RIO GRANDE VALLEY – There are 44 newcomers in The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's (UTRGV) track & field program, with 35 of those new student-athletes being freshmen. That's an exciting fact for Vaqueros track & field/cross country head coach Shareese Hicks as her team's indoor season gets rolling. 
 
"The first thing that excites me is just getting started," Hicks said. "We've made our imprint on the student-athletes. Our culture, our traditions are firmly established, so being able to carry that into competition is going to be so fun. Secondly, it's getting the chance to see what kind of competitors they all are. At the Orange and Grey meet we got a small taste of that, but now we really get to see who we are and what our identity is going to be." 
 
Jumper/sprinter Jedidiah Udunna, sprinter Jamari Harts and sprinter Nayla Harris are among the freshmen Hicks expects to have an immediate impact for the Vaqueros. But the coach is confident many freshmen will showcase their potential when they make their collegiate debuts Jan. 20 at Houston's Robert Platt Invitational to open the indoor season. Events are different in indoor track vs. outdoor track, which is what the freshmen are used to, but she praised the work the team put in throughout the fall semester and knows they're ready to go. 
 
Graduate student transfer Jada Hoffman and junior transfer Aisha Gay are newcomers to the sprints squad that Hicks is eager to see in action. Hicks works closely with the sprinters and is excited with the talent in the event group, saying it's not a question of if, but when, school records will fall in the short sprints and who will be the first to lower them among the trio of senior Yashawn Hamilton, junior Jermarrion Stewart and redshirt sophomore Jaleel Scott. 
 
Just like last season, the Vaqueros are pushing each other with competitions between event groups to see which will shine brightest every week. The quickly strengthening chemistry among the team has made everybody better and bodes well for UTRGV as meets approach. 
 
"We have a lot of impact players. All of those student-athletes are really good at picking up the whole team, so they'll keep that energy going beyond just their events and spread it to their teammates," Hicks said. "That iron sharpens iron concept is something that we're sticking to. It helps us to have strengths across the board. We have a lot of heavy hitters on the jumps side that are going to make an impact in the conference. Long sprinters are going to have an impact. And my lady throwers are very strong in more ways than one. It's good that we're keeping that tradition going as far as that event group battle is concerned." 
 
UTRGV will compete in three meets prior to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Indoor Championships scheduled for Feb. 24-25, where the Vaqueros will aim to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships set for March 10-11. Good leadership from the experienced Vaqueros will benefit the squad as it attacks the first phase of the track & field season. 
 
Hicks praised Stewart, Hamilton and Scott for being "big bros" and junior Uxia Pereira for being a "big sis" to the plethora of young sprinters. Sophomore Rio Grande City alum Alex Canales and junior Samantha Gonzalez stepped up as leaders of the distance crew in the cross country season and have continued to set the standard for the group in the spring. Hicks called junior PSJA High alum Marco Guajardo "the heartbeat of the team" and someone who brings leadership and great energy to the entire squad. 
 
The main thing UTRGV's track & field staff is focused on is making sure the student-athletes trust the process. It takes a lot of hard work, time, dedication and discipline to execute techniques and strategies that bring one success in track & field. The Vaqueros are not only putting in the work, but enjoying doing so together, which is why there's a buzz of excitement and expectation for the season. 
 
"The nature of our sport is to want everything right now. We want to be the fastest, the strongest, the most explosive. But in order to get there, we have to enjoy the journey right now," Hicks said. "We're making sure we keep a level head and go back to the drawing board to know that when it's time to be ready at WAC, we're going to be ready. 
 
"The staff and I are cautiously optimistic," she continued. "Everybody had a really good fall and it appears everyone stayed true to training over the break, so that's really setting us up for success. It's just a matter of showing up as our best selves on meet day and I think we're in a good position to do that." 

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