UTRGV squads strive for conference

The hopes are high this year for the UTRGV Men’s Tennis Team going into the WAC Tournament Friday.

With a record of 10-12, the men are battling it out and making improvements to earn a spot in the championship.

Last season, they finished with an overall record of 5-21.

Head Coach Dann Nelson said there are a few adjustments left to be made.

“… Being able to grind … putting a lot of balls into play,” Nelson said. “We are working on consistency at the moment and we’ll be ready. We’ll definitely be ready.”

Senior Elliot Johnstone said he wants to make the best of the season.

“Being a senior, it could be my last match,” Johnstone said. “I’m just gonna put everything into it and try to go as far into the tournament as we can and see what happens.”

Gaining four new recruits last fall, the Vaqueros are working hard to make any necessary changes.

“We’re gonna work hard and if we play hard and we play good, we can win the conference,” said communication junior Yehonatan Kaufman. “We need to believe in ourselves and each teammate and believe in each other that we can win every match. … If we’re not gonna believe it, we’re not gonna win.”

The team will compete against Seattle University to begin the WAC Tournament on Friday in Phoenix, Arizona.

“They are all very enthusiastic when they’re on the court and that helps our team,” the head coach said.

Women’s Tennis

UTRGV Women’s Tennis Team swung this season with a positive approach and is ready for the WAC Tournament on Saturday, also in Phoenix. 

The Vaqueras are 13-8 and stronger than ever before.

Head Coach Sonia Hahn said they’re ready to go this time.

“At this point of the season, it’s not so much of improvement, it’s more of polishing and just being precise,” Hahn said. “They’ve put all the work in in the fall and earlier this spring, and they’ve been playing well all season and now, it’s just maintaining and tweaking a few specific things.”

Last year’s 4-16 record is something the team wants to leave behind.

“The lack of belief that they’ve had in the past, I think that’s something that they’ve overcome this past year and I think the results speak for themselves,” the coach said. “… They’ve really improved.”

Their unity has definitely brought them what they needed.

“They’ve been playing so hard as a team and they play hard for each other,” Hahn said. “… They represent more than just themselves and I think that has brought them together and that’s why they’ve been successful.”

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Men’s Golf

The UTRGV Men’s Golf Team will compete starting today for the WAC Championship title in Hutchinson, Kansas. 

Head Coach Philip Tate is preparing his players for the battle.

“We’re pretty much set,” Tate said. “We’re ready to go. We just have a few little things we can do to tidy up before the WAC conference championship, but we really are all set.”

Junior Pedro Lamadrid said he strives to play his best.

“I think we need to believe in ourselves more and just trust the process,” Lamadrid said. “… During the semester, our main target was to win a tournament. … We did it. … Now, after we know what it feels to win, we just need to stay hungry and bring the tournament home.”

The Vaqueros have finished at the top spot twice this season: at the Atchafalaya Intercollegiate Championship held in February in Morgan, Louisiana, and at last month’s Big Texan Invitational in Kerrville.

They placed second among 10 teams at the Bearkat Invitational at Walden Golf & Country Club in Huntsville.

“Winning tournaments is what keeps us motivated every day and what we work for every day,” said marketing sophomore Luca Portelli. “We want to play our game and we want to win.”

Tate said, “I think our desire is our greatest strength, I think that what we have is a lot of internal strength.”

Track and Field

With only one meet until conference, the UTRGV Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams are pushing to make this season memorable.

Head Coach Darren Flowers said he is proud of both teams.

“The mindset going in was just to not try to move too fast, take things slow and try to build this thing the right way,” Flowers said. “… As far as the student athletes here, currently, they’ve made some great strides. They’ve bought into what we’re doing here and they’ve really taken some accountability.”

Communication senior JoVanna Jones said mental toughness plays a big role for her as her injuries play a factor in her performance.

“It’s a lot of mental strength to get out here and keep on practicing, as it hurts a lot,” Jones said. “… This is my fastest season that I’ve run. … I’ve definitely been pushing through that.”

The WAC Outdoor Championships will take place from May 9 to 12 in Sacramento, California.

“I’m faster than I’ve ever been, closer to God than I’ve ever been,” said exercise science junior Idantonye Cheetham-West.

Cheetham-West said she’s only trying to focus on things that she can control.

“I’m trying to be more coachable … taking requests from my coaches and compete all the time,” she said.

Flowers said the team wants to take it forward and the goal is to stay on that.

“Typically, at this time of the season, you want to start to see your kids sharpen up and basically see the fruits of your labor, see all the work you put into, and really start to see some of those performances rise to the top,” he said.