RIO GRANDE VALLEY – UTRGV head track & field/cross country coach Shareese Hicks has called sophomore Symoria Adkins a triple threat because of her hurdle, sprint and relay abilities. 
 
After her dominant performance at the 2024 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Outdoor Championships May 9-11 in Orem, Utah, Adkins is a "threat" no more. 
 
She is undeniable. 
 
The development since she first stepped on campus in Aug. 2022 has been incredible. For as much as she has progressed as an athlete, Adkins has perhaps grown more as a person and a leader during her career. 
 
As she continues to grow mentally, physically and spiritually, Adkins has evolved into an undisputed track star, and everyone around her believes the best is yet to come. 
 
The Humble Beginnings of a Hometown Hero
Symoria Adkins always knew she was fast. Growing up, she played a variety of sports – basketball, soccer, tennis, etc. – and the one thing that always stood out was her speed. 
 
She first got involved with track & field in fifth grade. From eighth grade on, Adkins was truly invested in the sport. She had a full program at Bryan High School, competing in sprints, hurdles, relays and jumps. She won district championships in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, the 4x100- and 4x200-meter relays, and triple jump during her high school career. She was a regional qualifier all three years the meet was held, only excluding 2020 as the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
Her junior year, things got serious. Adkins was working toward an important goal and she knew track could help her achieve it. 
 
"I always wanted to go to college because it was a generational curse that I wanted to break. I wanted to be the first to graduate, to show my siblings that you can do it. But I always knew I didn't have the funds," Adkins said. "I told myself, 'People can get scholarships for sports.' So, I took it to another level. Track is what was going to get me to college." 
 
Adkins played basketball and ran track in high school, but before her senior year, she decided to put all her efforts into track since that was the sport drawing scholarship offers. A strong senior season led to more offers, including one from UTRGV, 365 miles south of her hometown of Bryan, Texas. 
 
"[Associate head coach] Mike Embry had a hand in finding her. He definitely has an eye for talent," head coach Shareese Hicks said. "Coming out of high school, she just was very underdeveloped, but you could see that she had raw speed. Her nervous system was just impeccable. She was just very, very new to the sport as far as knowing all the technicalities of it. Got on the phone with her and made her an offer that she couldn't refuse." 
 

Bryan is a humble town located slightly northwest of College Station, the home of Texas A&M. As of 2022, the population was roughly 85,000, nearly 40% white, 39% Hispanic or Latino and 15% Black or African American. Data reports nearly 25% of the Bryan population lives in poverty with a median household income of just over $55,000, which is below the average in Texas and the United States. 
 
Adkins didn't have it easy growing up. Instead of using that as an excuse, she used that as a motivator. But, when you're a first-generation college student, finding your way can be difficult.
 
"It would've been very easy for her to not even try, to say, 'This is my situation and I could be the first to go to college but I don't want to be,' or to even give up and say, 'This is too hard,'" Hicks said. "When you're the first, you don't know what to expect and you can't call on anybody for advice. We saw that with her as a freshman. She felt like it was so much pressure and she took that all on her shoulders. But the support system she has continues to encourage her and lift her up. She's just a good person that everybody wants to see win." 
 
Adkins has become a hometown hero, which is evident by the support she garners online. Every time a post goes out about her success on UTRGV Track & Field's various social media platforms, Bryan athletic and/or school accounts, family, friends and supporters are quick to like, comment, share and congratulate the Vaquero. 
 
"It is definitely fun to be, like, the face of your hometown," Adkins said with a smile. "But there are challenges because I feel like I don't want to make mistakes because people are looking up to me. I try to watch the things I do and what I say because I can be an influence on younger kids. I've always had that mindset that I want to show the people in my family or in my town, because it's small and not many people come out of it, that no matter where you come from, you can always make it. I'm going to prove that to you. I didn't really have much growing up, but I had supporters and people in my corner to teach me and guide me. I want to be that kind of helping hand in other kids' lives as I grow and continue my career." 
 
