Sibling rivalry

MISSION — Sharyland’s Diana Espinas learned to love diving by watching older brother John, who also dove for the Rattlers. The skills that earned Espinas a second straight trip to state, however, she learned all on her own.

“My brother stinks,” Espinas joked. “But he had more fun because he would always mess around and stuff.”

Espinas isn’t messing around. After finishing with a score of 215.45 in the 1-meter dive last season in Austin, the junior is determined to beat that score when she returns Feb. 22 and 23 — even if it means breaking out a difficult dive she hasn’t tried all season, the double twister.

“She had a good season last year, and as soon as the state meet was over last year, we really focused a little bit more on technique for this year,” Sharyland diving coach Fabian Lara said.

“We’re just happy to be going back, and she’s excited to go to.”

Technique will be the key to a better score for Espinas, and possibly a better place than last season’s 15th, against another tough field. The top-seeded girl at state, Spring’s Kaylea Arnett, scored a 526.75 at regionals. Eleven of the 16 state competitors have scores of 400-plus.

Espinas edged out a surprising performance by Harlingen High’s Diana Brandon to win Region VIII-5A gold with a 280.25 last week, good enough for the 14th seed.

“(Technique’s) really important, especially because the degree of difficulty for my dives isn’t that high, so I have to depend on my form to get a good score,” said Espinas, who’s best dive is the reverse.

Last season, Espinas was joined at state by diving teammate Jessica Martinez, who was supplanted by Brandon this season. But Espinas won’t be going alone. She’ll be joined by the Lady Rattlers’ 200-year freestyle relay team.

The team, which consists of seniors Jamie Little and Lorena Cardenas, junior Justine Maceross and sophomore McKenna Dahl, is in its first season competing together, though the four girls have swam together for two years now.

That time together paid off at the district meet last month, when the four broke the McAllen Rowe pool record of 1:47 in the 200 free relay, posting a time of 1:46. They followed that up by swimming a 1:45.62 to win regional gold last week. They’ll be seeded 16th at state.

“This year is the first year all four of them were all put together, and they’ve had real good team unity and bonding,” Sharyland swimming coach Tina Jenson said. “Those four girls work well together and motivate each other.”

Jason McDaniel is a sports writer for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4442.