Mission’s Stars Enshrined Forever

‘91 State Champs, Trevino and Olivarez enter RGV Sports Hall of Fame

 

 

The RGV Sports Hall of Fame held its induction ceremony on June 20 in Mission, accepting two of Mission’s own athletes and one state championship squad in its 2026 class, alongside six other athletes and coaches from across the Rio Grande Valley.

 

Founded in 1985, the RGV Sports Hall of Fame has recognized the outstanding achievements of athletes, coaches, journalists and other key figures of sports in the Valley since 1989. It also hosts a hall of honor, which commemorates iconic teams in RGV sports history.

 

The 2026 inductees feature no shortage of talent from Mission, inducting Sonia Trevino and Anyssa Woods (nee Olivarez) into its ranks. In addition, the hall of honor has inducted Mission High’s 1991 5A Girls Cross Country State Champion squad.

 

 

 

Trevino, who was inducted into the Latin American Sports Hall of Fame in Laredo last month, was an incredible volleyball player. A four-year letterman at Mission High, she eventually led Florida State to two NCAA tournament appearances in 1988 and 1989.

 

In an interview with Progress Times, Trevino said it was “exciting” to be inducted into the hall in the same town where her playing career began. Trevino was accompanied by her siblings and children, all of whom play or have played collegiate volleyball.

 

“It means everything to me,” Trevino said. “The biggest part is keeping my emotions in check. [It’s humbling] to be able to share my journey with [my family]. I am who I am because of them.”

 

Woods, who finished her collegiate career at LSU as one of its top ten discus throwers, shattered the state’s high school record while at Mission High by throwing a discus 160 feet in 1991. She later won a gold medal at the UIL Texas High School State Track meet that year.

 

Speaking with the Progress Times, Woods said that she feels very “honored” to be inducted among the Valley’s best sports icons alongside Trevino and the 1991 state champions.

 

“It’s emotional,” Woods said. “I was sharing a lot of memories [with other Mission inductees]. When I was putting stuff together I was like, wow, this is 30, 35 years ago.”

 

In 1991, Mission High’s girls’ cross-country team did not believe they were state champions until an opposing coach told them they had won it. Now, honored in the Hall of Honor, the same feeling remains among the team.

 

Progress Times spoke with members of the team present at the media day on June 19, and they all expressed their elation and excitement about being permanently recognized as among the best in Valley sports history.

 

“It is a great honor to be inducted,” said standout runner Babie Ann Sandoval. “This is 35 years in the making. Me and my seven sisters are excited to be here [and] I’m excited for my kids to see their mom on the stage officially become a hall of famer.”

 

The hall’s 2026 class also features Toby Nivens, who was an MLB first-round draft pick in 1986, McAllen Memorial High golf coach Celso Gonzales, Weslaco High track coach Pablo Almaguer and McHi girls’ soccer coach Patrick Arney.

 

Almaguer, who was a standout track athlete at UTRGV’s legacy institution, the University of Texas – Pan American, had his career cut short after being paralyzed in a car accident in 1998. Since then, he has led Weslaco High’s girls’ cross country and track teams to 18 district titles in 23 years.

 

“This is a really special day for you guys but it’s also a special day for me,” said Almaguer during the induction ceremony. “I’m here because of coaches. All of us are up here because of good coaches who were in our lives.”

 

 

The class also included two posthumous inductees. One was Robert Magnum, who stood out as an offensive lineman at Edinburg High before becoming a scholarship guard and lineman at TCU in 1961, helping the Horned Frogs win 6-0 over No. 1 Texas that season.

 

The other posthumous inductee was Joe Pena, a high school football coach in Brownsville for 36 years, split evenly between St. Joseph and Rivera. Also helping to coach baseball and track, he helped the Bloodhounds to two Texas Christian Interscholastic League titles in 1977 and 1980.

 

For all inductees and their families, being named is a significant event. Not just for them personally, but for what it means to represent not just their cities, but the Valley as a whole at the highest level.