Long time coaching duo brings home medals from Games of Texas

Submitted photo. Used with permission.

By Chris Price
Copyright 2016 Texas Aquatics News

EDINBURG, TEXAS (July 30, 2016) It is one thing to coach swimmers and expect them to follow said coach's instructions. It is quite another to coach swimmers and be able compete right along side of them. It goes to show that the phrase "do as I say and also as I do" has meaning well beyond the standard definition for the swimmers from Pasadena, Texas. The long-time coaching duo of Robert and Darla Kelly, who have been involved in swimming not just in Texas, but nationally and internationally for well over 35 years, joined their South Belt Area "All Stars" Swimming Team (SBAS) swimmers in competing at the Texas Amateuar Atheltic Federation (TAAF) Games of Texas on July 30, 2016 in Edinburg Texas. Between the two coaches, they competed in eight events, winning a total of three gold and five silver medals.

Darla, who is the co-head coach of SBAS and the head swimming and diving coach at Pasadena (Texas) High School, won silver medals in the 50-meter freestyle, 50-meter backstroke, and 50-meter breaststroke in the 55-59 year old division. Her times also established new SBAS team records in the events. Robert, who is also the co-head coach of SBAS won gold medals in the 60-64 year old division in the 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, and 50-meter backstroke. He also took silver medals in the 50-meter freestyle and 50-meter breaststroke. Kelly, who is the long time swimming and diving coach at both Sam Rayburn High School and Pasadena Memorial High School, also served as the aquatic facilities manager for the Pasadena (Texas) Independent School District.

Both Kelly's have now qualified for the 2017 State Games of America National Championships to be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan on August 3-6, 2017. They will be joined by the SBAS relay team of Landon Howard, Devin Graham, Clayton Melo, and Tristan Morgan, who also qualified for the national games. Howard is a previous competitor at the national event, having led a contingent of South Belt swimmers to the event in Lincoln, Nebraska in 2015. In addition to the relay swimmers and the Kellys, former Pasadena High School All-American swimmer and Houston Cougar letterman Kristine Kelly will be making the trip north in 2017. The daugher of the coaching duo, who just graduated from South Texas College of Law in May, has been on a three-year hiatus from swimming competition due to her law school studies. The former state and national champion won six gold medals in the 2003 State Games of America and has been invited to compete in the 2017 games as a former champion.

The Kelly, along with all their SBAS swimmers will now have a few weeks off prior to starting the upcoming high swimming season, in addition to preparing for the 2017 Winter Games of Texas swimming competition in Frisco, Texas in January, 2017.

SBAS foursome win bronze medals in relays at Games of Texas; punch tickets to 2017 State Games of America

The SBAS foursome of (L to R) Landon Howard, Devin Graham, Clayton Melo, and Tristan Morgan won bronze medals in the 200-meter medley relay and 200-meter freestyle relay at the TAAF Games of Texas in Edinburg, Texas.
Submitted photo. Used with permission.

By Chris Price
Copyright 2016 Texas Aquatics News

EDINBURG, TEXAS (July 30, 2016) Four members of the South Belt Area "All Stars" Swimming Team (SBAS) swam to bronze medals in two relays at the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation Games of Texas on Saturday, July 30, 2016 at Edinburg Water Park. The foursome of Landon Howard, Devin Graham, Tristan Morgan and Clayton Melo combined to take the bronze medal in both the 18-years old and over 200-meter medley relay and 200-meter freestyle relay and as a result, qualified for the State Games of America National Championships in Grand Rapids, Michigan in August 3-6, 2017.

Their times of 2:16.76 in the medley relay and 2:03.46 in the freestyle relay earned them the bronze medals and established new SBAS team records in the events and punched their tickets to the national championships, which will be contested with athletes from all over the United States and Canada. 

