RIO GRANDE VALLEY – Breaking records has become a habit for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's (UTRGV) track & field program, which the Vaqueros proved time and time again during the 2025 outdoor season.  
 
In Year 1 in the Southland Conference (SLC), UTRGV captured three individual women's outdoor titles as the women took third in the team standings, just 2.5 points shy of a runner-up finish. The Vaqueros collected 14 medals at the outdoor conference meet, with the women picking up nine and the men adding five. Along with three golds, they earned six silver and five bronze medals. 
 
UTRGV immediately showed the new conference just how strong of a program it is. 
 
"I would have to say that the 2025 outdoor conference championship was one for the books. The amount of finalists and medalists we had in our first year in the Southland leaves us with very promising goals for the future," head coach Shareese Hicks said. "The meet was sensational over the few days and watching everyone support one another was awe inspiring."
 
The season culminated with another incredible achievement for Hicks' tenure – UTRGV sent a program-record eight qualifiers to the NCAA West First Round. Two veteran standouts in Hannah Hilding and Aaron Cooper made return trips to the preliminary meet while fellow junior Nayla Harris earned her first trip to the postseason after a breakout year. Four transfers in Corin Burns, Efe Latham, Achol Maywin and Keamonie Archie punched their ticket to NCAA West, along with star freshman Richard Young. 
 
Hicks and her staff went into this season intent on challenging the student-athletes to make them capable of performing in any situation. The Vaqueros' ability to adapt and shine week after week resulted from those efforts and the detailed coaching. 
 
"We put more emphasis on putting our athletes in championship scenarios in training," Hicks explained. "We trained in every permittable weather, changed warm-up locations, practiced resetting, and paid special attention to recovery. Our young people were prepared for every scenario and were ready to compete to the best of their ability." 
 
Hicks instills a standard in her program of "how you do one thing is how you do everything," and that culture shined. The Vaqueros not only set nine outdoor program records but saw improvements in the classroom and were active in the campus community. Even with the challenges of ever-changing rosters in the time of the transfer portal, the Vaqueros built a strong team camaraderie, supporting and pushing and celebrating each other every day. 
 
There were tough moments and battles to overcome, and they always did so together.  
 
"This 2025 outdoor season was the year of grit. We were tested in every way imaginable and continued to weather the waves of the season. Our young people proved to be mentally tougher than ever. They kept an indomitable will as their guide and walked away with performances they will talk about for years to come," Hicks said. "Character is revealed in the face of adversity, and our team proved that their values and work ethic are elite." 
 
A few of the highlight moments from the outdoor season included Harris securing her title as the fastest woman in the SLC as she followed up her indoor gold in the 60-meter dash with the 100-meter championship. The UTRGV Female Breakout Athlete of the Year ran the fastest women's 100 in SLC history with her NCAA West qualifying time of 11.22, which is also a school record. 
 
Senior Samantha Gonzalez had a massive outdoor season to wrap up her UTRGV career. She won the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase conference title and scored in the 5,000-meter run. Gonzalez set outdoor program records in the 1,500-meter run and steeplechase in 2025. She leaves the Vaqueros with six of the top 10 steeplechase times in program history. 
 
Hilding and Latham were a dynamic throwing duo, claiming the women's hammer throw SLC championship and the silver medal in shot put, respectively. Archie and Cooper earned silver and bronze in men's long and triple jump, respectively, while Maywin added to the jumps crew success with a runner-up finish in women's high jump at the conference meet. 
 
Burns had a tremendous first year at UTRGV. He set program records in the 100-meter dash (10.17) and 200-meter dash (20.79) and with the 4x100-meter relay (39.93). Burns shined at the conference meet, taking silver in the 100 and bronze in the 200 and 4x100 relay. At the NCAA West meet – his second trip after qualifying as a freshman at Incarnate Word – Burns advanced to the second round of the 200 dash for the first time. 
 
Returners and newcomers alike had success throughout the season. Times dropped and marks got bigger as the Vaqueros racked up event wins, once again showing the athlete development happening regularly in the Valley.  

Along with Harris, two other student-athletes epitomize that development: sophomores Kailey Salazar and Alejandro Arellano. Harris didn't make the finals in the 100 at last year's Western Athletic Conference outdoor championships and came into this year with a personal-best of 11.59. Six of her eight races this season were faster than her previous best and she topped out at 11.22. Salazar had a solid freshman season in 2024, running an 800-meter dash PR of 2:10.81 late in the year. This season, she ran sub-2:10 twice and was a medalist at the conference meet after missing finals last season due to a protest. 

Arellano fought his way to being a regular on the travel squad. He was competitive in the 200 and 400-meter dashes, and made his first entry into the outdoor program record books with his 400 PR of 46.99, ranking ninth in program history. His previous best was 48.71. After competing in just a handful of meets early in his career, the Brownsville Hanna product became a reliable relay member this season and earned a bronze medal at the conference meet with the 4x400, running the program's second-best time ever of 3:08.47. 

Adding to the incredible women's season was freshman Jizzale Davis, who started off strong and stayed consistent. Davis was the 200-meter dash runner-up at the SLC outdoor meet and took fourth in the 100 and with the 4x100-meter relay. At the conference meet, she ran a 200 PR of 23.53, taking the No. 2 spot in program history and securing herself the opportunity to run at the 2025 USATF U-20 Championships. This was the third consecutive year UTRGV has had at least one student-athlete qualify for the national event. 
 
Hicks gave credit to the administration and support staff surrounding the track & field program for helping to lift the standards with their work behind the scenes. But the tremendous outdoor season the Vaqueros put together comes down to the special combination of an intentional coaching staff and dedicated student-athletes. 
 
In four years, Hicks has elevated the UTRGV track & field program to be a consistent championship contender. The team's momentum is high after the 2025 season, and the Vaqueros are eager to keep building. 
 
"I'm extremely appreciative of my staff that share in my conscientious mentality. We continue to progress every year because of the buy-in and sweat equity that they invest in this program," Hicks praised. "Our young people and their families are the best. The values we share and the world class work that they put in every day has paid off. They have been wonderful representatives of our university.
 
"Once you visit the Valley it's hard to say no. Recruits can feel that once they step on campus and meet the team," she continued. "We have a proven track record of getting athletes better in every aspect, and we have world class facilities to enhance the student-athlete experience. Our young people have everything they need to succeed here."  

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