The majority of athletes across the state of Texas will begin two-a-day workouts on Tuesday, August 1st as the 2017-2018 sports season kicks off.
Cross Country- Devine Head Cross Country Coach Khera Vay will be back to lead the program this season, as she will be joined again by Assistant Coach Jerel Beaty.
“I am very excited about the return of the cross country season,” Vay said. “We are anticipating great accomplishments from both the Arabian and Warhorse teams.”
According to Vay, they currently have 18 girls and 13 boys signed up to run and with a good mix of returnees and new faces, they are looking forward to a successful season.
The season begins on August 19h (hs only) in Gonzales, but they have a full schedule of two a days planned for this upcoming week beginning Tuesday, August 1st.
They will also compete in Pearsall Aug 26 (hs only), Hondo Sept. 9, Devine Sept. 16, Comfort Sept. 23 (ms only), and Poteet Sept. 30.
District will be October 11 in Lytle for both high school and middle school.
Regionals is October 23 at Texas A&M Corpus and State is Nov. 4 in Round Rock.
” I am very pleased at the dedication of these athletes to continue their running workouts in the summer”.
Volleyball- When it comes to Devine Arabian Volleyball, they have a full first week scheduled including team try-outs as well as alot of scrimmage action.
On Tuesday, August 1st all 10th-12th graders will work-out from 8:30-11:00 a.m. as all 9th graders will come from 10:30-1:00 p.m. Everyone will then be required to attend a conditioning, and skill workout from 3:00-5:00 p.m.
On Wednesday August 2nd the and Thursday, August 3rd the schedule will be the exact same as Monday.
On Friday, scrimmage play begins at Medina Valley.
Followed by a day of scrimmages on Saturday, August 6th at McCollum for Varsity, Harlandale for JV and LaVernia High School for the Freshman team scrimmage.
“We are excited and looking forward to two-a-day workouts,” Devine Head Volleyball Coach Leigh Anne McIver said.
Assisting Coach McIver will be Junior Varsity Coach Mark Mangold and new Freshman Coach Kim (Crouch) Lane. Kim grew up in Devine and very accomplished Arabian athlete. She has been coaching in Jourdanton and made to move back to her hometown this year.
“I am going into my 5th year as the head coach and working here in Devine,” McIver said. Last season we were 31-10. Last year was great! We made several goals at the beginning of the season and achieved all of them. We went undefeated in district (8-0), didn’t drop a set and won district. Then we made it back to the regional tournament and lost to Navarro (who made it to state) in regional semifinal. The team last year worked really hard and improved so much as the season progressed. They really became close and worked so well with each other.
“This year we are returning 8 varsity players: Addie Trojanowski (setter/OH), Chesney Friesenhahn (MH), Makenna Morales (libero), Amanda Richardson (DS), Sydney Rendon (setter), Liz Puente (DS), Sierra Pompa (OH), Dana Aaron (MH). These girls saw significant playing time last year and know what it takes to be successful and to reach the goals the team sets at the beginning of the year. They learned a lot last season and I am looking for them to take that knowledge into this season and apply it so we can reach our ultimate goal: state. Right now we are looking at Caimee Fowler and Alissa Stehle stepping in and filling some of the spots that are open from the graduating seniors.”
By Kathleen Calame
Publisher