When Adkins goes back home, she gets a lot of notice. People want to see her, want to ask how school and track are going, to catch up and tell her how proud they are of how far she has come. She mentions her former coaches, Jennifer Pittman, Marcus Wortham, Matt Rice, who helped her break school records in the 300 hurdles and triple jump and find her love for the sport. Others, like Miss Amy, consistently send motivational texts and let her know how cared for she is. 
 
At the center of Adkins' support system is her mom, April, and her strong sense of faith. 
 
"My mom always pushed me to be better. She didn't graduate high school, so she always pushed us to graduate and do the best we can. She always supported me," Adkins said. "Last but not least, I thank God. He keeps my head on a swivel. When I feel like things are going bad or I have nobody to talk to, he kept me on the path. When my relationship got closer with God, it made me look at life differently and changed my mentality. It gave me peace within myself." 
 
From Foundational Freshman to Surging Sophomore
Adkins will be the first to admit she had some growing up to do when she went to college. 
 
"I can't even lie, I definitely had attitude problems," Adkins said. "Coach [Shareese] Hicks talked to me about my maturity. We had many talks about it because I had issues my freshman year. She told me, 'In the real world, you can't act like this. People aren't going to put up with it.' And I was like, you're right. I saw many times last year that when I'm negative it can affect my teammates, so I knew, if I want to be part of a great team, I have to create something great." 
 
On the track, Adkins started creating greatness from the get-go. She claimed three program records as a freshman – in the indoor 60-meter hurdles, the outdoor 200-meter dash and with the 4x100-meter relay. She was fourth in the 60 hurdles at her first WAC Indoor Championships. At her rookie WAC Outdoor Championships, Adkins earned silver in the 200, fifth in the 100 hurdles and fourth with the 4x100 relay. She tallied 11 top-10 finishes throughout the 2023 indoor and outdoor seasons. 
 
She wasn't satisfied. She felt she could've done more and the only thing holding her back was herself. 
 
 "My freshman year I went through a lot of injuries, but I didn't talk a lot about them. I think we lead ourselves into injuries because, as our coaches say, cooling down and stretching is important. But sometimes, I didn't cool down and stretch. Now I take the time after practice to do those things because that's what you're supposed to do to help your body. I'm working on my eating habits. I put the work in on the track, so there's no reason I shouldn't get it when I perform," Adkins said. 
 
Perform she has during her sophomore surge. 
 
Hicks added events to the sophomore's program and Adkins responded by breaking or resetting her own program records in seven events in 2024: indoor 60-meter dash (7.44), indoor 60-meter hurdles (8.22), indoor 200-meter dash (24.01), outdoor 100-meter dash (11.47), outdoor 100-meter hurdles (13.32), outdoor 200-meter dash (23.49) and outdoor 4x100-meter relay (44.42). 
 
Adkins went to the 2024 WAC Indoor Championships striving to carry her team to a top-five finish and make a run at the top performer award. She earned her first conference title by winning the 60 hurdles, was the runner-up in the 200 dash and finished fifth in the 60 dash. Her 22-point outing anchored the UTRGV women's team finishing fourth with 83 points.
 
"She's so ambitious. Every time she breaks some sort of record, she's not the type of person to be complacent. She's going to say, 'OK, what can I do next?'" Hicks praised. "She's already making plans for next year to qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary in everything she does at conference and then going on to NCAA Outdoor Championships. She loves to push herself in every way – on the track, in the weight room, just being a real student of the sport." 
 

Her outdoor season resulted in 15 top-10 finishes. She won nine races in a row to end the regular season and 11 of her last 12 races before the postseason. Her season had ups and downs, but Adkins put it all together right on time to blow everyone away at the 2024 WAC Outdoor Championships. 
 
She secured her spot in the NCAA West Preliminary when she ran a personal-best 13.32 in the 100-meter hurdles at the conference meet. She'll make her debut in the first round of the NCAA Championships Thursday at 3 p.m. at John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville.
 
