ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros track & field program impressed Saturday at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational, tallying five program records, 17 indoor record book entries and 18 personal records. 
 
Sophomore Symoria Adkins was flying on the track at the Albuquerque Convention Center – where UTRGV will compete during the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Indoor Championships in February – as she broke two program records. She finished first in the open women's 60-meter dash, running 7.46 to take the top spot in the record books. Adkins was stellar in the 60-meter hurdles, running a program record 8.42 in prelims to advance to finals where she finished sixth in 8.43. She now owns the sixth fastest races in the women's 60 hurdles in UTRGV history. 
 
Senior Jermarrion Stewart also took down two program records. He took sixth in a deep men's 400-meter dash field in 47.62 to stamp his spot in history. Stewart, along with sophomores Sam Johnson II and Derrius Henry and junior Emmanuel Wanga, finished fifth in the men's 4x400-meter relay in a program-record time of 3:13.36. 
 
Freshman Weslaco East alum Gael Romo had another great meet in his young career, setting a new program record with his second-place finish in the open men's 60-meter dash in 6.77. Romo also ran a career best in the open 200-meter dash, finishing eighth in 21.85 – the No. 7 time in program history. 
 
UTRGV's sprinters racked up several PRs and record book entries in the 60, 200 and 400 races. Sophomore Nayla Harris was sixth in the women's 60, running 7.56 to move into fourth all-time. In the men's 60, sophomore Jamari Harts was ninth and tied the ninth-best performance in school history in 6.90, and redshirt junior Jaleel Scott followed in 12^th with a PR. 
 
Junior Jalen Nero was 10^th in the men's open 200, running 21.89 to take the No. 8 spot in the record books. Junior Zoe Adams finished 10^th in the women's open 200 with a time of 24.78, good for eighth all-time. Adkins and senior Aisha Gay ran 24.42 in the women's 200, tying for the second-best time in history. Adams was also 12^th in the women's 400 with the program's sixth-best time of 56.15. 
 
Johnson and Henry tabbed PRs in the men's 400 and open 400, respectively. Johnson ran 48.36 to take 10^th with the No. 8 performance in program history and Henry was second in the open race in 48.40, good for ninth-best in history. In the women's open 400, sophomore Brownsville Hanna alum Aliyah Castillo hit a PR. 
 
Adding to the short-race success was freshman James Voss, who finished sixth in the men's 60-meter hurdles. Voss ran a great race in the prelims, finishing in 8.16, then was even better in the finals to clock a time of 8.03 – the No. 2 performance in program history. With his prelim time taking the No. 3 spot, he now owns three of the top 10 performances just two meets into his career. 
 
Freshmen throwers Omolola Kuponiyi and Antoine Walker both launched big personal bests in the shot put. Kuponiyi finished 11^th in the women's competition with a mark of 14.49 meters, while Walker was seventh with a toss of 14.76 meters. Hilding added a massive PR in the women's weight throw to take 13^th. 
 
Harris and junior Kevin Washington tabbed PRs in the women's and men's long jump, respectively. Sophomore Tolu Odetola improved her personal best with a 12^th-place finish in the women's triple jump. 
 
The Vaqueros will be back in action Jan. 26-27 at the Robert Platt Invitational in Houston. 
 
UTRGV Results 
Women's shot put
11. Omolola Kuponiyi, 14.49m 
21. Hannah Hilding, 13.06m 
 
Men's 3,000-meter run 
6. Alex Canales, 9:07.04 
7. JD Corona, 9:35.13
 
Women's 3,000-meter run 
5. Samantha Gonzalez, 10:44.47 
 
Women's long jump
28. Kailah Gilmore, 5.47m 
32. Nayla Harris, 5.42m 
 
Men's long jump
14. Kevin Washington, 6.81m 
 
Men's unseeded 200-meter dash 
8. Gael Romo, 21.85 
· 7^th fastest in program history 
10. Jalen Nero, 21.89 
· 8^th fastest in program history 
12. Jamari Harts, 22.04 
 
Women's unseeded 200-meter dash
10. Zoë Adams, 24.78 
· 8^th fastest in program history 
 
Women's weight throw
13. Hannah Hilding, 16.55m 
 
Women's 400-meter dash, unseeded 
14. Aliyah Castillo, 58.85 
16. Lani Brewer, 1:00.11 
 
Men's 60-meter hurdles prelims
6. James Voss, 8.16 (advanced to finals) 
· 3^rd fastest in program history 
14. Jaylen Critton, 8.46 
 
Women's 60-meter hurdles prelims
5. Symoria Adkins, 8.42 (advanced to finals) 
· Program Record 
39. Ashley Lingueno, 9.56 
 
Men's 60-meter dash
2. Gael Romo, 6.77 
· Program Record 
9. Jamari Harts, 6.90
· T-9^th fastest in program history  
12. Jaleel Scott, 6.94 
24. Jalen Nero, 7.03 
 
Women's 60-meter dash
1. Symoria Adkins, 7.46 
· Program Record 
6. Nayla Harris, 7.56 
· T-4^th fastest in program history 
34. Kailah Gilmore, 7.88 
 
Women's triple jump
12. Tolu Odetola, 11.71m 
14. Gabrielle Thomas, 11.51m 
 
Men's mile
15. Abraham Morales, 4:36.19 
 
Women's mile
26. Samantha Gonzalez, 5:29.12 
 
Men's 60-meter hurdles final
6. James Voss, 8.03 
· 2^nd fastest in program history 
 
Women's 60-meter hurdles final
6. Symoria Adkins, 8.43
· 2^nd fastest in program history 
 
Men's 400-meter dash
6. Jermarrion Stewart, 47.62 
· Program Record 
10. Sam Johnson II, 48.36 
· 8^th fastest in program history 
13. Emmanuel Wanga, 48.83 
 
Men's 400-meter dash, unseeded 
2. Derrius Henry, 48.40 
· 9^th fastest in program history 
 
Women's 400-meter dash
12. Zoë Adams, 56.15 
· 6^th fastest in program history 
15. Aisha Gay, 58.29 
 
Men's 300-meter dash
13. Jaylen Critton, 35.65 
 
Women's 200-meter dash
12. Symoria Adkins, 24.42 (24.413)
· T-2^nd fastest in program history 
13. Aisha Gay, 24.42 (24.419) 
· T-2^nd fastest in program history 
 
Men's shot put
7. Antoine Walker, 14.76m 
 
Men's 800-meter run
18. Abraham Morales, 1:59.19 
 
Women's 800-meter run
15. Estrella Medellin, 2:21.18 
18. Kailey Salazar, 2:24.16 
 
Men's 4x400-meter relay
5. Sam Johnson II, Derrius Henry, Emmanuel Wanga, Jermarrion Stewart, 3:13.36 
· Program Record 
 
Women's 4x400-meter relay
12. Aisha Gay, Aliyah Castillo, Lani Brewer, Zoë Adams, 3:55.32

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