Jan. 21, 2010
The UTPA track and field team begins the 2010 campaign with 30 new additions to the roster. With all of the new and fresh faces, the Broncs look to this season with youthful exuberance and intentions of revitalizing the track and field program.
The women's team faces the loss of Great West Conference Champions and NCAA Midwest Regional Qualifiers, Amanda Ferris and Stephanie Perez, along with Michelle Elizondo. Last year's throws crew accounted for 70 points at the Great West Outdoor Championships.
With only seven ladies returning from the 2009 squad, the women will have to look for leadership from the returning athletes, numerous incoming freshman, and junior college transfers. This season should be an exciting chapter in UTPA track and field history with all of the young, talented athletes.
The men's team returns a solid group of veterans with Great West Conference Champions Wally Gonzalez (800 meters), Omar Doria (1500 meters), and Jameson Strachan (400 meters) at the core. The men are loaded with talent up front and will look for some new legs to step up for support.
On the coaching ranks, the men's and women's team will feature new faces as well. Head Coach Dave Hartman, along with the men's and women's team, is pleased to announce the hiring of assistant coaches Xavier Richardson and Juan Cardenas.
Richardson comes to UTPA from the University of Virginia where he served two years as an assistant coach. During his tenure at UVA, the men captured a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference Outdoor Men's Championship, while tying Florida State - a first-time ever conference championship in UVA history.
In addition, Richardson most recently had his hands in on the development of the, also first-ever, 110-meter hurdles conference champion in Cavalier history, Adams Abdulrazaaq.
After a standout career as a sprinter at UVA, Richardson returned to his alma mater in 2007 to assist their program, which included working with several standout sprinters, jumpers, and hurdlers resulting in numerous school records, All-conference performances, NCAA Regional qualifiers, and a 2008 Olympic Trials finalist.
Cardenas, who was a former middle distance standout at Texas A&M University under the direction of Hartman, will be assisting with the middle and long distance runners. Cardenas enjoyed a successful career at A&M where he racked up several All-Big XII Conference certificates and qualified for the NCAA Regionals in the 1,500-meter run. He was also a member of the school record setting distance medley relay team that clocked a 9:33 to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships.
WOMEN
Sprint/ Hurdles
Spearheading the women's sprints will be returning 2009 Great West Outdoor Conference 200-meter finalist Cecilia Lott. Lott returns for her senior year with the focus of making a greater impact on the conference level and eyeing an NCAA Regional berth.
Sophomore Alexia Frank, having come through the freshman growing pains undaunted, is looking longer and stronger and has impressed in fall workouts.
The sprint crew will also look to some talented freshman to bolster their ranks. Samantha Villarreal was a standout athlete at San Benito High School. She was crowned the District Champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes her freshman, junior, and senior campaigns. During her prep career, Villarreal was a four-time Texas 5A Regional qualifier and one of only three girls in the Rio Grande Valley to crack 25 seconds for the 200.
In addition, first-year competitors Ashlee Lobe (Houston, Texas / Hightower High School) and 2009 400-meter state finalist Destiny Schulze (La Grange, TX / La Grange High School) will add additional fuel to the fire on the speed side of things.
The Lady Broncs hurdles crew also looks to be extremely strong as school record holder Sara Hernandez returns for her junior season. Two talented newcomers, Sylvia Alboniga and Cynthia Velasquez, will also be lining up alongside Hernandez.
Alboniga comes to the Rio Grande Valley from Southern California's Los Angeles Valley College. She was one of the Golden State's best junior college intermediate hurdlers last season. Laredo, Texas native Velasquez assisted the United High School team to three district titles during her high school career. Also on Velasquez's resume is holding the school's record in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.97.
Joining these ladies is returnee Karla Garza for her sophomore stint as she takes on the hurdles.
Mid / Long Distance
The women expect much success in the middle distance events as the Lady Broncs return junior Diana Galloso and add some fresh legs to the group. Galloso finished third in the Great West Conference 1,500 meters last year.
The Lady Broncs will also inherit two junior college transfers from California in Mekka Edwards-White and Shayna Parker.