"Last year, she didn't make it to NCAA West. Sometimes you need that failure so you can have something to motivate you. She took that motivation and worked hard, was consistent," said assistant coach Antwon Hicks, a two-time NCAA Indoor Champion in the 60-meter hurdles at Ole Miss who put together a decorated professional career. He trains UTRGV's hurdlers and has been working with Adkins since she stepped on campus. 
 
The biggest thing Antwon Hicks has focused on for Adkins' hurdle development is technique. Her speed is unquestionable, but her mechanics over and between the hurdles needed some adjustment. 
 
They've worked on keeping her limbs tight to maximize speed over the hurdles, particularly focusing on Adkins keeping her arms more bent instead of out wide, which can slow her down. They've emphasized snapping her lead leg down quicker and having her trail leg come around faster to keep up the momentum. 
 
During a typical meet and prep week for a competition, Adkins is balancing a number of events. Coach Antwon is taking advantage of her focus being solely on hurdles as they train for the NCAA West Preliminary. Adkins is drilling hard, building up her repetition with the little things to develop technical muscle memory and set her up to have a great race in Arkansas.
 
"She has a chance to really focus on being sharp and seeing how fast she can go with just one event," Antwon Hicks said. "I see the best in the NCAA, the times they're running, and the difference is just technique for Symoria. She has the speed to run with anybody. Only thing we have to work on is technique and see how it comes together and try to get a great result in Arkansas." 
 
Unbeatable on the Big Stage 
It wasn't a secret what Adkins was aiming to do at the 2024 WAC Outdoor Championships in Orem, Utah. 
 
She talked about her goal extensively with her head coach, her teammates and supporters. It was even mentioned on the ESPN+ broadcast several times throughout the three-day meet. 
 
Adkins wanted to win all four of her events and claim the Outstanding Track Performer award. 
 
She didn't just win. She dominated. And she earned the prestigious award by accounting for 40 of UTRGV's 105 points in a fourth-place finish. 
 
Adkins didn't lose a single race at conference, winning her three individual heats and going into finals as the No. 1 qualifier in three events. On Saturday, May 11, she won four WAC Outdoor Championships – taking the individual titles in the 100-meter hurdles, 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash after anchoring the gold-medal winning 4x100-meter relay team, running with Nayla Harris, Zoë Adams and Yaria Akers. Every race Adkins ran that Saturday resulted in a program record. 
 
"I had a statement to prove, and I made my statement," Adkins said. 

Head coach Shareese Hicks had more to say on the phenomenal performance: "It was inspiring for me. I tell the student-athletes to work on their affirmations and write stuff down and visualize, and I'm seeing her do all those things, and it happened. As coaches we have goals, too, our own personal and professional goals. She really holds my feet to the fire to practice what I preach. She's relentless and inspiring and one heck of a competitor and person." 
 

Championship Saturday started with the 4x100. As the anchor, Adkins watched the first three legs from her starting spot and felt the adrenaline building. When Akers was about 50 meters away, Adkins turned around to get in position for the handoff. The Vaqueros, running in Lane 6 in the second of two heats, made the final handoff at the same time as Tarleton State (TSU) on their left and Stephen F. Austin (SFA) on the inside. 
 
"I thought the handoff was good. It was fast. I saw Tarleton State get the baton as I got the baton and I was like, 'OK, let's go,'" Adkins comments as she watches video of the race. 
 
Through the first 40 or so meters of the final leg, Adkins and TSU's anchor, Victoria Cameron, were stride-for-stride, then Adkins started pulling away. 
 
"With about 10 meters to go I knew we had it, so I just screamed. I was so excited because we didn't make podium last year, we missed it in fourth place. So, for us to come back and win it when everyone counted us out, that was really fun and emotional," Adkins said. "I was hyped. I feel like that race set me up for the rest of the day." 
 

Up next was her primary event – the 100 hurdles. Adkins had been ranked No. 1 on the WAC performance list in the event for most of the outdoor season.

"If you're No. 1 people expect you to win. It's a lot of pressure, but it can bring confidence," Adkins said. 
 
