UTRGV Indoor Track & Field wins six more WAC Championships to finish with nine titles

Texas Border Business

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NAMPA, Idaho – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) indoor track & field teams combined to win nine Western Athletic Conference Championships, including six during the final day of competition, at the WAC Championships on Saturday at the Ford Idaho Center.

Sophomore Brownsville Veterans alum Max Carmona, sophomore Mariano Hernandez, freshman Miguel Escamilla and freshman Ackeem Gordon won the 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:17.7, the fifth-best in program history, earning 10 points.

Carmona won the 800-meter run with a personal record time of 1:52.3, the second-best in program history, earning his second championship and 10 points. Hernandez earned his second championship in the 400-meter dash with a time of48.32, the sixth-best in program history, earning 10 points. Gordon finished sixth in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.91, tied for the second-best in program history, earning three points. Escamilla finished fifth in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:55.12, the 10^th-best in program history, earning four points.

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Senior Paul May won the shot put with a mark of 17.76 meters, a program record, giving him a second championship after winning the weight throw on Friday, and additional 10 points. Senior PSJA Memorial alum Michael Gonzalez placed fourth with a mark of 16.50 meters, the sixth-best in program history, earning five points.

Sophomore Samariae Bonds won the shot put with a distance of 16.14 meters, the second-highest in program history, earning her a second championship after winning the weight throw on Friday, for an additional 10 points. SophomoreAlexandrea Hurst finished second with a mark of 15.56 meters, the fifth-best in program history, earning eight points. Sophomore Economedes High School alumBrittany Cantu and sophomore Taylar Kregness came in fifth and seventh, respectively, with marks of 13.17 meters and 12.70 meters, earning a combined six points.

Junior Abraham Chirchir won the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:25.95, the sixth-best in program history, earning a second championship after winning the 5,000-meter run on Friday, for another 10 points.

Overall the women’s team finished in in third, marking the best WAC finish in program history, with 105 points. New Mexico State won the championship with 206 points. The men’s team finished third as well with 115.50 points. Grand Canyon won the championship with 196 points.

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Freshmen Mystique Brown, Tamara Woodley, Devon Goodwin and Diamond Lilly finished second in the 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:51.74, the sixth-best in program history, earning eight points.

Brown finished eighth in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.79, earning one point. She then finished seventh in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.80, the sixth-best in program history, earning two points. Lilly finished seventh in the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.85, earning two points.

Sophomore Kyra Keurentjes finished second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:16.395 a thousandth of a second behind first place, for the ninth-best in program history, earning eight points.

Senior Palmview alum Anthony Magallon placed ninth in the heptathlon with 3,963 points, the third-best in program history. Magallon’s best finish came in the 1,000-meter run, during which he finished second with a time of 2:57.25.

Senior Idatonye Cheetham-West and sophomore Zarrey Sams placed third and fifth in the long jump, respectively, with marks of 5.78 meters, the tenth-best in program history, and 5.73 meters, earning a combined 10 points. West went to finish fourth in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.68, the sixth-best in program history earning five points.

Freshman Vela alum Noah Trevino and junior Nikki Rowe alum Mauricio Camposplaced fourth and sixth in the high jump, respectively, with marks of 1.96 meters and 1.93 meters, earning a combined 7.50 points.

Senior Sierra Spinler finished in fifth place in the mile with a time of 5:08.56, earning four points. On the men’s side, sophomore Edinburg North alum Tristan Pena finished eighth with a time 4:21.62, earning one point.

Freshman PSJA North alum Charlize De La Garza placed fourth in the high jump with a mark of 1.63 meters, the fifth-best in program history, earning five points.

UTRGV opens outdoor season on March 13 at the UTSA Triangular.

Team Standings

Men

Women

UTRGV Results

Heptathlon

9. Anthony Magallon, 3,963 points

•Third-best in program history

Men’s 60-Meter Hurdles

8. Anthony Magallon, 9.30

Men’s Pole Vault

6. Anthony Magallon, 3.60m

Men’s 1,000-Meter Run

2. Anthony Magallon, 2:53.32

Field Events

Women’s Shot Put

1. Samariae Bonds, 16.14m (10 points)

•Second-best in program history

2. Alexandrea Hurst, 15.56m (8 points)

•Fifth-best in program history

5. Brittany Cantu, 13.17m (4 points)

7. Taylar Kregness, 12.70m (2 points)   

Women’s Long Jump

3. Idatonye Cheetham-West, 5.78m (6 points)

•10^th-best in program history

5. Zarrey Sams, 5.73m (4 points)

Men’s High Jump

4. Noah Trevino, 1.96m (5 points)

6. Mauricio Campos, 1.93m (2.50 points)

Men’s Shot Put

1. Paul May, 17.76m (10 points)

•Program record

4. Michael Gonzalez, 16.50m (5 points)

•Sixth-best in program history

9. Aaron Williams, 14.70m 

10. Sergio Tijerina, 13.87m

11. Ricardo Espinoza, 13.64m

Women’s High Jump

4. Charlize De La Garza, 1.63m (5 points)

•Fifth-best in program history

14. Jovanni Solis, 1.48m 

Men’s Long Jump

9. Matthew Salaiz, 6.72m 

22. Anthony Magallon, 5.69m

Running Events

Men’s Mile Run

8. Tristan Pena, 4:21.62 (1 point)

Women’s Mile Run

5. Sierra Spinler, 5:08.56 (4 points)

Men’s 60-Meter Dash

6. Ackeem Gordon, 6.91 (3 points)

•Tied for second-best in program history

Women’s 60-Meter Dash

4. Idatonye Cheetham-West, 7.68 (5 points)

•Sixth-best in program history

8. Mystique Brown, 7.79 (1 point)

Men’s 400-Meter Dash

1. Mariano Hernandez, 48.32 (10 points)

•Sixth-best in program history

Women’s 400-Meter Dash

7. Diamond Lilly, 57.85 (2 points)

Men’s 800-Meter Run

1. Max Carmona, 1:52.3 (10 points)

•Second-best in program history

5. Miguel Escamilla, 1:55.12 (4 points)

Women’s 800-Meter Run

2. Kyra Keurentjes, 2:16.40 (8 points)

•Ninth-best in program history

Women’s 200-Meter Dash

7. Mystique Brown, 24.80 (2 points)

•Sixth-best in program history

Men’s 3,000-Meter Run

1. Abraham Chirchir, 8:25.95 (10 points)

•Sixth-best in program history

9. Alex Munoz 8:46.98 

14. Omer Almog 8:57.96

15. Tristan Pena 9:01.32

Women’s 3,000-Meter Run

13. Dorcas Koech, 10:23.64

18. Sierra Spinler 10:33.88

23. Alma Villanueva 10:41.25

26. Sharon Koima, 10:53.22

Men’s 4×400-Meter Relay

1. Mariano Hernandez, Max Carmona, Miguel Escamilla, Ackeem Gordon, 3:17.7 (10 points)

•Fifth-best in program history

Women’s 4×400-Meter Relay

2. Mystique Brown, Tamara Woodley, Devon Goodwin, Diamond Lilly, 3:51.74 (8 points)

•Sixth-best in program history

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