HOUSTON – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros track & field program opened the outdoor season with a strong showing at Houston's Kirk Baptiste Spring Break Invitational at the Carl Lewis International Complex, tallying 17 personal bests and 11 top-three finishes on Thursday. 
 
Senior Brownsville Porter alum Estrella Medellin and freshman Kailey Salazar tabbed the top two spots in the women's 800-meter run. Medellin won the event in 2:19.52 and Salazar followed close behind in second in her collegiate outdoor debut. 
 
Field events set the tone from the start as UTRGV's long jumpers turned in good performances. Junior Kailah Gilmore led the women's group with a fourth-place finish with a personal-best mark of 5.79 meters. In the men's event, sophomore Jedidiah Udunna was fourth with a jump of 7.54 meters, taking the No. 5 spot in program history. The men's triple jumpers both entered the record books, with sophomore Aaron Cooper's fifth-place and personal-best jump of 14.89 meters taking the sixth spot and junior Kevin Washington's mark of 14.82 meters ranking eighth. Graduate student Gabrielle Thomas was third in women's triple jump. 
 
Freshman McAllen High alum Adelaide Fleischmann made her UTRGV debut and took second in the women's discus with a mark of 45.46 meters. Sophomore Los Fresnos alum Penny Alanis matched her personal best in high jump, clearing 1.55 meters to finish sixth. 
 
UTRGV's sprinters looked sharp as they opened the outdoor season with speedy performances. In the women's 100-meter dash, three Vaqueros tabbed personal bests in junior Zoë Adams, sophomore Nayla Harris and senior Rio Grande City alum Daniella Muniz. Adams (11.96) and Harris (11.97) led the pack finishing ninth and 10^th. 
 
Senior Jermarrion Stewart, sophomore Jamari Harts and freshman Weslaco East alum Gael Romo all ran 10.50 in the men's 100-meter dash to place in the top-10 and take the No. 2 spot in program history. Senior Jaleel Scott and sophomores Jalen Nero and Jedidiah Udunna all ran personal records to expand on the group's success in Houston. 
 
Adams also notched a personal best in the women's 200-meter dash as she led UTRGV in 24.27 to finish 13^th. In the men's 200-meter dash, Harts was the fastest Vaquero, taking 12^th in 21.44. Nero (21.55) and Scott (22.06) ran their second PRs of the day in the men's race. 
 
Freshman P'soularia Maxey made her collegiate debut and took third in the women's 400-meter dash, running 56.82. Sophomore Derrius Henry clocked a personal best in the men's 400-meter dash, running 48.10 to take second. Junior Emmanuel Wanga followed in fourth. 
 
The Vaqueros ran well in the mid-distance races. Along with the 1-2 punch of Medellin and Salazar in the women's 800, sophomore Lasara alum Selissa Gonzales hit a personal best as she finished sixth. Senior Ricardo Garcia finished third with a PB time of 4:07.30 in the men's 1,500-meter run. Junior Rio Grande City alum Alex Canales ran a PR as he was 15^th in the men's 800-meter run. 
 
UTRGV's relays got off to a good start. Both the women's and men's 4x100-meter relays finished third and entered the program record books. Harris, Adams, senior Yaria Akers and sophomore Brownsville Hanna alum Aliyah Castillo finished the women's relay in 46.34, the third-best time in school history. In the men's relay, Scott, Harts, Nero and Romo combined to run 40.31 and take the No. 2 spot in program history. 
 
The women's 4x400-meter relay team of Castillo, junior Trinity Kirk, Maxey and Adams took second in 3:51.41. The men's 4x400 relay, comprised of Wanga, junior Daniel Siaffa, sophomore Jaylen Critton and Romo, took second in 3:22.20. 
 
UTRGV's next meet is the Texas A&M Invitational running March 23 in Bryan-College Station. 
 
