle and 100 yard
breaststroke races.
Oglesby, who will split time between the 500 freestyle and the 100 backstroke,
goes in with a 5:02.61 time, which is 1.38 seconds better than the district
mark of 5:03.99 set by Pecos' Jeffrey Rodriguez in 1991. Key's best time
in the breaststroke is 1:02.29, and he'll also be trying to break a district
mark set by Rodriguez, at 1:02.62 in 1993.
Key is also seeded first in his other individual event, the 100 yard
freestyle, but only by two hundredths of a second over Monahans' Ethan
Lewallen. Ogelsby's 54.02 time in the 100 fly puts him as the No. 1 seed,
ahead of Big Spring's Michael Carrasco, who has a 56.61 time.
Lewallen and Carrasco are seeded first in their other individual events,
and two other Big Spring swimmers are seeded first in one of their races,
as the Steers will again give the Eagles their toughest challenge at the
district meet.
Lewallen is seeded first in the 50 free, the only race in which Pecos
does not have a swimmer in the Top 6, and Carrasco is seeded first in the
200 individual medley with a 2:08.97 time, ahead of the Eagles' K.W. Winkles,
whose best time so far this season is a 2:11.56
The other Steers swimmers who'll have top seeds going into the meet
are Josh Pike, seeded first in the 200 freestyle with a 1:57.50 time, .55
ahead of Pecos' Daniel Quintana, and Mark Sheedy, whose time of 60.41 in
the 100 backstroke is .42 seconds ahead of Pecos' Gary Garcia.
In the relays, the Eagles have the best time in two of the three races.
Their 1:45.21 time in the 200 medley is just over three seconds ahead of
Monahans, and their 3:30.62 time in the 400 free is just under three seconds
better than Big Spring.
In the 200 freestyle relay, Pecos will go in as the No. 3 seed, about
one second behind Monahans and 1½ seconds in back of top-seeded
Andrews.
For the other individual swimmers, Winkles is seeded second behind Key
in the 100 yard breaststroke and Andrew Grant is seeded 13th;
Elliott is seeded fourth in the 100 yard backstroke, which Morse said he
would swim at district instead of the 200 individual medley. He's also
seeded fourth in the 100 fly.
Paul Parker is seeded second and Michael Juarez sixth in the 500 freestyle;
Miguel Estrada is seeded 21st and Daniel Quintana 22nd
in the 50 free; Garcia is seeded third in the 200 medley and Parker is
seeded fourth in the 200 free.
After Friday's prelims are over, Juarez, Estrada and Grant are also
scheduled to compete in the 1-meter diving competition. Juarez is the defending
district and regional champion in that event, while it's the first district
meet for Grant and Estrada, who are both freshmen.
"We had a practice diving meet last Friday, and we had a good meet,"
said Morse. "Michael set a new school record."
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
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