Pasadena area swimmers compete at TAAF Games of Texas Summer State Championships.

Story by Chris Price
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

BRYAN, TEXAS (August 3, 2025) The South Belt Area "All Stars" Swimming Team (SBAS) competed in the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation (TAAF) Games of Texas Summer State Championships and returned home with many accolades and honors, along with many lifetime best times. The championships were held at the Bryan Aquatic Center in Bryan, Texas.

In the 15-17 age group division, the top finisher was the SBAS Mixed 100-yard Freestyle Relay (shown above), consisting of Pasadena High School seniors Daniel Garza and Giovanni Lopez, who teamed up with Pasadena Memorial High School's junior Angelina Hernandez and senior Kailey Montoya to place fifth in the hotly contested race. The SBAS foursome posted the time of :59.37, which was faster that the time they recorded (1:02.18) in their gold medal performance at the TAAF Region 14 Championships two weeks earlier.

In the 15-17 age group individual events, Montoya placed 38th in the 50-yard Breaststroke and 45th in the 100-yard Individual Medley. Pasadena Memorial High School senior Gwendalynn Alvarado finished 29th in the 200-yard Freestyle and 45th in the 50-yard Butterfly. Hernandez competed in 100-yard Freestyle (49th place) and 100-yard Individual Medley (46th).

J. Frank Dobie High School senior Joel Chapa placed 58th in the 50-yard Butterfly, 58th in the 100-yard Freestyle and 73rd in the 50-yard Freestyle. Lopez placed 45th in the 50-yard Backstroke and 46th in the 50-yardd Breaststroke. with Garza placing 36th in th 50-yard Butterfly, 58th in the 100-yard Freestyle, and 62nd in thr 50-yard Freestyle.

In the girls 15-17 relay events, Hernandez, Montoya and Alvarado teamed up with Holly King to take 11th in the 200-yard Medley Relay and 12th in the 200-yard Freestyle Relay.

In the girls 13-14 division, Sam Rayburn High School sophomore Gabriella Olivo placed 28th in the 100-yard Individual Medley and 28th in the 50-yard Backstroke.

The South Belt Area "All Stars" Swimming Team is a select competitive swimming team, consisting of athletes from the Pasadena, South Houston, Deer Park and Texas Gulf Coast areas.