FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Survive and advance isn't just a phrase for court sports during their postseason runs. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) outdoor track & field student-athletes are also on that "round by round" mentality this week as a program-record 11 Vaqueros will compete at the NCAA West First Round at John McDonnell Field. 
 
UTRGV's men and women will compete Wednesday through Saturday, alternating days of competition. The meet is hosted by Arkansas and is the final hurdle the Vaqueros need to cross to earn a spot in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field National Championship meet. 
 
Only the elite have reached this point. Student-athletes must be one of the top 48 declared competitors in individual events or on a top 24 relay to punch a ticket to the first round meets. The NCAA East First Round is behind held in Lexington, Kentucky. 
 
For field athletes, the stakes are incredibly high when they step on the runway or into the ring this week – they'll have just three attempts to secure a mark good enough to place in the top 12 to move on to the national meet. Track athletes will run a first round race Day 1, chasing a top 24 time to move on to the quarterfinal races, which will be held on Day 2 of each gender's schedule. 
 
Action begins with the men Wednesday. Inclement weather caused changes to Wednesday's schedule, which were announced late Tuesday afternoon. Senior Daniel Siaffa and junior Jefferson Jean will both run in Heat 6 of the first round of the 110-meter hurdles starting at 1 p.m. Siaffa will be in Heat 6 for the 400-meter hurdles, too, which starts at 3:20 p.m. Freshman Matic Vidmar will throw javelin at 8 p.m. 

UTRGV's women's team and Southland Conference runner-up squad will be well represented Thursday. Freshman Dior Williams gets things started at 6 p.m. in Heat 5 of the first round of the 100-meter hurdles. Junior N Vanee Anchike will get her two-event day started at 6:30 p.m. in Heat 3 of the 1,500-meter prelims. Anchike will compete again at 7:50 p.m. in Heat 2 of the 800-meter run. 
 
Sophomore Jizzale Davis will run in the 100-meter dash first round at 7 p.m., making her NCAA West debut in Heat 1. She'll later run at 8:45 p.m. in the 200-meter dash Heat 1. Senior Kaliyah Poston will run in Heat 2 of the 200. In between those sprints, junior Treasure Vallerie will take on the first round of the 400-meter dash in the fifth heat. 
 
Senior Efe Latham will compete in women's shot put for the second consecutive year at NCAA West starting at 7 p.m. 
 
Freshman Antwoine Warren makes his national-stage debut at 2 p.m. Friday in the men's high jump. If either of UTRGV's men's hurdlers advances out of the first round, the quarterfinals are scheduled for 6:15 p.m. and 7:25 p.m. for the 110 and 400 races, respectively. 
 
UTRGV's women's 4x100-meter relay will get Saturday started at 5 p.m. Redshirt junior Ashley Lingueno, Davis, Williams and Poston are in Heat 3 for the sprint relay. Quarterfinals races will start at 5:15 p.m. for any advancing Vaqueros. 
 
The Vaqueros had a pre-meet practice at John McDonnell Field Tuesday to get familiar with the venue and shake out Monday's travel. Last year, UTRGV saw one student-athlete advance to the quarterfinal round. In the field, the Vaqueros tabbed two top 30 finishes. This year's group of Vaqueros is fairly new to this round of competition, but they're ready to give it their all on the big stage and have one clear goal in mind – take it one round at a time and see where the process leads. 
 
UTRGV SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY (adjusted due to inclement weather)
Men's 110-meter hurdles first round, 1 p.m. 
Daniel Siaffa 
Jefferson Jean 
 
Men's 400-meter hurdles first round, 3:20 p.m. 
Daniel Siaffa 
 
Men's javelin first round, 8 p.m. 
Matic Vidmar 
 
THURSDAY 
Women's 100-meter hurdles first round, 6 p.m. 
Dior Williams 
 
Women's 1,500-meter run first round, 6:30 p.m. 
N Vanee Anchike 
 
Women's shot put first round, 7 p.m.
Efe Latham 
 
Women's 100-meter dash first round, 7 p.m. 
Jizzale Davis 
 
Women's 400-meter dash first round, 7:25 p.m. 
Treasure Vallerie 
 
Women's 800-meter run first round, 7:50 p.m. 
N Vanee Anchike 
 
Women's 200-meter dash first round, 8:45 p.m. 
Jizzale Davis 
Kaliyah Poston 
 
FRIDAY 
Men's high jump semifinals, 2 p.m. 
Antwoine Warren 
 
Men's 110-meter hurdles quarterfinals, 6:15 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Men's 400-meter hurdles quarterfinals, 7:25 p.m. 
TBD 
 
SATURDAY 
Women's 4x100-meter relay quarterfinals, 5 p.m. 
Ashley Lingueno, Jizzale Davis, Dior Williams, Kaliyah Poston 
 
Women's 1,500-meter run quarterfinals, 5:15 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Women's 100-meter hurdles quarterfinals, 6:15 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Women's 100-meter dash quarterfinals, 6:35 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Women's 400-meter dash quarterfinals, 6:50 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Women's 800-meter run quarterfinals, 7:05 p.m. 
TBD 
 
Women's 200-meter dash quarterfinals, 7:50 p.m. 
TBD 

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