Edwards-White was the California Community College Athletic Association 800-meter champion the past two seasons for Los Angeles Valley College. She is poised to make an immediate impact for the Lady Broncs with a 2:12.33 clocking in the 800.
Shayna Parker, also from the Los Angeles area, was a standout at West Los Angeles College and will look to make a name for herself at the Great West Conference level.
San Benito High School standout Cinthia Adame joins the program with impressive credentials to her name. She was the 2009 Texas 5A Regional Champion in the 800-meter run with a 2:14 clocking. Adame will look to contend for conference titles in the 800- and 1,500-meters.
In the longer distances, Judith Chumba will look for continued success' following her inaugural fall cross country season. Just a freshman, Chumba was the Lady Broncs top harrier this season earning Second Team All Great West Conference in cross country.
Throws
After being hit hard with graduation, the throws group touts two talented freshmen in Brittany Talamantez and Kelly Eddington. The United High School standout, Talamantez, captured two district titles in the shot put. Eddington was two time Texas 5A Regional qualifier for East Central High School in San Antonio, Texas. Both these young ladies have big shoes to fill and look to continue the strong tradition of throwing events at UTPA.
Jumps
Returning Great West Indoor Championships long jump runner-up, Cecilia Lott, returns to lead the jumpers for UTPA this spring. Lott will be busy this year with her sprinting duties and competing for a conference title in the long jump. The women also return two high jumpers in Melinda Sarmiento and Abigail Garza. Sarmiento was also a Great West Conference runner-up last year in the high jump. The Lady Broncs will be also look to some of the newcomers for support in the horizontal jumping events.
MEN
Sprints
School-record holder and defending indoor 400-meter Great West Champion Jameson Strachan will head the sprinting crew for the upcoming 2010 season. Strachan broke the UTPA school record in the outdoor 400-meters with a 47.28 clocking at the Texas Twilight. Strachan will set his sights on defending his title and qualifying for NCAA competition this season. Stepping up and providing support in the long and short sprints, respectively, will be returnees Eliud Rodriquez and Jonathan Chapa.
Mid / Long Distance
Defending Indoor and Outdoor Great West Conference 800-meter Champion Wally Gonzalez will lead a strong middle distance crew for the Broncs this spring. Gonzalez also qualified for the 2009 NCAA Midwest Regional Championships by capturing the Ohio Valley Conference 800-meter title. Gonzalez looks to make an impact on the NCAA level in the 800- and 1,500-meters this spring and improve on his 1:51 clocking from the previous season.
Along with Gonzalez on the forefront is returning Great West 1,500-meter champion Omar Doria returns, who posted a strong cross country performance this past fall. An Edinburg North High School product, Doria looks to contend for a NCAA Regional bid this upcoming season.
Other strong presences in the middle distances will come from Gilroy Martinez and Andrew Lopez. As a freshman, Lopez made an immediate impact on the Great West Conference level with two third-place finishes in the indoor and outdoor 800-meters.
During his sophomore campaign, Martinez clocked a 1:52 in the 800 and looks to return to that form for his final campaign as a Bronc.
On the long distance front, Angel Ramirez will lead the way. Ramirez is coming off a strong cross country campaign as he earned All-Second Team Great West Conference this past fall. Last spring, Ramirez earned a fourth place finish in the 10,000-meters at the Great West Outdoor Championships. Freshman Frank Garcia will look to make an immediate impact in the longer distance race after coming off a great cross country season as well. As a true freshman, Garcia was the Broncs top runner at the 2009 NCAA South Central Regional Championships in November 2009.
Throws
The throws crew will be led by two experienced veterans in Oscar Barrera and Joe Sciaraffa. Barrera performed exceptionally well during the outdoor season racking up 12 top-10 finishes and a third-place conference finish in the hammer. Sciaraffa had a stellar season in the javelin last year and looks towards the challenge for Great West accolades this spring. In addition to Sciaraffa and Barrera, incoming freshman Chris Tamez, Scott Bann, and Jesus Alvarez look to get their careers off on the right foot here at UTPA.
With preparation for the 2010 season set in place, and a recruiting class of 30, the men's and women's team look for a standout season that will be the starting point of a long tradition at UTPA.
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