Howard, who was a medalist at the 2015 State Games of America, competed in the 25-29 year old division, in two individual events in Edinburg; the 50-meter backstroke (34.20)  and the 100-meter individual medley (1:12.50). The Sugar Land native took the gold medal in both events and established state records in both events. Graham, a 2015 graduate of Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena, Texas, competing in the 18-24 year old division, placed ninth in the 100-meter freestyle and 16th in the 50-meter butterfly. Morgan, a senior at Pasadena Memorial High School, also competed in the 18-24 year old division placed 11th in the 50-meter butterfly and 50-meter breaststroke, 12th in the 50-meter butterfly, and 13th in the 50-meter freestyle. Melo, also competing in the 18-25 division, placed 12th in the 100-meter individual medley and 13th in the 50-meter breaststroke.

SBAS foursome places 4th in 200-meter medley relay at Games of Texas; miss out on national berth

The SBAS Mixed 200-meter medley relay placed fourth at the
TAAF Games of Texas State Championships in Edinburg, Texas.
Shown (L to R) Coach Darla Kelly, Alfredo Vasquez, Gabriella Escobar,
Alex Perez, Brian Perez, Coach Robert Kelly. 

By Chris Price
Copyright 2016 Texas Aquatics News

EDINBURG, TEXAS (July 29, 2016 ) On the second day of competition, July 29, 2016 at the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation Games of Texas State Championships, in Edinburg, Texas, four South Belt Area “All Star” Swimming Team (SBAS) swimmers left their mark on the games. The foursome of Gabriella Escobar, Alexa Perez, Alfredo Vasquez, and Brian Perez combined to take fourth place in the mixed 15-17-year old 200-meter medley relay. Their time of 2:13.10 established a SBAS team record and was less than two second from third place and a trip to the State Games of America National Championships in Grand Rapids, Michigan in August, 2017.

All four swimmers are swimmers are students at Pasadena High School in Pasadena, Texas and swim for NFHS National Coach of the Year, Darla Kelly. Kelly received the award in 2012 as the top girls swimming coach in the United States and the top female high school coach in the United States.

Individually, Escobar, who will be a senior in high school in August, placed 43^rd in the 50-meter freestyle while Alexa Perez, who will be a junior this coming year, placed 15^th in the 200-meter freestyle and 31^st in the 50-meter breaststroke .

Brian Perez placed 15^th in the 200-meter freestyle and 35^th in the 100-meter individual medley . Vasquez placed 31^st in the 100-meter individual medley , 44^th in the 50-meter butterfly, and 50^th in the 100-meter freestyle . Both Brian Perez and Vasquez will be juniors Pasadena High School. Competition continues on Saturday, July 30 with the 18 and over and eight and under divisions.

Local swimmer establishes three team records at 2016 TAAF Games of Texas

Michael Vargas established three SBAS
team reacords at the TAAF Games of Texas
in Edinburg. Texas.
Submitted photo, Used with permission.

By Chris Price
Copyright 2016 Texas Aquatics News

EDINBURG, TEXAS (July 29, 2016) In the first day of competition at the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation Games of Texas State Championships in Edinburg, Texas on Thursday, July 28, 2016, two local youths showcased their skills against the top swimmers from around the state. Pasadena's Michael Vargas and Deer Park’s Harrison Brown competed in session one of the annual state games in the boys 11-14 and 13-14 years old age group.

Vargas, who will be a sophomore at Sam Rayburn High School this fall, competed in the 100-meter freestyle, 100-meter individual medley, and the 50-meter backstroke in the boys 13-14 division. Brown competed in the 100-meter freestyle in the boys 11-12 division.

Harrison, who swims for the Deer Park Seals in summer competition placed 19^th in the 100-meter freestyle with the time of 1:23.75. Vargas, who swims for the SouthBelt Area "All Stars" Swimming Team, placed 25^th in the 100-meter freestyle with the time of 1:20.30. In the 50-meter backstroke, his time of 40.51 seconds was good enough for 24^th place in the field. His final event of the day, the 1oo-yard individual medley, he placed 24^th with the time of 1:39.96. All three of Vargas’ performances established new team records for South Belt.

After his record setting performance, Vargas stated “I thought my stroke rate in backstroke was pretty good. I needed to kick more on freestyle and backstroke, but my turns in all my races were better than when I competed in the regionals two weeks ago.”

The Games of Texas continue on Friday morning with the boys 9-10 and 15-17 age groups and the afternoon with the girls 9-10 and 15-17 age groups. The championships are being contested at the Edinburg Water Park Pool.