FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – For the first time in 21 years, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's track & field program will be represented at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships as senior Nayla Harris competes in the women's 60-meter dash. 
 
Harris is the first sprinter in program history to qualify for the national championship meet and only the second UTRGV woman to do ever do so. She heads to the big dance tied for 11^th in the nation with her program, personal and Southland Conference (SLC) record time of 7.18. She is one of only four competitors in the women's 60 not from a Power 4 institution. 
 
"That's really crazy (that it's been over 20 years). That's almost older than me! So, man, it's good to finally be the one to get back. After me, everyone else is going to start making it to this meet. It's good to be the one to get the ball rolling," Harris said. 
 
Added head coach Shareese Hicks: "She has put in an outstanding amount of work to get here. This is the hardest championship to make. You look at the 60-meter dash, which is that short, seven second, highly ballistic, a little bit violent if you're doing it right, race, and only 16 women in the entire country make it this far. That's a huge feat for her. She's a trendsetter." 
 
Harris will run in the first of two heats at 5:35 p.m. Friday at the Randal Tyson Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The top eight runners will advance to the championship race scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Saturday. As she prepares for the biggest meet of her life, Harris is as confident as can be. And to those who have witnessed her evolution as a student-athlete, that confidence doesn't come as a surprise. 
 
This opportunity has been a long time coming. Harris's development epitomizes Hicks's mission as a coach to holistically develop not only athletes, but people. Their one-of-a-kind relationship is at the center of it all. 
 
"We're really the same person, and that's why our relationship is how it is. When we first met back in 2022, the conversations we had, I knew she was the coach for me. Ever since freshman year, we've been tight. Like two peas in a pod," Harris reflected. "Definitely her confidence (is something I try to emulate). She doesn't let anybody talk any stuff about her and she knows who she is, and I aspire to be like her." 
 
Before Harris started rewriting the record books at UTRGV, Hicks created her legacy at Charlotte. An inductee to the inaugural Charlotte Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2020, Hicks was the most decorate athlete in 49ers track & field history. She was a two-time NCAA Championships qualifier. In fact, 19 years ago, Hicks took fourth in the women's 200-meter dash at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships – at the very same facility Harris will compete in this weekend. 
 
"The expectation for her is much higher because she's more capable. Having the mindset that she has, she's far above what I could ever do," Hicks said. "Our common round is we're both competitors. I think that makes for an outstanding relationship. I understand her on a mental level, knowing what she's going through as a student-athlete and how passionate she is about reaching her goals. I think we have one of the most unique relationships in the NCAA. 
 
"To me, it's a match made in heaven," Hicks continued. "I try to not only be a coach for her but be a mentor for her because she has a very bright future in the sport of track & field. To be able to push someone to that level, it's super important to me and it's such an honor to be her coach and I don't take that for granted. I'm happy to be a part of this magical journey." 
 


Harris didn't get here overnight. Freshman year, she didn't make the finals in the 60 at the 2023 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Indoor Championships and saw her outdoor season cut short. She and Hicks had some tough conversations because the coach saw the potential. Harris stayed the course and changed her entire mentality – pushing herself harder not just on the track, but in the weight room, classroom, and with the way she cared for her body and mind. Hicks praised Harris for becoming a true student of the sport. 
 
With her focus fully on being the best version of herself, Harris blossomed into a consistent contributor on the track as a sophomore. Then, as a junior, she started realizing the impact she had as a leader. Harris was named a team captain ahead of the 2025-26 school year. 
 
She isn't an extremely vocal leader, but she defines leading by example. Hicks knows the younger Vaqueros watch Harris closely. She owns all the top times in program history in the 60, has improved across multiple events throughout her years, and is now garnering national attention. 
 
Harris has made plenty of history in the final two years of her collegiate career. She won the first ever SLC championship for UTRGV as she cruised to gold in the women's 60 at the 2025 indoor conference championship. She became the first two-time SLC champion when she swept the short sprints and won the 2025 outdoor conference title in the women's 100-meter dash. 
 
Two weeks ago, Harris scored 22 points to lift the Vaqueros to the 2026 SLC Women's Team Championship – the program's first indoor title. She repeated as the 60 champion and added a pair of bronze medals in the 200-meter dash and long jump. She ran a personal best time of 23.87 in the 200 to score crucial points to secure the title. 
 
"Winning that championship definitely adds confidence. Knowing I have the whole team behind me as I go into this meet is really special," Harris said. "It's really all up to God. It's his will. And knowing he gave us the Southland Conference championship, I just know he has more in store for us." 
 
Harris ran her qualifying time at her season-opening meet back on Jan. 10. She went undefeated through the season, earning wins at Houston, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and the SLC Championships. She was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation for a couple of weeks. 
 
Does she feel pressure when she lines up knowing every other runner is trying to take her down? Not anymore. Harris has learned from watching her coach be unwavering in her confidence and now approaches every meet the same way. She is a fierce competitor with an intimidating aura and a nonchalant reaction to her victories – because victory is what she trains for.  
 
The dynamic duo hasn't changed anything in the two weeks preparing for the NCAA Indoor Championships. They're staying consistent and emphasizing that sprinting should be comfortable, have rhythm, and be efficient. They're fine-tuning some details but not worrying about anything, or anyone, outside of their usual routine. 
 
"She's gone up against some really, really good competition this season and has been the victor at the end of all of those races. Knowing she's going in very confident, we're just working on the execution and expecting some really great performances," Hicks said. 
 
For four years, Harris and Hicks have been improving and dreaming together for this moment. The work has been done. The hay is in the barn. The belief is there. Now, it's time to let Nayla Harris be Nayla Harris. 
 
"I want it more, so it doesn't really matter who I'm running against," Harris said. 

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