HOUSTON – As senior Samantha Gonzalez crossed the finish line at the conclusion of the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase Friday at the Southland Conference (SLC) Outdoor Championships, she tiredly raised her arms in celebration. 
 
Physically and mentally exhausted from the grueling race, with blisters forming on her feet, Gonzalez didn't realize at the time that she had just won the steeplechase championship – earning the first conference gold medal of her career at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). She was just relieved to be done after an extremely competitive race going toe-to-toe with Oceane Cercueil of Incarnate Word. But she was praised by head coach Shareese Hicks and her team after she recovered and got her chance to celebrate. Gonzalez won with a time of 10:33.31, which is a new program and personal record. 
 
The Vaqueros collected three medals on Day 2 of the conference meet at Rice's Wendel D. Ley Track & Holloway Fieldas sophomore Keamonie Archie took silver in the men's long jump and senior Efe Latham added a silver medal in the women's shot put. Archie notched a personal best mark of 7.52 meters on his third and fifth jumps to secure his runner-up finish and tie the 10^th-best jump in program history. Latham's second-place mark of 15.36 meters was a clutch throw on her fifth attempt. The mark is a massive personal record and ties the eighth-best throw in program history. 
 
Junior Hannah Hilding put three more points on the board as she took sixth in the women's javelin with a mark of 41.22 meters – fifth in program history. She was 10^th in shot put. With eight of 21 events scored, the UTRGV women sit in fourth place with 36 points. The Vaqueros men are ninth with eight points with seven events scored. 
 
The Vaqueros earned plenty of scoring opportunities Friday as they punched nine tickets to finals on the track. The men's 400-meter group tabbed UTRGV's second 3-for-3 event as junior Jamari Harts, sophomore Brownsville Hanna alum Alejandro Arellano and junior Derrius Henry all advanced out of prelims. Harts took third, Arellano was fifth and Henry took the eighth spot with a personal-best time. 
 
Junior Nayla Harris and freshman Jizzale Davis both qualified for finals in the women's 100-meter dash. Harris, who has led the event for most of the season on the SLC performance list, advanced as the No. 1 time qualifier after clocking in at 11.51 – the fifth-fastest time in program history. Davis was fourth in prelims. Both will also be competing in the women's 200-meter dash final on Saturday, along with senior teammate Zoë Adams. Adams secured her second final on Friday as she was fifth in the women's 400-meter dash. 
 
The dynamic women's 800-meter duo of sophomore Kailey Salazar and junior Lilliana Guerrero did what they do best and ran strong races to secure their spots in the final. Salazar moves on as the No. 2 qualifier in 2:11.13, which is the eighth-best race in program history, and Guerrero follows in the No. 3 spot. Freshman Santa Maria alum Mia Picazo narrowly missed the finals, finishing ninth in a personal-best time. 
 
Junior Corin Burns punched his second finals ticket as he ran 10.36 in the men's 100-meter dash. He moves on as the No. 1 qualifier and tabbed the No. 5 time in program history. Freshman Richard Young again just missed advancing as he finished ninth in the event, and sophomore Weslaco East alum Gael Romo was 14^th. 
 
Junior Brownsville Hanna alum Aliyah Castillo added a personal best as she finished 17^th in the women's 400. Senior Trinity Kirk followed in 19^th. Freshman PSJA Memorial alum Diego Pina led UTRGV's men's 800-meter runners with a 16^th place finish and junior Abraham Morales ran a personal best as he took 18^th. Sophomore Mario Cantarero was 28^th.
 
Freshmen Trezur Connley and Krystan Bright finished 10^th and 12^th, respectively, in the women's 100-meter hurdles prelims. Senior Kailah Gilmore was 14^th in the women's long jump. 
 
With seven personal bests recorded Friday, the Vaqueros have now hit 12 PBs at the meet. They'll wrap up the first SLC Outdoor Championships Saturday starting at 3 p.m. with field events and at 5 p.m. on the track. 
 
