RIO GRANDE VALLEY – We work together and we win together. 
 
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) track & field/cross country head coach Shareese Hicks said those important words after a promising indoor season for the Vaqueros track & field program, foreshadowing an exciting outdoor season for the young squad. 
 
Every event group saw success as the Vaqueros reaped the rewards for their hard work – rewards which included eight medals at the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Outdoor Championships and eight combined outdoor program records. 
 
"Reflecting on the outdoor season has left us all feeling very encouraged about the future," Hicks said. "Both our men's and women's teams performed well above where they were ranked at the conference meet and as the season progressed. This carried over to our academics and the overall team experience. This was a special team that understood the value in togetherness, education and serving the community. It was evident in every event they attended, every interaction they had and in everything they do." 
 
UTRGV saw five student-athletes qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary after not sending anyone in 2022. Graduate student Marlene Gutierrez qualified in the women's hammer throw, senior Aisha Gay advanced in the women's 400-meter dash, and three freshmen in Sam Johnson II, Rayja'nae Pettit and Jedidiah Udunna qualified in the men's 400-meter dash and women's and men's long jump, respectively. 
 
In just one season, Gutierrez, a UC Davis transfer, claimed seven of the 10 spots on UTRGV's women's hammer throw top performances list. She broke the hammer throw program record twice – first with a mark of 61.80 meters at the Bobcat Invitational in April, then in May, she broke her own record and captured the WAC Championship with a toss of 62.03 meters. She was named UTRGV's Female Newcomer of the Year and won a WAC Field Athlete of the Week award.  
 
Udunna began his Vaqueros career with big expectations, and he delivered. He entered the men's outdoor program top performances list six times, including with a program record-setting jump of 7.80 meters. Udunna took the silver medal at WAC Championships, was named UTRGV's Male Rookie of the Year and earned a WAC Field Athlete of the Week award. 
 
Gay was a force in her final outdoor season after competing for Quinnipiac. She entered the program record book eight times in individual races and four times with relays. She boasts two program records, claiming the 400 record to take bronze at WAC Championships in 53.30 and finishing fourth in 45.40 with teammates Jada Hoffman, Yaria Akers and Symoria Adkins in the 4x100-meter relay. 
 
Johnson also owns two program records and conference medals after his stellar debut season. He took bronze in the 400 dash at WAC Championships with his record-setting time of 46.25, the best of his five contributions to the event's top performances list. He also anchored the silver medalist 4x400-meter relay at WAC Championships, breaking the program record with teammates Jaqualand Fields, Jamari Harts and Jermarrion Stewart in 3:08.36. 
 
Johnson and his men's 400 teammates were electric throughout the season, consistently proving to be one of the best groups in the nation. Harts and Stewart also qualified for the final at the conference meet, and all four runners hit personal bests. The Vaqueros rose to 30^th in the nation as a men's 400 event squad after WAC Championships.  
 
Pettit took bronze at WAC Championships in long jump with a season-best mark of 6.16 meters, ranking her fifth all-time at UTRGV. Freshman Jaylen Critton added a bronze medal to UTRGV's conference count after a solid race in the men's 400-meter hurdles. 
 
Adkins narrowly missed advancing to the West Preliminary but was a standout throughout her freshman season. She earned a silver medal at WAC Championships in the 200-meter dash, running a program record 23.59. She also advanced to finals in the 100-meter hurdles, finishing fifth in a season-best time of 13.62, and was fourth with the program record-setting 4x100 relay. Adkins made eight individual entries into the program record books and two with the sprint relay. 
 
The heptathlon program record also fell at WAC Championships as freshman Ashley Lingueno scored 4,738 points to finish fifth after hitting five personal bests. The women's throws group of Gutierrez, junior Zoe Vlk and freshman Hannah Hilding combined to score 20 of UTRGV's 56 points. 
 
The Vaqueros showed up on their biggest stage and accumulated 28 personal bests, leading to both teams placing above the spots they were voted into in the pre-conference coaches poll. UTRGV's women were seventh and the men were eighth after both were picked to finish 10^th. 
 
"There were so many important moments that led us to have the progress that we did in a short time," Hicks said. "Every single student-athlete that started the outdoor season not ranked in scoring position but finished as a finalist or medalist, that was huge. The overall growth is an important accomplishment." 
 
Though they saved their best for last, the Vaqueros had numerous highlight moments throughout the outdoor season. Both teams defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the South Texas Showdown at the UTSA Invitational, all but securing UTRGV's first victory in the rivalry series since the 2018-19. 
 
The women won the team title at the Cactus Cup, headlined by Gutierrez's gold medal-winning, meet record-setting hammer throw. UTRGV's 4x400-meter relay team of Derrius Henry, Fields, Stewart and Johnson won the event with a Cactus Cup meet record time. 
 
UTRGV's distance crew recorded three event wins and 16 top-five finishes throughout the season, led by senior Edinburg North alum Tristan Pena (800-meter run and 1,500-meter run) freshman PSJA High alum Faith Cruz (5,000-meter run) and freshman steeplechaser Abraham Morales. 
 
Ending the 22-23 year on a high note, UTRGV was represented by Udunna, Adkins, Harts and freshman triple jumper Aaron Cooper at the USA Track & Field Under-20 Outdoor Championships, earning the opportunity with their stellar season performances. 
 
All the success and development came through perseverance and dedication to improvement. The Vaqueros faced plenty of adversity, be it weather delays or injuries. But togetherness always carried them through. More than anything, this young squad truly became a family – one that supports, challenges and enjoys each other every day. And that makes everyone confident and excited for the future of the program. 
 
"We didn't just recruit great student-athletes, but we recruited great families," Hicks said. "Our young people are coming to the Valley with a village that is only multiplied by the university, the athletic department and the countless student support resources offered to them here. Our student-athletes grow every year in every way. This season highlighted our staff's ability to develop student-athletes holistically. We're very proud of them and excited for what's to come." 

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