UTRGV Athletics Week in Review: April 12 – 18

Baseball (16-17, 8-8) 

• Tuesday night game vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi in Corpus Christi  

UTRGV Athletics announced in a news release Monday afternoon that the original game was canceled. 

The Vaqueros will now be hosting the Islanders at 6 p.m. Tuesday in front of a sellout crowd of 1,175 fans, according to UTRGV Athletics in a news release Friday. 

Men’s Golf

• 15th out of 15 at the El Macero Classic in Davis, California

In the last outing before the WAC Championships, the Vaqueros placed 15th with a three-round score of 920, 32 strokes behind 14th place Washington State. 

Graduate Euan Gill was the highest placing Vaquero, tied for 57th, with a three-day score of 226 at the 72-par course. 

After shooting an 80 on day one, graduate Alex Summers closed out the El Macero Classic shooting +1 and +2 for a three-day score of 227, tied for 64th. 

Graduate Luca Portelli and freshman Leonardo Novella rounded out the tournament shooting 229 tied for 73rd and 238 tied for 78th, respectively. 

Men’s Soccer (6-1-2, 6-1-2)

• Thursday afternoon WAC Tournament Semifinal 0-1 defeat vs. No.6 Air Force in Las Vegas 

UTRGV Head Coach Bryheem Hancock’s first season at the helm comes to an end, being bounced by a 50th minute goal on a Falcons’ counterattack. 

The Vaqueros will be looking to run it back next season with the student-athletes currently on the squad as the program is currently set to only lose senior forward and WAC Offensive Player of the Year William Akio, according to Hancock. 

Women’s Soccer (11-6-2, 7-6-1) 

• Tuesday afternoon WAC Tournament quarterfinal 0-3 defeat vs. No.5 New Mexico State in Phoenix 

The Vaqueros fifth-winning campaign and third double-digit win season comes to a close after being bounced by New Mexico State in the quarterfinal round of the WAC Tournament. 

Junior forward Emily Zapata took seven shots, three on goal, but couldn’t find the back of the net as the Vaqueros were held scoreless for the sixth time this season. 

Women’s Tennis (5-16, 3-3)

• Tuesday afternoon 0-4 defeat vs. UTEP in El Paso

In the last non-conference match of the season, the Vaqueros were swept by the Miners. 

In the opening doubles match, the freshman duo of Lea Karren and Valeria Montero defeated senior Vanessa Valdez and junior Lina Sanchia 6-2. The Minters won the two remaining doubles matches to clinch the opening point of the day. 

In singles, the Vaqueros fell on court No. 2, 4 and 5 to fall 0-4 as the remaining three matches went unfinished. 

• Friday afternoon WAC Cluster 6-1 victory vs. Seattle U in Las Cruces, New Mexico

The Vaqueros earned their second conference win of the season as they took down the Redhawks in a near-perfect matchday. 

In doubles, all of the Vaquero pairings; freshman duo Lea Karren and Valeria Montero, sophomore duo of Sandra Putz and Ana Platisa; and sophomore Katarina Sasaroga and freshman Isabelle Bahr swept to clinch the opening point of the day. 

In singles, Sasaroga and Karren quickly earned wins to put the Vaqueros ahead 3-0. 

Putz then clinched the matchday with a two-set victory, 6-1, 6-3, over junior Jillian Rasmussen to give the Vaqueros a 4-0 lead. 

The Vaqueros closed out the day with Putz winning on court No. 1 and a hard-fought three set win from sophomore Kristyna Mamicova on court No. 4. 

• Saturday morning WAC Cluster 6-1 victory vs. Dixie State in Las Cruces, New Mexico

The Vaqueros closed out the final matchday of the season on a winning note by taking down the Trailblazers 6-1 to improve to a .500 conference record. 

In doubles, the pairing of freshman Isabelle Bahr and sophomore Katarina Sasaroga kicked off the day with a 6-4 win on court No. 1. 

Sophomores Ana Platisa and Sandra Putz clinched the first point of the day for the Vaqueros in a 6-4 triumph on court No. 3. 

In singles, Bahr and freshman Kristyna Mamicova picked up wins to put the Vaqueros ahead 3-0. 

Platisa clinched the matchday with a 6-1, 7-6 win over sophomore Emma Templeman on court No. 5. 

The Vaqueros closed out the day with freshman Lea Karren and Putz winning on court No. 3 and 6, respectively.   

Men’s Track and Field 

• One first, two second and three third place finished at the Roadrunner Invitational in San Antonio 

The Vaqueros topped the podium in the shot put event as graduate Paul May set a new program-record with a 18.09 meter throw. 

Freshman Michael Campbell placed in second, right behind May, with a toss of 16.09 meters. 

The 4×100 meter relay team of sophomore Yashawn Hamilton, graduate Yariel Matute, junior Mariano Hernandez and freshman Jermarrion Stewart placed third with a time of 40.77, third best time in program history. 

In the 800 meter run, junior Max Carmona finished with a time of 1:54.18, good for third place. 

In the Decathlon, freshman Alex Galvan placed second in the discus event with a throw of 36.40 meters. Galvan did not finish in the decathlon after being in 8th with 3,127 points through day one. 

Women’s Track and Field

• Three first, three second and two third place finishes at the Roadrunner Invitational in San Antonio

Graduate Desirea Buerge obtained high recognition after placing first in the discus event with a launch of 58.90 meters. Buerge topped the podium as well as setting a new program record and the best mark in the WAC this season. 

The 58.90-meter throw is the third-best mark in the NCAA this season and Buerge ranks as the fifth best American and 29th on the world stage. 

Buerge is now eligible for the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon from June 18-19 and will need to improve to the Olympic mark of 63.50 meters and place in the top three to qualify for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics this summer.  

In the 400-meter dash, sophomore Tamara Woodley placed first with a time of 55.49. 

Graduate Aviana Goode competed in the Heptathlon, placed first in the 100-meter run with the fourth fastest time in program history of 14.08 and tied for second in the high jump with a height of 1.63 meters. 

Goode finished with 3,946 points, the eight best mark in program history, for seventh place. 

In the 800-meter run, freshman Josefine Eriksen placed second with a time of 2:10.28, second best time in program history. 

Junior Alexandrea Hurst in the shot put event came in third with a toss of 15.18 meters, the 10th best mark in program history. 

In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, freshman Samantha Gonzalez finished with a time of 11:55.33 for third place, the eighth best time in program history.