UTRGV Results 
Women's long jump
4. Kailah Gilmore, 5.79m 
7. Nayla Harris, 5.20m
9. Jordyn Tiggs, 5.15m
 
Men's long jump
4. Jedidiah Udunna, 7.54m 
· 5^th best in program history 
 
Women's triple jump 
3. Gabrielle Thomas, 11.63m
4. Tolu Odetola, 11.52m 
 
Men's triple jump
5. Aaron Cooper, 14.89m 
· 6^th best in program history 
7. Kevin Washington, 14.82m 
· 8^th best in program history 
 
Women's discus 
2. Adelaide Fleischmann, 45.46m 
 
Women's high jump
6. Penny Alanis, 1.55m 
 
Women's 4x100-meter relay 
3. Nayla Harris, Zoë Adams, Yaria Akers, Aliyah Castillo, 46.34 
· 3^rd fastest in program history 
 
Men's 4x100-meter relay 
3. Jaleel Scott, Jamari Harts, Jalen Nero, Gael Romo, 40.31 
· 2^nd fastest in program history 
 
Women's 1,500-meter run 
4. Samantha Gonzalez, 4:48.26 
5. Selissa Gonzales, 4:55.23 
 
Men's 1,500-meter run 
3. Ricardo Garcia, 4:07.30 
 
Men's 110-meter hurdles 
7. Jaylen Critton, 15.40 
 
Women's 100-meter dash 
9. Zoë Adams, 11.96
10. Nayla Harris, 11.97
11. Yaria Akers, 12.04
18. Kailah Gilmore, 12.24
19. Aliyah Castillo, 12.26
20. Danielle Muniz, 12.31 
 
Men's 100-meter dash
T8. Jermarrion Stewart, 10.50
· T-2^nd fastest in program history 
T8. Jamari Harts, 10.50
· T-2^nd fastest in program history 
T8. Gael Romo, 10.50 
· T-2^nd fastest in program history 
15. Jaleel Scott, 10.64 
19. Jalen Nero, 10.71 
T21. Sam Johnson II, 10.75 
T21. Jedidiah Udunna, 10.75 
 
Women's 400-meter dash 
3. P'soularia Maxey, 56.82 
 
Men's 400-meter dash
2. Derrius Henry, 48.10 
4. Emmanuel Wanga, 48.70 
 
Women's 800-meter run 
1. Estrella Medellin, 2:19.52
2. Kailey Salazar, 2:20.31
6. Selissa Gonzales, 2:23.39 
 
Men's 800-meter run 
10. Abraham Morales, 1:56.72 
13. Jorge Salazar, 1:57.23
14. JD Corona, 1:57.27
15. Alex Canales, 1:58.04 
 
Men's 400-meter hurdles 
5. Daniel Siaffa, 53.38 
8. Jaylen Critton, 56.31 
 
Women's 200-meter dash
13. Zoë Adams, 24.27 
20. Trinity Kirk, 25.01 
28. Daniella Muniz, 25.46 
30. Aliyah Castillo, 25.51 
32. P'soularia Maxey, 25.67 
 
Men's 200-meter dash
12. Jamari Harts, 21.44
14. Jalen Nero, 21.55 
T17. Jermarrion Stewart, 21.71 
27. Sam Johnson II, 21.98 
28. Gael Romo, 22.04 
30. Jaleel Scott, 22.06 
 
Women's 4x400-meter relay
2. Aliyah Castillo, Trinity Kirk, P'soularia Maxey, Zoë Adams, 3:51.41 
4. Kailey Salazar, Estrella Medellin, Selissa Gonzales, Samantha Gonzalez, 4:04.92 
 
Men's 4x400-meter relay
2. Emmanuel Wanga, Daniel Siaffa, Jaylen Critton, Gael Romo, 3:22.20
3. Derrius Henry, Jermarrion Stewart, Jamari Harts, Sam Johnson II, 3:25.80 
4. JD Corona, Jalen Nero, Jaleel Scott, Jorge Salazar, 3:43.82 

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