EDINBURG – University of Texas Rio Grande Valley track and field senior Stephanie Vazquez never thought she would try out for track.
 
In fact, she didn't get started in track and field until she was a freshman in high school. Vazquez mainly did volleyball and cross country but with the success she had in cross country, she thought it could translate to the track.
 
"I started seeing a lot of success in cross country," Vazquez said. "It seemed to transfer to the track. One season would be cross country and the next would be track. It was a big transition because I would run miles and then I would combine it with the sprints."
 
In high school, Vazquez had help to make the transition from cross country to track and field. Tencha Lancaster, the wife of UTRGV Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine Jim Lancaster, was her head coach in cross country and she also played a big role in getting Vazquez ready for the 800-meter run.
 
Vazquez still managed to do volleyball, cross country and track and field while at Edinburg High School. There came a point, though, that she felt she had to give up volleyball and focus on her running.
 
"I did three years of volleyball along with cross country at the same time," Vazquez said. "Then I realized in my senior year that it wasn't going to do it for me and I wanted to focus on cross country. It was a big thing when I was moved down to junior varsity. I was doing both sports and I wasn't doing well. That year the girls went to state and it crushed my heart. So I dedicated my last year to cross country and we ended up going to state."
 
On the track and field side, her attention turned to the hurdles during her junior season. Vazquez tried to compete in the hurdles during her sophomore season but was told to just focus on the events she was already doing.
 
After a coaching change, she was allowed to run the hurdles. So it was no surprise that was named track and field MVP and high point athlete as a junior and senior. She even qualified for regional's in the 300-meter hurdles, where she finished in sixth place.
 
She was a part of very successful teams at Edinburg High that were regional qualifiers from 2010-12. She was still focused on getting a cross country scholarship but it turned out she would get one for track and field instead.
 
"I initially was shooting for cross country scholarships, so I was looking at Texas A&M-Commerce for cross country," Vazquez said. "Coach Richardson was the only one to offer me a scholarship to run hurdles. I ended up choosing to run a lap over eight miles, so I ended up signing here and sticking to track."
 
Vazquez quickly made her presence on the team felt in her freshman season. She was part of a distance medley team that placed second at the Great West Conference Indoor Championships. She also helped her 4x400-meter relay team to a second place finish at the GWC Outdoor Championships while also finishing in fourth in the 400-meter hurdles.
 
In her sophomore season, she finished in fourth place in the 400-meter hurdles at the WAC Outdoor Championships while posting five top-10 finishes throughout the season.
 
She took another step forward in her junior year as she finished on the podium at the WAC Outdoor Championships. She finished behind teammates Deandra Barroso and Geneva Anderson, which was one of her favorite memories during her four years with the program.
 
She had placed sixth in the prelims of the 400-meter hurdles with her fastest time of her career and she didn't know if she had it in her to repeat that kind of performance. It was then that she learned her biggest lesson while in college.
 
"I feel sometimes we doubt our capabilities," Vazquez said. "We don't know what we can do until we put our minds to it. I learned that last year at conference. I had finished prelims in sixth place and I had just run the fastest race of my life. I told myself how could I come back and medal when I just placed sixth. Well I gave it my all again and I set a new personal record to come in third. That is when I realized that I can't doubt myself and my potential until I give it my all."
 
Vazquez learned that confidence in ones self is important but she also learned that preparation throughout the season is just as important. It all starts in the summer and carries over into the fall.
 
The little things like eating right and sleeping right go a long way but the work comes at practice.
 
"You have to work hard all summer long, all fall and even all spring," Vazquez said. "It also has to do with eating right and sleeping right and coming out here and taking every single practice seriously, even if it is a recovery work out. You have to work hard every time, even in the training room."
 
Vazquez is majoring in kinesiology and wants to become an occupational therapist. She wants to be able to help people and athletes recover from injury and to get them back stronger.
 
Vazquez has done some coaching with a summer track team and even coached her little brother, so she has been on that side of it but she feels there is more of a passion when she can help them come back from injury.   
 
"I have lived on the coaching side and helped kids get better in track," Vazquez said. "I did summer coaching with a summer track team in McAllen. I loved the girls and I loved the coaching aspect but I figured it wasn't for me. I also coached my little brother but it is not the same. I don't have the passion as I do when he gets hurt and I tell him let me fix it. That is when I figured out that is what I want to do."
 
With her senior season now in the books, Vazquez realizes that she is going to miss those tough practices, the traveling, the competition and, of course, her teammates.  For those that are coming back next season, she hopes that they take advantage of the opportunity that they have.
 
"Take every practice and every race like it is your last," Vazquez said. "We have seen student-athletes come in their first year and then they get injured and that is it, they can't come back. I remember my first practice here and in a blink of any eye it is over."

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