Kevynne Aleman
03/06/2023
With UTRGV recently hiring the new football coach, not many updates have been given regarding the Women’s Swimming and Diving Team and the expanded Spirit Program. Vaquero Radio spoke with both the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Communications Jonah Goldberg, and Head Coach for the spirit program Isela Gomez for updates.
The new Head Coach for the Spirit Program who was hired in October 2022, alongside her colleague Rodolfo Mata. Isela Gomez, is an alumni from UTRGV’s legacy school, UTPA. She is in charge of bringing spirit and traditions to the university.
According to a press release by UTRGV Athletics, the expansion will open up about 250 opportunities on both the Edinburg and Brownsville campuses.
Gomez elaborated on the spirit program expansion.
“ With the expansion it is exactly what it sounds like, so we are just going to make the program a little bit bigger so it’s a little more accessible to all the students on the Brownsville campus.” said Gomez
Students can also look forward to possibly seeing the spirit program compete in traditional cheer competitions, thanks to the new Program Coordinator for Spirit and Traditions Rudy Mata who wants to take the program to the next level.
“They have a past being a national championship back in the UTPA days for traditional cheer, and I want to bring that legacy back” said Mata.
The new Women’s Swimming and Diving coach is planned to be hired by the summer of 2023. Jonah Golderg gave insight on what characteristics they are looking for in the new coach.
“We are always looking for somebody who’s going to be able to help develop young people into the next generation of successful people and leaders,” Goldberg said.
The new City of Pharr Natatorium, which the new Swimming and Diving team will use, has many advantages that not many universities have access to, specifically, the platform boards the facility includes according to Goldberg.
“One of the advantages that we have here in the valley. Particularly competing at the City of Pharr Natatorium. We have platform diving. Most places have those springboards where the platform is just a flat surface, and very few college swimming and diving programs have access to one.”
The City of Pharr Natatorium is open to UTRGV students by providing their school ID and are welcome to use the equipment. For more information please visit the UTRGV website and go to goutrgv.com.
This is Kevynne Aleman for Vaquero Radio.