Adkins feels nervous before her races, but she had extra nerves ahead of this race because the official made the runners restart. From the moment the gun goes off, Adkins, running in Lane 4, and Utah Valley's Quincy Bonds in Lane 3 are pushing each other. 
 
"I could've been more aggressive at the start, but Quincy definitely gave me something to chase after. Love the connection between us," said Adkins, who likes making friends at meets and has developed a camaraderie with Bonds. The two exchanged a big hug after finishing first and second. "I'm a good finisher, but I tend to not have the best start. That's something I'm working on in practice. I don't really get nervous about my starts because I know I can finish really good, so I was just like, 'Get your feet down and get your technique.' I turned it on at the end." 

Adkins' hurdle-winning time of 13.32 broke the Hal Wing Track & Field Stadium record. 

If there's one race Adkins would do over, it would be the 100 dash, her third event. She was slow coming out of the blocks and could see all three runners to her left and one directly to her right in front of her about 20 meters in. 
 
"I was scared. I was like, 'Oh girl, no. You gotta go. Turn your speed on,'" Adkins chuckled as she reviewed her race. 
 
Around the 50 meter mark, Adkins pulls herself into second, trailing only TSU's Brya Davis on her right in Lane 5. They run side-by-side, putting the same foot down as they create the slightest separation from the pack and start to lean toward the finish line. No one knew who won in real-time, and all eyes turned to the videoboard waiting for times. Adkins struck gold in 11.57 with Davis taking second in 11.59. 
 
"You can see I tensed up a lot to try and get there, but I did it. The 100 is an event when you need a good start. I had the worst start, but I have a good turnover. I started pushing and putting my feet on the ground faster after she got in front of me," Adkins explained. "As I crossed the line, I felt like I won because I had that lean, but I didn't know if I won or not. Then I just started jumping when I saw the times." 
 
Three down. One to go. 
 
Adkins could feel her legs getting tired as she checked in for the 200. She asked assistant throws coach Jakob Degenshein for some candy and he delivered the sugar spike she needed. 
 
"I went over to the blocks and the official said 90 seconds. I thought, 'OK, your legs are heavy. Just get out and hold,'" Adkins recalled. "The 200, you have to set it up right. You have to get out strong in order to finish strong. I got out and, normally, I don't feel it until the straightaway, but I definitely started feeling it on the curve. I just tried to pick my knees up and run. My legs weren't really going fast, but I was picking my knees up and covering more ground." 
 
Adkins came off the curve toward the front of the pack. With 50 meters to go, she held a one-step lead. She crossed the line a body ahead of SFA's Kennedy Swann on her right. Her Vaqueros teammates went wild in the stands as she secured her fourth and final gold medal. Adkins bent forward on the track with her hands on her knees for a second, then slowly made her way to the infield. 
 
"I just wanted to lie down," she said with a laugh. "I was excited, happy, feeling joy that I got to do that with my team for the last time in the WAC. I felt good because last year me, Coach Antwon and Coach Hicks talked about it. They said they thought I could win all of my events and I thought I could, too. That was my mindset going into it, just getting what I wanted and what I felt I deserved." 
 

As Adkins watched back her races, she recalls telling Coach Antwon after the hurdles that she could've executed better. Hicks said having that be her initial reaction to a highly successful race spoke to her determination and potential. 
 
"I didn't expect it to be top-notch technically because of what she was trying to accomplish. She went back-to-back with four events. There's not a lot of preparation you can do for each race in-between. Her body had to hold up," Antwon Hicks said. "It was good enough to set a personal record, program record, stadium record, and win a WAC Championship." 
 
The minute Adkins touched down in Utah, she felt locked in and game ready. She didn't let the pressure or the expectations get to her. She showed up and showed out for everyone in her corner. 
 
"I was happy to prove that UTRGV isn't what y'all think it is, that we're better and we have heat coming from here. That was a good feeling for me," Adkins said. 
 
The Power of Grace
There's no bigger critic of Symoria Adkins than Symoria Adkins herself. 
 
She struggles to give herself credit, to simply bask in the amazing performances she puts together. Early in her collegiate career, she was too concerned with times and being perfect to appreciate the process of development. Head coach Shareese Hicks has helped change her mentality and it made all the difference this season. 
 
