FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros track & field senior
Nayla Harris earned First Team All-America as she finished fifth in the women's 60-meter dash Saturday at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Randal Tyson Track Center.
Harris ran 7.18 to finish her incredible indoor season with a top 5 finish in the nation. She is the first-ever women's 60-meter dash First Team All-American in Southland Conference (SLC) history.
When Harris secured her spot in the finals Friday, she and head coach
Shareese Hicks shared a brief congratulatory hug. Hicks told the senior good job, then said, "Now, you know I have to be critical because the job's not finished."
Harris immediately said, "Yes, please."
The never-satisfied mentality Harris radiates is exactly why she is the first sprinter in UTRGV history to reach the indoor national championship meet. It's why she was able to snap a 21-year drought and become just the second woman in program history to qualify for the event. It's why she boasts a department-best four SLC championships and owns the top 10 times in the women's 60-meter dash in program history and the five fastest times in SLC history.
She is hungry. She is coachable. She is confident. She is undeniable. And now, track fans across the nation know her name.
The extremely competitive Harris was subdued after the race. But she made her coach, her team, UTRGV and the entire Rio Grande Valley proud as she put the Vaqueros on the national state.
Harris ends her indoor career as the UTRGV and SLC record holder in the women's 60-meter dash and a back-to-back conference champion in the event.
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