KINGSVILLE – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros track & field program collected 15 event wins and 14 personal bests during the Cactus Cup Saturday at Javelina Stadium. 
 
Sophomore Hannah Hilding got things started with a pair of wins and one third-place finish in field events. She won the women's hammer throw (54.28 meters) and javelin (39.46 meters) and took third in discus to lead the women's throwers. Freshman Omolola Kuponiyi was third in the women's shot put. 
 
Freshman Antoine Walker hit two personal bests as he won the men's shot put with a mark of 15.25 meters and was sixth in discus. 
 
UTRGV's women's jumpers swept the golds in long and triple. Junior Kailah Gilmore won the long jump with a mark of 5.92 meters and sophomore Aja Johnson hit a PR in the event. Graduate student Gabrielle Thomas won the triple jump with a season-best 12.57 meters, taking the No. 3 spot in program history. Sophomore Los Fresnos alum Penny Alanis was fifth with a personal-best clearance of 1.57 meters in the women's high jump. 
 
In the men's triple jump, freshman Hebrew Hunter hit a personal-best 15.04 meters to finish second and take the No. 6 spot in program history. 
 
The Vaqueros kept the momentum rolling from field events into the start of track events in the evening session. UTRGV swept the 4x100-meter relays. The women's team of Nayla Harris, Zoë Adams, Castillo and Symoria Adkins won in 46.41, the program's sixth-best time. The men's team of Sam Johnson II, Jamari Harts, JermarrionStewart and Weslaco East alum Gael Romo took first in 41.80. 
 
Adding to the success in the short-distance races were Adkins and freshman James Voss, who won the women's 100-meter hurdles and men's 110-meter hurdles, respectively. Voss tabbed a personal best time of 14.27 to take the No. 2 spot in the program record books. Sophomore Jaylen Critton also ran a PR in 14.84 as he took third in the event. 
 
Adams and Harts won the women's and men's 400-meter dashes, respectively. The Vaqueros had four of the five-fastest finishers in the women's race and placed all six runners in the top-10. Harts, Johnson and sophomore Derrius Henry finished first, second and third in the men's race. 
 
Harris won the women's 100-meter dash, running a personal-best 11.59 and taking the No. 2 spot in program history. Senior Rio Grande City alum Daniella Muniz ran a personal best in the event. Romo led the men's 100-meter dashers with a third-place finish in 10.52, tying the seventh-fastest race in program history.
 
Adams won the women's 200-meter dash in 24.28. Harts was victorious again in the men's 200, clocking in a personal-best time of 21.32, tying the fourth-fastest race in school history. Senior Jaleel Scott also tabbed a PR in the race. 
 
Critton won the men's 400-meter hurdles race in 54.72 and sophomore Weslaco High alum Kalissa Cavazos was second in the women's race with a PB time of 1:06.96. 
 
Senior Ricardo Garcia picked up the last win of the night for UTRGV, with help from his rowdy teammates drumming and chanting and cheering him on in the stands. He cruised to victory in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing in 9:51.51. 
 
Junior Samantha Gonzalez and senior Brownsville Porter alum Jorge Salazar both picked up second-place finishes in the women's 1,500-meter run and men's 800-meter run, respectively. Senior Brownsville Porter alum Estrella Medellin added a PB in the women's 1,500, taking third. 
 
UTRGV will be back in action April 20 at the J. Fred Ducket Twilight in Houston as part of the South Texas Showdown presented by Rally Credit Union in the final meet before conference. 
 
UTRGV Results
Field Events
Women's hammer throw
1. Hannah Hilding, 54.28m 
 
Women's long jump 
1. Kailah Gilmore, 5.92m 
6. Jordyn Tiggs, 5.38m 
8. Aja Johnson, 5.37m 
 
Women's javelin
1. Hannah Hilding, 39.46m 
6. Adelaide Fleischmann, 29.93m 
 
Women's discus
3. Hannah Hilding, 46.04m 
6. Adelaide Fleischmann, 42.59m 
12. Omolola Kuponiyi, 34.24m 
 
Men's long jump
12. Aaron Cooper, 6.52m 
 
Women's high jump
5. Penny Alanis, 1.57m 
 
Women's triple jump
1. Gabrielle Thomas, 12.57m 
· 3^rd in program history 
4. Tolu Odetola, 11.83m 
 
Women's shot put
3. Omolola Kuponiyi, 14.73m 
 
Men's discus
6. Antoine Walker, 42.10m 
 
Men's triple jump
2. Hebrew Hunter, 15.04m 
· 6^th in program history 
4. Jedidiah Udunna, 14.08m 
 
Men's shot put
1. Antoine Walker, 15.25m 
 
Track Events
Women's 4x100-meter relay
1. Nayla Harris, Zoë Adams, Aliyah Castillo, Symoria Adkins, 46.41 
· 6^th in program history 
 
Men's 4x100-meter relay
1. Sam Johnson II, Jamari Harts, Jermarrion Stewart, Gael Romo, 41.80 
 
Women's 1,500-meter run 
2. Samantha Gonzalez, 4:49.85 
3. Estrella Medellin, 4:49.96 
8. Faith Cruz, 4:57.88 
10. Selissa Gonzales, 5:11.33 
 
Men's 1,500-meter run 
5. Alex Canales, 4:08.70 
 
Women's 100-meter hurdles 
1. Symoria Adkins, 14.19 
 
Men's 110-meter hurdles 
1. James Voss, 14.27 
· 2^nd in program history 
3. Jaylen Critton, 14.84 
7. Daniel Siaffa, 15.32 
 
Women's 400-meter dash 
1. Zoë Adams, 54.98 
3. Aliyah Castillo, 58.29 
4. Trinity Kirk, 58.45
5. Kailey Salazar, 58.98
6. Lani Brewer, 59.51
8. Estrella Medellin, 1:00.20 
 
Men's 400-meter dash 
1. Jamari Harts, 48.30 
2. Sam Johnson II, 49.54 
3. Derrius Henry, 49.58 
 
Women's 100-meter dash
1. Nayla Harris, 11.59 
 · 2^nd in program history 
3. Yaria Akers, 11.92 
6. Symoria Adkins, 12.17 
7. Daniella Muniz, 12.28 
 
Men's 100-meter dash
3. Gael Romo, 10.52
· T-7^th in program history 
5. Jaleel Scott, 10.72
10. Jalen Nero, 10.86
 
Women's 800-meter run
4. Selissa Gonzales, 2:27.83 
 
Men's 800-meter run
2. Jorge Salazar, 1:55.77
4. Abraham Morales, 1:57.03
6. JD Corona, 1:58.07 
8. Mario Cantarero, 1:59.24 
14. Emmanuel Wanga, 2:03.40 
19. Alex Canales, 2:05.33  
 
Women's 400-meter hurdles
2. Kalissa Cavazos, 1:06.96  
 
Men's 400-meter hurdles
1. Jaylen Critton, 54.72 
4. Jaqualand Fields, 56.89  
 
Women's 200-meter dash
1. Zoë Adams, 24.28
4. Yaria Akers, 24.84
8. Nayla Harris, 25.37
14. Daniella Muniz, 25.82
 
Men's 200-meter dash
2. Jamari Harts, 21.32 
· T-4^th in program history 
5. Jalen Nero, 21.53 
8. Jaleel Scott, 22.05 
10. Sam Johnson II, 22.17 
11. Gael Romo, 22.21 
20. Derrius Henry, 22.89 
 
Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase
1. Ricardo Garcia, 9:51.51 

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