RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The Southland Conference (SLC) announced the 2025 Women's Track & Field All-Academic Team and Indoor and Outdoor Student-Athletes of the Year on Wednesday, and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) had four student-athletes make the All-Academic Team: senior Samantha Gonzalez, junior Hannah Hilding, senior Efe Latham, and sophomore Kailey Salazar. 
 
To be eligible for All-Academic honors, student-athletes must have at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA with at least one semester at the nominating institution, and have competed in at least 50% of the team's meets. Student-Athletes of the Year must have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA. 
 
Gonzalez, Hilding and Salazar were automatic selections to the All-Academic Team because they earned All-Conference First Team honors during the indoor and/or outdoor seasons and met the academic requirements. Latham was one of four student-athletes voted onto the All-Academic Team by the head coaches, academic advisors, and sports information directors from across the conference. 
 
Gonzalez won the SLC Outdoor Championship in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, capping her career with a program and personal best time of 10:33.31. The graduate student in health science from Laredo also finished eighth in the 5,000-meter run at the outdoor conference meet. In addition to running the two best steeplechase races in UTRGV history, this season Gonzalez set the outdoor program records in the 1,500-meter run (4:30.33) and the indoor program record in the mile (4:54.35). 
 
Hilding won the SLC Outdoor Championship in hammer throw and advanced to the NCAA West First Round for the second year in a row. She scored in three of four throwing events at the outdoor conference meet, finishing sixth in javelin and seventh in discus. At the indoor championships, Hilding was the bronze medalist in weight throw and sixth in shot put. The two-time SLC Women's Field Athlete of the Week was the SLC's best regional finisher in any women's throwing event as she took 24^th in the West. She earned nine top five finishes throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons and made three entries into the outdoor program record books. Hilding, a product of Stockholm, Sweden, is studying management. 
 
Latham, a sociology student from Lasalle, Quebec, Canada, earned the silver medal in shot put at SLC Outdoor Championships and took fourth in hammer throw. She qualified for the NCAA West First Round in shot put and finished 36^th at the postseason meet. Latham was sixth in weight throw and eighth in shot put at SLC Indoor Championships, making an immediate impact in her first season competing for UTRGV. She tabbed a shot put personal best of 15.36 meters at the outdoor conference meet, tying the eighth-best throw in program history. 
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Salazar claimed the SLC Indoor Championship in the 800-meter run and was the bronze medalist in the event outdoors. She racked up nine top five finishes during the indoor and outdoor seasons, including two meet wins in the 800. The sophomore exercise science major from Laredo is the indoor (2:10.47) and outdoor (2:09.41) program record holder in the 800. 
 
2025 SLC Women's Track & Field All-Academic Awards 
Women's Indoor Student-Athlete of the Year - Madison Brown, Northwestern State
Women's Outdoor Student-Athlete of the Year - Romi Griese, East Texas A&M
 
All-Academic Team (*denotes automatic selection by virtue of All-Conference First Team) 
Romi Griese, East Texas A&M*
Veronika Kramarenko, East Texas A&M*
Leah Pettis, East Texas A&M*
Blessing Samuel, East Texas A&M
Eline Mast, HCU*
Mariam Bunanueva-Saleme, Lamar*
Annabel Hobday, Lamar*
Emma Powell, Lamar*
Ashton Rainey, Lamar*
Neelie Schiel, Lamar*
Kayla Smith, Lamar*
Emma Bourg, New Orleans
Madison Brown, Northwestern State*
Sileena Farrell, Northwestern State*
Kalli Knott, Northwestern State*
Dynia Lewis, Northwestern State*
Teodora Samac, Northwestern State
Maygan Shaw, Northwestern State*
Raven-Symone Jarrett, Northwestern State*
Shakera Williams, Northwestern State*
Esther Nwanze, Southeastern*
Valentine Jemutai, SFA*
Alicia Finnis, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi*
Emily Malouf, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi*
Samantha Gonzalez, UTRGV*
Hannah Hilding, UTRGV*
Efe Latham, UTRGV
Kailey Salazar, UTRGV*

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