"As an athlete, I feel like we don't give ourselves grace at all. You're supposed to take it serious but I think I took it too serious and I was always mad or negative about my performances when they weren't as bad as I thought they were. I finally learned that I need to be patient and take my time," Adkins said. "I've tried to be a better teammate because nobody wants to be around nobody who's negative all the time. I had long talks with Coach [Shareese] Hicks and Coach Antwon, too. He doesn't talk much but he can motivate you a lot. My mindset has changed because of them and my teammates." 
 
Shareese Hicks takes a holistic approach to coaching, using one-on-one sessions to teach her student-athletes about life, how to handle emotions and other important lessons. With Adkins specifically, sometimes hard coaching is required, and the sophomore takes it well. 
 
"It might get a bit heated at times, but we get over it and we move on because she understands the bigger picture," Hicks said. "If I could describe her in one word it would be relentless. That's something you can't coach. That's how she was raised. Her mom did an excellent job. Seeing that relentlessness turn into the growth and maturity that she has displayed, man, she just has it." 
 

Getting right mentally and maturing emotionally lifted Adkins to a team captain role this season. She approaches practices differently, knowing that the workouts are going to be hard no matter what, so it's better to go in and give it your all than complain your way through it. She's working on having confidence and faith in herself in all situations, not just on the track but with things like public speaking, interviews with media and her role as a captain. 
 
That personal growth was a key factor in her stellar sophomore season. 
 
"I finally gave myself grace and allowed myself to be like, I did that," Adkins said with a smile. "I want to take that into my junior year and my future track career and just give myself grace. Sometimes you just have to be grateful for what you have and that's what I'm learning. It can be challenging, but if you're working and you're seeing progression, that's all that matters." 
 
The Drive to Keep Building 
This year has been transformational for Symoria Adkins, who was named the UTRGV Female Student-Athlete of the Year and a three-time WAC Track Athlete of the Week. She made good on her goals and pushed the program forward at a crucial time as UTRGV prepares to move to the Southland Conference in July. 
 
"I feel like this season was definitely a comeback season for me," she said. "My freshman year, I had injuries, we were ranked low, talked about on Tik Tok and things like that. So, for both teams, men and women, to show what we have was big. It was good knowing we're leaving the WAC and making them remember us. Now I'm ready for the upcoming years and ready to see what the future holds. I feel like Coach Hicks and Coach Antwon are going to take me really far." 
 

How far do the Hickses think she can go? "The sky is the limit for her," said Antwon Hicks. He knows what it takes to become a professional track athlete, having been one himself and trained alongside many. Shareese Hicks has been there and done that, too, and the dynamic duo sees that ability in Adkins. 
 
It's going to take sacrifice, commitment, consistent discipline and understanding that you're going to be frustrated sometimes. It's going to require being diligent about getting quality rest, nutrition, rehab and time management. They've seen growth in all those areas from Adkins during her career at UTRGV and they know she'll only get better as time goes on. 
 
Time is something both Adkins and Shareese Hicks are learning to appreciate as they go on this journey together. In two short years, Adkins has evolved into a star right before Hicks' eyes. And as easy as it is for the coach to think about the continued rise, she's taking a page out of Adkins' playbook and telling herself to be grateful for what she has now and appreciate the process. 
 
"I'm telling myself to slow down, to live in the moment, enjoy this time with her. But at the same time I'm really excited for what she's going to do at the NCAA West meet and what she's going to do next year and by the time she graduates," Hicks said. "I'm looking forward to seeing Symoria five, 10 years from now. She's a tenacious individual that you know is going to be okay no matter what life throws at her. She has all the tools to go far in the sport and in life. It does my heart good." 

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*Editor's Note: Two days after publication of this story, Symoria Adkins finished 13th in the women's 100-meter hurdles at the NCAA West First Round, missing a trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships by one spot. She set a program and personal record, again, as she ran 13.15 in the quarterfinals in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 

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