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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."



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