UTRGV FRIDAY RESULTS
Field Events 
Men's long jump
2. Keamonie Archie, 7.52m 
· T-10^th in program history 
 
Women's javelin
6. Hannah Hilding, 41.22m 
· 5^th in program history 
Efe Latham, NM 
 
Women's shot put
2. Efe Latham, 15.36m 
· T-8^th in program history 
10. Hannah Hilding, 13.54m 
 
Women's long jump 
14. Kailah Gilmore, 5.49m 
 
Track Events 
Women's 100-meter hurdles prelims
10. Trezur Connley, 14.41 
12. Krystan Bright, 14.49 
 
Women's 400-meter dash prelims 
5. Zoë Adams, 54.61 (advanced to finals) 
17. Aliyah Castillo, 56.90 
19. Trinity Kirk, 57.71
 
Men's 400-meter dash prelims
3. Jamari Harts, 47.07 (advanced to finals)
5. Alejandro Arellano, 47.14 (advanced to finals)
8. Derrius Henry, 47.10 (advanced to finals)
 
Women's 100-meter dash prelims 
1. Nayla Harris, 11.51 (advanced to finals)
· 5^th in program history 
4. Jizzale Davis, 11.84 (advanced to finals) 
 
Men's 100-meter dash prelims 
1. Corin Burns, 10.36 (advanced to finals)
· 5^th in program history 
9. Richard Young, 10.54 
14. Gael Romo, 10.71 
 
Women's 800-meter run prelims 
2. Kailey Salazar, 2:11.13 (advanced to finals)
· 8^th in program history 
3. Lilliana Guerrero, 2:13.03 (advanced to finals)
9. Mia Picazo, 2:14.79 
 
Men's 800-meter run prelims
16. Diego Pina, 1:54.82 
18. Abraham Morales, 1:55.34 
28. Mario Cantarero, 1:58.45 
 
Women's 3,000-meter steeplechase 
1. Samantha Gonzalez, 10:33.31 
· Program Record 
 
UTRGV SATURDAY SCHEDULE
Field Events 
Women's discus, 3 p.m. 
Hannah Hilding (F2) 
 
Women's triple jump, 3 p.m. 
Tolu Odetola (F2) 
La'Zariah Bethany (F2) 
 
Men's triple jump, 6 p.m. 
Hebrew Hunter (F2) 
Aaron Cooper (F2) 
 
Women's high jump, 6 p.m. 
Achol Maywin 
 
Track Events (all finals) 
Women's 4x100-meter relay, 5 p.m. 
Krystan Bright, Jizzale Davis, Zoë Adams, Nayla Harris, Aliyah Castillo (H2) 
 
Men's 4x100-meter relay, 5:10 p.m. 
Gael Romo, Jamari Harts, Richard Young, Corin Burns, Alejandro Arellano (H2) 
 
Women's 400-meter dash, 6 p.m. 
Zoë Adams
 
Men's 400-meter dash, 6:10 p.m. 
Jamari Harts
Alejandro Arellano 
Derrius Henry
 
Women's 100-meter dash, 6:20 p.m. 
Nayla Harris 
Jizzale Davis
 
Men's 100-meter dash, 6:30 p.m. 
Corin Burns
 
Women's 800-meter run, 6:40 p.m. 
Kailey Salazar
Lilliana Guerrero 
 
Women's 400-meter hurdles, 7 p.m. 
Krystan Bright 
 
Men's 400-meter hurdles, 7:10 p.m. 
Daniel Siaffa 
 
Women's 200-meter dash, 7:20 p.m. 
Jizzale Davis 
Zoë Adams
Nayla Harris 
 
Men's 200-meter dash, 7:30 p.m. 
Corin Burns 
 
Women's 5,000-meter run, 7:40 p.m. 
Faith Cruz 
Samantha Gonzalez 
 
Women's 4x400-meter relay, 8:25 p.m. 
Aliyah Castillo, Trinity Kirk, Zoë Adams, Jizzale Davis, Krystan Bright, Kailey Salazar (H2) 
 
Men's 4x400-meter relay, 8:40 p.m. 
Corin Burns, Alejandro Arellano, Daniel Siaffa, Derrius Henry, Jaylen Critton, Jamari Harts, Gael Romo (H2) 

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