ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) track & field program accomplished some incredible things through four indoor meets. 
 
The Vaqueros have claimed six program records so far in 2024 and have seen great student-athlete development in all disciplines from week to week. Now, they're setting their sights on showing why they shouldn't be overlooked as a title contender at the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Indoor Championships happening Monday and Tuesday at the Albuquerque Convention Center in New Mexico. 
 
"I'm cautiously optimistic about what we're able to do at conference," track & field/cross country head coach Shareese Hicks said in an interview conducted by sophomore standout Symoria Adkins. "Last year our team was relatively young, and they're still pretty young this year, but the difference is they have a conference meet under their belt. Everyone is going in very confident, very seasoned and knowing what to expect in a conference championship atmosphere." 
 
Action begins at 9 a.m. Monday and Tuesday, with combined events getting things started followed by field events and running events. The meet will be streamed domestically on ESPN+ and internationally on WACInternational.tv. 
 
Grand Canyon swept the pre-championships coaches' poll, being picked to win its eighth-straight men's championship and take the women's title, too. Rounding out the men's poll were Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, UT Arlington and Utah Valley. In the women's poll, Utah Valley, UT Arlington, Southern Utah and Stephen F. Austin were picked to finish behind GCU. 
 
Last year, UTRGV's women's team finished ninth and the men were 10^th. Hicks and Co. expect to rise in the team standings and collect some hardware this time around. 
 
"I think we are going in to shock some people," Hicks said. We're blue-collar and we work very, very hard. I want to bring everyone's focus to the work we've put in all for this moment. We saw a lot of bright things this entire indoor season, so now it's time to put it all together. We're coming in with confidence. Myself, the staff, everyone that is traveling knows we were under ranked. That is the collective thought across the board. We're really excited to show and prove." 
 
Among the bright spots this season are the jumpers, the women's throwing duo of sophomore Hannah Hilding and freshman Omolola Kuponiyi, and the sprint group. 
 
UTRGV's men's triple jumpers – junior Kevin Washington, freshmen Hebrew Hunter and Aaron Cooper, and sophomore Jedidiah Udunna – rose to No. 7 nationally as an event group and are all well in scoring contention on the conference performance list. Udunna leads the conference in long jump. Junior Kailah Gilmore and graduate student Gabrielle Thomas lead a promising women's jump group, going in highly ranked in the long and triple jumps, respectively. The Vaqueros jumpers have high expectations heading to Albuquerque. 
 
UTRGV's sprinters have combined to break five program records, headlined by a stellar season from Adkins. Hicks called Adkins a "triple threat" as she heads to conference as one of the best in the women's 60-meter hurdles, 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash. This season, Adkins has claimed the top spot in the program record books in the 60 hurdles and 60 dash. 
 
The men's 400-meter event squad of senior Jermarrion Stewart, sophomores Sam Johnson II and Derrius Henry and junior Emmanuel Wanga rose as high as No. 22 as a group Freshmen Gael Romo, a Weslaco East alum, and Jamari Harts sit tied atop the record books in the men's 60-meter dash and have been among the top sprinters. 
 
Adkins said she and her teammates are going in with a chip on their shoulders and eager to make some noise. 
 
"I'm excited to see what the team holds as a whole because we have a whole lot of talent," Adkins said. "We want to go out and have fun and show people what we're capable of. We are going in to shock some people. We're going to do big things. We're the underdogs and we're going to come out on top."

Meet Schedule 
MONDAY 
Women's long jump, 2:30 p.m. 
Kailah Gilmore (F2) 
Nayla Harris (F2) 
Gabrielle Thomas (F2)
Rayja'nae Pettit (F2) 
 
Men's long jump, 4:30 p.m. 
Kevin Washington (F2)
Jedidiah Udunna (F2)
 
Women's weight throw, 4:30 p.m. 
Hannah Hilding (F2)
 
Women's mile prelims, 3:20 p.m. 
Samantha Gonzalez (H1) 
 
Men's 60-meter hurdles prelims, 3:35 p.m. 
James Voss (H2) 
Jaylen Critton (H2) 
 
Women's 60-meter hurdles prelims, 3:45 p.m. 
Symoria Adkins (H2) 
 
Men's 400-meter dash prelims, 4 p.m. 
Sam Johnson II (H1) 
Jermarrion Stewart (H2)
Derrius Henry (H3) 
Emmanuel Wanga (H5) 
 
Women's 400-meter dash prelims, 4:15 p.m. 
Aisha Gay (H2) 
Aliyah Castillo (H4) 
Zoë Adams (H7) 
 
Men's 60-meter dash prelims, 4:25 p.m. 
Jamari Harts (H2) 
Jaleel Scott (H2) 
Gael Romo (H4) 
 
Women's 60-meter dash prelims, 4:35 p.m. 
Kailah Gilmore (H1) 
Symoria Adkins (H2) 
Nayla Harris (H5) 
 
Men's 800-meter run prelims, 4:50 p.m. 
Abraham Morales (H1) 
Jorge Salazar (H3) 
JD Corona (H3) 
 
Women's 800-meter run prelims, 5 p.m. 
Kailey Salazar (H2) 
Estrella Medellin (H3) 
 
Men's 200-meter dash prelims, 5:10 p.m. 
Sam Johnson II (H1) 
Jamari Harts (H3) 
Jaleel Scott (H5) 
Gael Romo (H5) 
Jermarrion Stewart (H8) 
 
Women's 200-meter dash prelims, 5:20 p.m. 
Aisha Gay (H3) 
Zoë Adams (H9) 
Symoria Adkins (H10) 
 
Men's distance medley relay, 6:10 p.m. 
Alex Canales, Jorge Salazar, JD Corona, Abraham Morales 
 
Women's distance medley relay, 6:25 p.m. 
Estrella Medellin, Lani Brewer, Kailey Salazar, Samantha Gonzalez 

TUESDAY 
Women's shot put, 10 a.m. 
Omolola Kuponiyi (F2) 
Hannah Hilding (F2)
 
Women's triple jump, 12 p.m. 
Rayja'nae Pettit (F1) 
Gabrielle Thomas (F2) 
Tolu Odetola (F2) 
 
Men's triple jump, 2:30 p.m. 
Jedidiah Udunna (F1) 
Hebrew Hunter (F2) 
Kevin Washington (F2) 
Aaron Cooper (F2) 
 
Men's shot put, 2:30 p.m. 
Antoine Walker (F1) 
 
Men's mile, 2:30 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Women's mile, 2:40 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Men's 60-meter hurdles, 2:50 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Women's 60-meter hurdles, 3 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Men's 400-meter dash, 3:10 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Women's 400-meter dash, 3:20 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Men's 60-meter dash, 3:30 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Women's 60-meter dash, 3:40 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Men's 800-meter run, 3:50 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Women's 800-meter run, 4 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Men's 200-meter dash, 4:10 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Women's 200-meter dash, 4:20 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Men's 4x400-meter relay, 5:20 p.m.* 
Derrius Henry, Jermarrion Stewart, Emmanuel Wanga, Sam Johnson II, Jamari Harts, Jorge Salazar (H2) 
 
Women's 4x400-meter relay, 5:25 p.m.* 
Aliyah Castillo, Aisha Gay, Kailey Salazar, Zoë Adams, Lani Brewer, Symoria Adkins (H1) 
 
*The men's and women's 4x400-meter relays will not run until the completion of all field events 

Support UTRGV Track & Field | Become a Fan on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram | Follow us on YouTube