Two more UTRGV Track & Field program records fall on final day of Texas Tech Open
LUBBOCK – Senior Juarez Lincoln-alum Yariel Matute broke the program record for the men’s 200-meter dash and then was part of a program-record breaking 4×400-meter relay team to lead The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) indoor track & field sprinters during the final day of the Texas Tech Open on Saturday at the Sports Performance Center.
UTRGV has now broken six individual program records this season.
Matute finished the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.56 seconds, breaking the five-year old record of 21.71 previously held by Dijan Johnson.
Later in the day, Matute teamed up with junior Carlos Serna-Hernandez, freshman Mariano Hernandez, and freshman Brownsville Veterans Memorial-alum Max Carmona to run the 4×400 in a time of 3:15.11, breaking the three-year old program record of 3:16.09 set by Matute, Anthony Magallon, File Patiño and Trevion Williams.
On the women’s side, UTRGV recorded three of the top six 200-meter dash performances in program history. Junior Ashley Hughes finished with a time of 24.81 seconds, the third-best time in program history. Senior Idatonye Cheetham-West finished in 25.00 seconds, the fourth-best time in program history. Senior Destiny Rutherford finished in 25.50 seconds, the sixth-fastest time in program history.
In the 4×400-meter relay, senior PSJA alum Valerie King Mancha, Hughes, freshman Port Isabel alum Natalie Garza, and Rutherford combined for a time of 3:51.33, the second-fastest in program history.
UTRGV is back in action on Friday, with much of the squad competing at Houston’s Howie Ryan Invitational while a separate group of student-athletes will travel to Washington for the first day of the two-day Husky Classic.
UTRGV Results
Men’s 200-Meter Dash
6. Yariel Matute, 21.56
•Program Record
49. Mariano Hernandez, 22.96
54. Yashawn Hamilton, 22.03
Women’s 200-Meter Dash
9. Ashley Hughes, 24.81
•Third-fastest time in program history
14. Idatonye Cheetham-West, 25.00
•Fourth-fastest time in program history
28. Destiny Rutherford, 25.50
•Sixth-fastest time in program history
39. Elizabeth Ortiz, 26.08
40. Valerie King Mancha, 26.13
61. Eleanor Arndt, 27.43
Men’s 4×400-Meter Relay
4. Carlos Serna-Hernandez, Yariel Matute, Mariano Hernandez, Max Carmona, 3:15.11
•Program Record
Women’s 4×400-Meter Relay
6. Valerie King Mancha, Ashley Hughes, Natalie Garza, Destiny Rutherford, 3:51.33
•Second-fastest time in program history
Men’s 800-Meter Run
18. Max Carmona, 1:56.54
