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DREAMING BIG: Northbrook's Montero Perez Making Most of a Better Life
GADIEL MONTERO PEREZ’S FAMILY MOVED TO THE UNITED STATES FROM CUBA FOUR YEARS AGO TO GIVE HIM AND HIS OLDER BROTHER AN OPPORTUNITY AT A BETTER LIFE.
The Northbrook junior swimmer has made the most of it so far.
In two years, Montero Perez has broken five Northbrook records – 50 freestyle (22.61 seconds), 100 fly (54.76), 100 freestyle (49.85), 100 backstroke (54.16), 200 free relay (1:47.94) - many of which were 20-30 years old.
“What motivates me are my parents,” Montero Perez said. “For them, the ambition of being better. They encourage me to keep going and they lift me up. In swimming, I want to be the best one.”
Northbrook coach Amanda Robinson said Montero Perez has an integrity and maturity beyond his years.
“He’s very coachable and open-minded, which is needed to succeed in any sport,” Robinson said. “He has a lot of grit and doesn’t shy away from challenges, which has paid off in the classroom and the pool.
“He is one of the hardest working student-athletes that I guarantee Northbrook has ever seen.”
Montero Perez has been swimming since he was five years old, when he saw his older brother doing it.
“It’s about feeling free in the water,” he said.
While he has found home in the pool, Montero Perez is still acclimating to his home out of it.
He said his biggest growth in adjusting to the U.S. is understanding different points of view. In Robinson, Montero-Perez said he has found a second mother whom he can confide in and trust in athletics and his personal life.
It’s relationships like these that Robinson does not take for granted as she strives to build a program.
“I always make it a point to be the type of coach my athletes feel comfortable confiding in,” she said. “It is also my hope that this keeps my swimmers coming back year after year. Historically, Northbrook swimming has had a very high percentage of swimmer turnover, and I’m doing my best to try to lower that percentage and to keep our team growing.”
Montero Perez wants to swim in college. He is conscientious about getting better, especially coming off a sophomore season stunted by elbow injuries.
“Last year, I didn’t really swim a whole lot because of COVID and everything,” he said. “I’ve been swimming a lot more, and I’ll be even better. My technique has improved the most, as far as how I move through the water. I’m using my arms more.”
He’s also doing his part academically.
Montero Perez is a member of the National Honor Society. In August, he joined FFA and takes pride in taking care of his lamb, Freya, named after the goddess in the God of War video game.
“It’s really cool, but challenging,” he said. “I want to be a vet, so it was something I wanted to do. If I do something, I want to give it my all. I want to be proud of what I do and what I will become.”
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Memorial Football
Mustangs win!!! Way to go boys!!! #GoMustangs #mustangfanclub @SBISD @sbisdathletics @MHShouston pic.twitter.com/0GaU11vZVW
— MemorialBoosterClub (@MHSMustangsBC) December 4, 2020
Memorial defeated Fort Bend Travis 9-6 on Thursday, December 3, to finish the regular season at 8-2 overall. This marks the second-straight year that Memorial has made the playoffs. The eight wins for the Mustangs are the most in a single season since 2014. Memorial heads into the playoffs now and will face either Lamar or Heights next week.
Record Smashers - Northbrook Swimming
Another one bites the dust! The 100 free time of 50.06 from 1985 will be disappearing this year. Gadiel swam it tonight in 49.85. Not only that, but the boys 200 free relay that broke the record already this year broke it again tonight! Their new time is 1:47.94. Way to go guys! pic.twitter.com/zLMu84Jo8a
— NHS Raider Aquatics (@nhs_aquatics) December 2, 2020
And ... another one bites the dust. Northbrook swimming is rewriting the record book every single time they get in the pool. Earlier this week Gadiel broke the 100-yard freestyle record from 1985, swimming it in 49.85 seconds, which snapped the previous record of 50.06. The 200-yard freestyle relay snapped their record, which was set earlier this year swimming it in 1:47.94.
Spring Woods Boys Soccer
Region 3-6A Preseason Rankings pic.twitter.com/UcDbciFdQz
— TASCO (@tascosoccer) December 3, 2020
On Thursday, December 3, TASCO released its preseason rankings. In Class 6A Region III, Spring Woods came in ranked at No. 8. This comes as no surprise with the success of the Tigers' program over the years. Spring Woods reached the Regional Finals in 2019, which was the last fully played season. Last year Spring Woods was 10-4-9 overall when the season was halted due to COVID-19.
Stratford Girls Soccer
SPARTAN ⚽️ DAY 2 ✅
— Stratford Girls Soccer (@StratfordGSoc) December 1, 2020
🏃♀️💨........... #outworkeveryone pic.twitter.com/6dWOFFo0gK
Stratford Girls Soccer is coming off back-to-back solid seasons. In the past two years, Stratford has won 24 district matches and finished third and second, respectively. Stratford was the No. 9 team in Class 6A Region III preseason rankings released on Thursday, December 3.
Keegan Lynn - Stratford Baseball
Congrats to to our SS/P Keegan Lynn for committing to the Univ. of Arkansas-Monticello! You’ve earned it with your hard-nosed approach, and commitment to your teammates.
— Stratford Baseball (@SHSBaseball2K21) November 28, 2020
Very proud of the young man you’ve become! pic.twitter.com/5ecA8LEpvK
Stratford added another player committing to the next level. Keegan Lynn at the end of November committed to the University of Arkansas-Monticello. The Spartans have a lot of talent coming back in 2021 including Lynn.
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