Leonardo Guajardo/Vaquero Radio
The UTRGV Men and Women’s Cross Country Teams are determined to keep the pace going by establishing a legacy that will endure for years.Last Year, the men’s and women’s cross country team finished 23rd and 21st respectively during the NCAA South Central Regionals.
Both teams recently set off for the Southland Conference Championship Friday in New Orleans, Louisiana. Results are available at goutrgv.com.
Head coach Shareese Hicks emphasized the importance of teamwork by motivating runners to reach their full potential.
“You’ll have those ebbs and flows where you’ll get to maybe the third, fourth or fifth mile, and you’re tempted.Your body wants to stop,” Hicks said. “But if you have a teammate that’s right there and they’re pulling you along or they’re pushing you along, it makes a huge difference.”
She also spoke about her perspective on what it means to be successful.
“You’re successful whenever you run half a second faster or whenever you complete a course that is very demanding,” Hicks said. “And on top of that, they’re student athletes. That’s how we measure our success. How well-rounded of an individual are you, [and] are you able to check all those boxes both as a student and as an athlete?”
Assistant coach Ricardo Mendoza described his fascination with the universal appeal of cross-country.
“We have a variety of everything cross-country,” Mendoza said. “I think that’s what makes cross-country so special because you can combine athletes that come from a speed background and athletes that come from a distance background.”
He also highlighted the importance of tough workouts, but also making sure it’s fun.
“You do a lot of the training to get physically, mentally and emotionally ready for a competition,” Mendoza said. “What we do in training is obviously getting prepared for that. And also just try to make it fun because in the end, running or whatever sport you’re doing should have some fun into it.”
Sophomore Kailey Salazar, distance runner and captain of the women’s cross-country team, said the team’s culture motivates their success.
“I think if we see one another, and we know that we can perform better, we go up to that person,” Salazar said. “And we’re like ‘hey we know what you can do, we know what we can do, and so we go out there and do it.’ ”
The cross-country teams are determined to push their limits and perform their best at the NCAA South Central Regional on Nov. 15 in College Station.
