OREM, Utah – When the lights were at their brightest on the final day of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Outdoor Championships, sophomores Symoria Adkins and Hannah Hilding found themselves under the spotlight, representing The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's (UTRGV) track & field program with their stellar performances. 
 
Adkins won four gold medals Saturday at Hal Wing Track & Field Stadium, claiming the individual WAC titles in the women's 100-meter dash, 100-meter hurdles and 200-meter dash while anchoring the champion 4x100-meter relay team. Her efforts contributed 40 points to the women's team score. Adkins went undefeated through the weekend, winning each of her individual race heats to go into finals as the No. 1 seed, and was named the Outstanding Track Performer of the meet. 
 
Hilding competed in all four throwing events, taking silver in the women's hammer throw, bronze in the shot put and discus, and finishing fourth in javelin. She contributed 25 points to UTRGV's women's team score and notched two personal bests along the way. Hilding was named the Outstanding Field Performer of the meet. 
 
Adkins and Hilding headlined the Vaqueros women finishing fourth in the team standings with 105 points. They were treated to MVP chants from their teammates and praised for their competitive spirits. 
 
Joining Adkins on the gold medal winning 4x100 relay were Nayla Harris, Zoë Adams and Yaria Akers. The unit clocked in with a program record 44.42 to take the win. 
 
Also medaling for UTRGV during the final day of competition were sophomore Aaron Cooper and Adams. Cooper claimed silver in the men's triple jump, notching a personal best and program record jump of 15.51 meters. Adams took bronze in the women's 400-meter dash, running 54.36. 
 
The women's 4x400-meter relay team of sophomore Brownsville Hanna alum Aliyah Castillo, Trinity Kirk, P'soularia Maxey and Adams also tabbed a program record as they ran 3:42.80 to take sixth. 
 
Joining Hilding on the women's discus podium was McAllen High alum Adelaide Fleischmann. The freshman locked in her fifth-place finish on her final attempt, throwing 44.25 meters. Capping a solid weekend for the throwers was graduate student La Feria alum Julian Trevino, who wrapped up his UTRGV career with an eighth-place finish in men's javelin. Trevino threw 59.27 meters, good for a new personal best and the No. 2 spot in program history. 
 
A trio of triple jumpers continued UTRGV's field event success. Freshman Hebrew Hunter was fourth in the men's triple, jumping 14.80 meters, while sophomore Tolu Odetola and graduate student Gabrielle Thomas finished fifth and eighth, respectively, in the women's event. Odetola jumped a personal-best 12.04 meters. 
 
Three Vaqueros represented in the men's 400-meter dash. Senior Jermarrion Stewart, sophomore Derrius Henry and sophomore Sam Johnson II finished fourth, sixth and eighth, respectively. Stewart ran a personal-best 46.61 to tie the third-best race in program history. Henry also improved his personal best to 47.21. Stewart and Henry joined sophomore Jaqualand Fields and junior Daniel Siaffa on the men's 4x400-meter relay, taking sixth with the No. 2 race in program history of 3:10.65. 
 
Siaffa also reached the podium in the men's 400-meter hurdles with sophomore Jaylen Critton. Both ran personal bests as they finished fifth and seventh, respectively. Siaffa ran 51.42, taking the No. 2 spot in the program record books, and Critton clocked in at 52.10, good for No. 7 in program history. 
 
The men's 4x100-meter relay team of freshman Weslaco East alum Gael Romo, Stewart, junior Jalen Nero and sophomore Jamari Harts took fifth in 40.29 – the No. 2 race in program history. 
 
Wrapping up the individual races were junior Samantha Gonzalez, sophomore PSJA High alum Faith Cruz and senior Ricardo Garcia in the 5,000-meter runs. Gonzalez and Cruz were 10^th and 23^rd, respectively, in the women's race and Garcia took 25^th in the men's race. 
 
Utah Valley won the women's team title with 177 points, followed by Grand Canyon (118), UT Arlington (117.50), UTRGV (105) and Abilene Christian (83). Grand Canyon won the men's team title with 153 points, followed by Southern Utah (125) and Utah Valley (124). UTRGV's men's team finished eighth with 48 points, beating California Baptist and Seattle U. 
 
The Vaqueros tallied eight personal bests on Saturday and made 12 entries into the program record books, bringing their totals from the conference meet to 18 and 23, respectively. 
 
Up next is the NCAA West Preliminary for qualifying student-athletes. The top 48 in the West rankings of individual events and the top 24 relay teams will move on to the preliminary round and have a chance to reach the NCAA Outdoor Championships. 
 
UTRGV Saturday Results
Women's discus
3. Hannah Hilding, 49.26m
5. Adelaide Fleischmann, 44.25m 
 
Men's triple jump
2. Aaron Cooper, 15.51m 
· Program Record 
4. Hebrew Hunter, 14.80m 
 
Women's triple jump
5. Tolu Odetola, 12.04m 
8. Gabrielle Thomas, 11.59m 
 
Men's javelin
8. Julian Trevino, 59.27m 
· 2^nd in program history 
 
Women's 4x100-meter relay
1. Nayla Harris, Zoë Adams, Yaria Akers, Symoria Adkins, 44.42
· Program Record 
 
Men's 4x100-meter relay
5. Gael Romo, Jermarrion Stewart, Jalen Nero, Jamari Harts, 40.29
· 2^nd in program history 
 
Women's 100-meter hurdles
1. Symoria Adkins, 13.32
· Program Record 
 
Women's 400-meter dash
3. Zoë Adams, 54.36
 
Men's 400-meter dash
4. Jermarrion Stewart, 46.61
· T-3^rd in program history 
6. Derrius Henry, 47.21
8. Sam Johnson II, 47.83
 
Women's 100-meter dash 
1. Symoria Adkins, 11.57
· 3^rd in program history 
 
Men's 400-meter hurdles 
5. Daniel Siaffa, 51.42
· 2^nd in program history 
7. Jaylen Critton, 52.10
· 7^th in program history 
 
Women's 200-meter dash 
1. Symoria Adkins, 23.58 
· 2^nd in program history 
 
Women's 5,000-meter run 
10. Samantha Gonzalez, 17:57.66
23. Faith Cruz, 18:56.46
 
Men's 5,000-meter run 
25. Ricardo Garcia, 16:00.57 
 
Women's 4x400-meter relay
6. Aliyah Castillo, Trinity Kirk, P'soularia Maxey, Zoë Adams, 3:42.80 
· Program Record 
 
Men's 4x400-meter relay
6. Derrius Henry, Jaqualand Fields, Daniel Siaffa, Jermarrion Stewart, 3:10.65 
· 2^nd in program history