NACOGDOCHES – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) outdoor track & field graduate student Marlene Gutierrez won gold in the women's hammer to headline an impressive Day 2 for the Vaqueros at the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championships Friday at Homer Bryce Stadium. 
 
Gutierrez was one of three Vaqueros to win a medal, along with freshmen jumpers Jedidiah Udunna and Rayja'nae Pettit. 
 
Gutierrez broke her own program record in the women's hammer, launching a massive throw of 62.03 meters to handily win the event. Udunna took second in the men's long jump with a mark of 7.64 meters, the second-best mark in program history. Pettit finished third in the women's long jump with a personal record jump of 6.16 meters, the fifth best in program history. 
 
Freshman Ashley Lingueno also set a program record by earning 4,738 points to finish fifth in the heptathlon. She started the final day of the multi competition with a first-place finish in the heptathlon long jump, marking 5.73 meters, and ran a great 800-meter run to take fourth, shaving 11 seconds off her personal best. 
 
Junior Zoe Vlk and Gutierrez both scored for the Vaqueros in the women's shot put. Vlk took sixth with a toss of 14.29 meters, and Gutierrez followed close behind in seventh with a mark of 14.25 meters. 
 
UTRGV's good day continued through another round of running prelims as five Vaqueros qualified for Saturday's finals. 
 
UTRGV's deep men's 400-meter dash squad showed up and showed out. Three of the eight runners in the final will be Vaqueros – freshmen Sam Johnson II and Jamari Harts and junior Jermarrion Stewart. Johnson ran 46.81 to advance as the sixth seed, followed by seventh-seeded Stewart (47.18) and eight-seed Harts (47.26). Those are the second, sixth and eighth fastest times in program history. 
 
Along with freshman Jaqualand Fields, the men's 400 squad went 4-for-4 with PRs in the prelims. 
 
In the women's 400-meter dash, junior Aisha Gay ran a thrilling battle in Heat 2 and notched a personal record time of 53.76 to make the finals as the five-seed. That time is the fourth fastest in program history. Freshman Brownsville Hanna alum Aliyah Castillo also ran a PR in the event. 
 
Freshman Symoria Adkins qualified for her second finals race with a personal-best performance in the women's 100-meter hurdles. She started fast and ran 13.75, the second-fastest time in program history, to finish seventh in prelims. Junior Uxia Pereira also ran a PR in the event, clocking in at 13.96 to finish 12^th. Her time is tied for fourth fastest in the record books. 
 
Senior Yashawn Hamilton and graduate student Jada Hoffman led UTRGV's 100-meter dash groups. Hamilton finished 13^th in the men's prelims in 10.59, the eighth fastest time in program history. Hoffman matched her PR, running 11.92 to finish 14^th in the women's prelims, and junior Yaria Akers notched a PR in 11.95. 
 
Freshman Aaron Cooper recorded one of 13 personal bests as he finished 16^th in the men's long jump with a mark of 6.87 meters. 
 
With seven events scored, UTRGV's women's team is currently in sixth place with 25 points and the men's team is in ninth with eight points. 
 
The meet will finish Saturday starting with field events at 10 a.m. The finals portion of the running events begins at 3:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. 
 
UTRGV Friday Results
Heptathlon
5. Ashley Lingueno, 4,738 points 
• Program Record 
            1. Long jump, 5.73m 
            13. Javelin, 21.70m 
            4. 800-meter run, 2:30.82
            
Men's long jump
2. Jedidiah Udunna, 7.64m 
• 2^nd best in program history 
16. Aaron Cooper, 6.87m 
 
Women's shot put
6. Zoe Vlk, 14.29m 
7. Marlene Gutierrez, 14.25m 
12. Hannah Hilding, 12.98m 
18. Ana Rodriguez, 11.34m 
 
Women's long jump
3. Rayja'nae Pettit, 6.16m 
• 5^th best in program history 
22. Ashley Lingueno, 5.52m 
 
Women's hammer throw
1. Marlene Gutierrez, 62.03m 
• Program Record 
10. Hannah Hilding, 49.93m 
 
Women's 100-meter hurdles prelim 
7. Symoria Adkins, 13.75 (advanced to finals) 
• 2^nd fastest in program history 
12. Uxia Pereira, 13.96
• T-4^th fastest in program history 
 
Men's 800-meter run prelim
17. Tristan Pena, 1:54.68 
30. Jorge Salazar, 2:08.64 
 
Women's 800-meter run prelim
25. Estrella Medellin, 2:20.22 
 
Men's 400-meter dash prelim
6. Sam Johnson II, 46.81 (advanced to finals) 
• 2^nd fastest in program history 
7. Jermarrion Stewart, 47.18 (advanced to finals)
• 6^th fastest in program history 
8. Jamari Harts, 47.26 (advanced to finals) 
• 8^th fastest in program history 
16. Jaqualand Fields, 48.07 
 
Women's 400-meter dash prelim
5. Aisha Gay, 53.76 (advanced to finals) 
• 4^th fastest in program history 
21. Aliyah Castillo, 58.04 
23. Lani Brewer, 58.25 
 
Men's 100-meter dash prelim
13. Yashawn Hamilton, 10.59 
• 8^th fastest in program history 
31. Jaleel Scott, 10.86
 
Women's 100-meter dash prelim
14. Jada Hoffman, 11.92 
• T-8^th fastest in program history 
18. Yaria Akers, 11.95 
 
Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase
15. Abraham Morales, 10:04.81 
 
Saturday Schedule
Women's discus, 10 a.m. 
Hannah Hilding 
Ana Rodriguez 
Zoe Vlk 
 
Men's triple jump, 12 p.m.
Aaron Cooper 
Marco Guajardo 
 
Women's triple jump, 3 p.m. 
Rayja'nae Pettit 
 
Men's 4x100-meter relay, 3:30 p.m. 
Jaqualand Fields, Yashawn Hamilton, Sam Johnson II, Jaleel Scott, Jermarrion Stewart 
 
Women's 4x100-meter relay, 3:40 p.m. 
Symoria Adkins, Yaria Akers, Aisha Gay, Jada Hoffman, Daniella Muniz 
 
Men's 1,500-meter final, 3:50 p.m. 
Tristan Pena 
 
Women's javelin, 4 p.m. 
Hannah Hilding 
 
Women's 100-meter hurdles final, 4:20 p.m. 
Symoria Adkins 
 
Men's 400-meter dash final, 4:30 p.m. 
Jamari Harts 
Sam Johnson II 
Jermarrion Stewart 
 
Women's 400-meter dash final, 4:40 p.m. 
Aisha Gay 
 
Men's 400-meter hurdles final, 5:20 p.m. 
Jaylen Critton 
 
Women's 200-meter dash final, 5:50 p.m. 
Symoria Adkins 
Aisha Gay
 
Men's 5,000-meter run, 6 p.m. 
Alex Canales 
Ricardo Garcia 
Abraham Morales 
Tristan Pena 
 
Women's 5,000-meter run, 6:20 p.m. 
Faith Cruz 
Ana Hernandez 
 
Men's 4x400-meter relay, 6:40 p.m. 
Jaqualand Fields, Jamari Harts, Derrius Henry, Sam Johnson II, Jermarrion Stewart 
 
Women's 4x400-meter relay, 6:45 p.m. 
Lani Brewer, Aliyah Castillo, Aisha Gay, Ashley Lingueno, Uxia Pereira 

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