Indoor Track & Field Opens Season at FasTrak Collegiate Challenge

Live Results | Meet Information

HOUSTON – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) track & field teams will commence their indoor season at the FasTrak Collegiate Challenge on Saturday at Houston's Yeoman Fieldhouse.

The meet begins with field events at 10 a.m., kicking off with the women's and men's shot put, high jump and long jump. Track events are slated to start at 12 p.m. with the mile run. The 4x400-meter relay, the final event of the day, is scheduled for 4:15 p.m.

UTRGV hasn't competed at an indoor meet since Feb. 2020, and the team is ready to go. Since it will be a meet full of firsts for the student-athletes and for head coach Shareese Hicks, in her first season with the Vaqueros, the main goals are shaking off the rust, focusing on execution and having fun being back in action.

"I'm just as excited as the student-athletes are. Just like it's been a while for them, it's been a while for me. We've got as many butterflies as they do," Hicks said. "The message pretty much has been just to get the jitters out, go out there and have fun. Live in the moment. Be happy that we're here and we actually get the opportunity to compete."

The meet will not be scored, but Hicks is expecting solid performances from the Vaqueros. The coaching staff has emphasized execution as the student-athletes practiced for what will be the first indoor meet for many.

Freshman Michael Campbell and sophomore Esmeralda Ruiz are ready to launch some big throws. Alex Canales, labeled the "freshman sensation" as the only true freshman on the men's team, and sophomores Estrella Medellin and Samantha Gonzalez are distance runners to watch. Freshmen Jermarrion Stewart and Daniella Muniz are among the sprinters and jumpers Hicks said are ready for success.

"We got a lot of bright spots. Pretty solid expectations across the board," Hicks said. "All the coaches have been talking about execution. It's really big to focus on your technique, focus on your race pattern, focus on controlling that anxiety, all the little things that set you up to be very, very successful when it's time for the indoor championships at the WAC."

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned