SAN MARCOS – Last weekend, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's (UTRGV) outdoor track & field program had a strong outing at the Charles Austin Classic in San Marcos, recording 14 top-three finishes, 30 personal records and one program best. 
 
The Vaqueros are riding that momentum back to the Texas State Track & Field Complex as they prepare to compete in the Bobcat Invitational running Thursday through Saturday. 
 
"The team is feeling great. We're going back to the same sort of meet situation and same track, so I believe our athletes should feel more comfortable this weekend and be ready to go and get some personal records," assistant throws coach Cleopatra Borel said. 
 
Freshman Hannah Hilding will get the meet started for the Vaqueros as she competes in the women's discus at 9 a.m. Thursday. Friday's action gets started at 10 a.m. with the women's shot put and running events will begin at 4 p.m. On Saturday, field events start at 10 a.m. and running events will kick off at 12:30 p.m. 
 
UTRGV heads to this meet with seven student-athletes ranking among the 100 best performers in the nation in six events. Freshman Jedidiah Udunna is No. 5 in the nation in men's long jump after breaking a program record last week and ranks first in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in the event. Freshmen Rayja'nae Pettit and Sam Johnson II also boast top marks in the conference in the women's long jump and men's 400-meter dash, respectively. 
 
Pettit (No. 40), Johnson (No. 63), graduate student Marlene Gutierrez (No. 35 in women's hammer throw), freshman Ashley Lingueno (No. 71 in women's long jump), freshman Aaron Cooper (No. 75 in men's triple jump) and junior Aisha Gay (No. 92 in women's 400-meter dash) are currently nationally ranked and sit in the top-10 in their respective events in the conference.
 
The Vaqueros will attack this meet hard before tapering, so they're ready to give it all they've got. 
 
"We've talked about being patient in the beginning, but the beginning is over. It's go time," Borel said. "My message to the team is to go out there and give it your best. Fight for every second, every meter, everything. Just go out and fight." 
 
MEET SCHEDULE
Thursday 
Women's discus, 9 a.m. 
Hannah Hilding 
 
Friday 
Women's shot put – B Section, 10 a.m. 
Hannah Hilding 
Ana Rodriguez
 
Women's long jump – A Section, 1 p.m. 
Ashley Lingueno 
Rayja'nae Pettit 
 
Men's long jump – A Section, following women's 
Jedidiah Udunna 
 
Women's 400-meter hurdles, 4 p.m. 
Uxia Pereira 
 
Men's 400-meter hurdles, 4:40 p.m. 
Jaylen Critton 
Alex Galvan 
 
Women's 200-meter dash, 5:20 p.m. 
Symoria Adkins 
Aisha Gay 
Jada Hoffman 
 
Men's 200-meter dash, 5:40 p.m. 
Jermarrion Stewart 
 
Women's 800-meter run – A Section, 6 p.m. 
Estrella Medellin 
 
Women's 1,500-meter run – A Section, 6:40 p.m. 
Ana Hernandez 
 
Men's 1,500-meter run – A Section, 7 p.m. 
Tristan Pena 
 
Women's 5,000-meter run, 7:20 p.m. 
Faith Cruz 
 
Men's 5,000-meter run, 8:05 p.m. 
Alex Canales 
Marcos Munoz 
 
Saturday 
Women's hammer throw, following men's at 10 a.m. 
Marlene Gutierrez 
 
Women's high jump, 10 a.m. 
Ashley Lingueno 
 
Women's triple jump, 10 a.m. 
Rayja'nae Pettit 
 
Women's 4x100-meter relay, 12:30 p.m. 
Symoria Adkins, Yaria Akers, Nayla Harris, Jada Hoffman, Daniella Muniz 
 
Men's 4x100-meter relay, 12:50 p.m. 
Jaqualand Fields, Yashawn Hamilton, Jaleel Scott, Jermarrion Stewart, Jedidiah Udunna 
 
Men's 1,500-meter run – B Section, 1:25 p.m. 
Sebastian Salinas 
 
Women's 100-meter hurdles, 1:45 p.m. 
Symoria Adkins 
Uxia Pereira 
 
Women's shot put – A Section, following men's at 2:30 p.m. 
Marlene Gutierrez 
Zoe Vlk 
 
Women's 400-meter dash, 2:45 p.m. 
Aisha Gay 
 
Men's 400-meter dash, 3:25 p.m. 
Sam Johnson II 
 
Women's 100-meter dash, 4:05 p.m. 
Jada Hoffman 
 
Men's 100-meter dash, 4:25 p.m. 
Yashawn Hamilton 
Jermarrion Stewart 
 
Men's 800-meter run – B Section, 5:05 p.m. 
Sebastian Salinas 
 
Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, 5:55 p.m. 
Ricardo Garcia 
Abraham Morales 
 
Women's 4x400-meter relay, 6:25 p.m. 
Lani Brewer, Aliyah Castillo, Ashley Lingueno, Uxia Pereira, Ja'Nyla Tucker, Jalyn Williams 
 
Men's 4x400-meter relay, 6:45 p.m. 
Alejandro Arellano, Jaqualand Fields, Derrius Henry, Sam Johnson II, Jermarrion Stewart 

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