26 minute read
Chasing Pro Dreams
from UTRGV Sports
Sophomore mechanical engineering major Valeria Montero, a Harlingen native is a player for the UTRGV Women’s Tennis Team. Montero began her athletic career during the 2019-2020 season.
Q: What is your favorite part of tennis?
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A: “I’ve been expanding my love for tennis because I’ve been getting a lot more invested into it. And, I think one of the things that I have recently developed as my favorite thing is probably the intensity that goes into it. [I like] how you have to stay focused for, like, this amount of duration for the whole point and then it just kind of ends and you have to restart.”
Q: Who has inspired you to continue playing tennis and why?
A: “I would say three people in my life, for sure. My mom and dad, obviously, [because] they have been my biggest supporters since I was a baby. And, for sure my current coach, [coach West Nott.] He has inspired me a lot.
Q: If you had to sum up your experience with tennis into one word, what would it be and why? A: “I guess it’s definitely a journey. For me, tennis has been a part of my life since I was, like, very young and it’s been, definitely, a lot of ups and downs. [There have been] moments where I’ve just wanted to quit and moments where I’ve been falling in love with it, like right now. So, that’s why it’s
kind of a journey because I just don’t know what to expect, and it just kind of surprises me.”
Q: What is the best thing that has come out of tennis and why?
A: “A lot of good things have come from tennis, obviously, like in the physical view. But like I mentioned before, my area of development, like my strength, now is in my mindset. I think that it’s an awesome tool that I have developed from tennis because it can be applied, let’s say later on, when I’m not as invested into tennis and just to everyday life, like, work or whatever.”
Q: If you could play tennis professionally, would you? Why or why not?
A: “Let’s say, I have, you know, an awesome ability later on and I’m developed, then I would say yeah because, you know, you only have one life. If you don’t try it, then you’re never going to see what you [could] do. So, I feel like I would just regret it if I didn’t.”
Q: What is one of your favorite hobbies besides tennis?
A: “I’m really into, like, creative arts. I like painting and, like, drawing and stuff. I recently just got into, like, photography, and stuff. I got this drone because my coach has one and I’ve been shooting a lot of cool videos.”
Building trust New vision for Track & Field, Cross-Country includes close-knit relationships
by Omar E. Zapata
Newly hired Track & Field and Cross-Country Head Coach Shareese Hicks said it is a dream come true to take charge of the programs.
“I’m extremely excited to be able to lead a program like this in the [Rio Grande Valley],” Hicks told The Rider. “It’s something that, it sounds cliché to say, a dream come true, but it really is, so I’m very energetic and excited for what we’re going to do.”
Coach Hicks spent the previous two seasons at the University of Memphis as an assistant coach whose focus was sprints and hurdles. Before that, she spent five seasons as the Neosho County Community College track and field head coach.
Asked how much her past collegiate coaching experience will help her, she replied, “Big time. It’s very beneficial and extremely helpful in a way that I’m able to use my background and really structure and organize the program for what I think is going to be successful. And then, at the same time, develop student athletes because we want to throw farther, we want to get faster. So, I have that great balance that’s going to help us be successful in the [Western Athletic Conference].” director of Athletics, told The Rider that the program is excited to welcome Hicks.
“She’s seen a lot, done a lot and has certainly experienced a lot, so she’s a great fit for us,” Conque said. “We’re excited to welcome her. She’s highly decorated, there’s not many younger coaches that are already in their hall of fame at their alma mater.”
Hicks was a standout student athlete at the University of North Carolina Charlotte from 2004 to 2007. She was a four-time All-American and has eight shared and individual Charlotte program records. In the fall of 2019, Hicks was honored in a jersey retirement recognition and then inducted
She also ran professionally from 2008 to 2015, competing primarily in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes. She was a 2021 U.S. Olympic trials finalist in the 400-meter dash.
She was a 2021 U.S. Olympic trials finalist in the 400-meter dash.
Conque said Hicks’ track and field experience as a student athlete, professional athlete and coach all contributed to being their No. 1 choice.
“All of those things really built a resume that we were impressed with, and then we got to meet her and spend time with her,” he said.
When Hicks was first hired, Assistant Coach Brad Foote told The Rider the first thing he saw was how great of an athlete she is.
“I just think it’s always good for an athlete to not only be a good coach but someone who has been there, that understands the process to get to that level and then being able, as an athlete, [to say] ‘Yeah, she’s done this and she’s been there,’” Foote said. “It’s [being] able to sell that to your athletes, of no shortcuts and this is kind of how it is.”
Hicks said her background as a former student athlete helps her see where student athletes are coming from.
“At the time, I didn’t realize how helpful it was going to be, but it really is,” she said. “I’ve been able to make relationships from all walks of life, which is important because we’re coaching athletes from all different types of backgrounds. And then, being able to understand how it is, organizing, balancing your academics with your athletics. So, I’m able to provide tools for the student athletes in that aspect, and then, I have wonderful relationships with coaches that have really mentored me and have given me a blueprint on how to be successful in my career.” Taylar Kregness, a junior thrower, told The Rider she is excited about getting a new head coach and that she knew Athletics had nothing but the student athletes’ best interest in mind.
“She’s extremely team-oriented and she has expressed a lot of interest in us, as student athletes, already, involving [Student-Athlete Advisory Committee] and our Black Student Union,” Kregness said. “She really values our goals, whether it’s athletics, our academics, or even our future professional goals. And, so far, the impression that Coach Hicks has made has been phenomenal. She’s just shown so much support and already showed so much pride for the program that we’ve built here as Vaqueros, so it just feels like there’s only one way but up.”
Hicks said she wants the student athletes to know that she has their backs, wants to build that trust with them and get them to all buy into the program.
“Track and field has that misconception that it’s an individual sport, but we really just all need to rely on each other,” she said. “They’re still building that close-knit kind of family and that’s the first thing on the agenda.”
Another priority for Hicks is student athletes’ mental health.
“Just the nature of sport is extremely stressful, and then you add being a student and being an athlete and the home life and all of those things, it’s a recipe for intense stress,” she said. “Our job as coaches is just that, to make sure that not only we provide the tools for you to navigate that, but also just that we’re adding extra support and not adding extra stress.”
Kregness said something that stood out to her was that Hicks was immediately interested in who she is as a person aside from who she is in athletics.
“‘Who do you wanna be, Taylar? What are your goals and stuff?’ And I think that type of mentality, person first before athletics, can be really beneficial,” she said.
Coach Hicks tweeted on Aug. 2, “Today I begin my new journey of leading the men’s and women’s track and field/cross country program at UTRGV. As a black woman in athletics, not only do I understand this monumental moment, but I’m extremely grateful for the shoulders I stand on.”
Asked what being the head coach of the program means to her as a Black woman and other Black women or women of color, she replied, “It just shows that representation matters.”
“I was able to look up to my [athletic director] at UNC Charlotte,” Hicks said. “She was one of the first women to run a Division 1 athletic department, so because of her, I saw that that was possible. And then, later on in my career, I looked at other women of color, Caryl Smith Gilbert, Connie Price, that are taking over programs in the [Southeastern Conference] and things like that, and I see that and I’m like, ‘OK, they kind of have provided that blueprint for that, so it’s not lost on me that this is very big and very important.’ So I take it very seriously and I’m very grateful and humbled at the opportunity.”
Hicks said she wants the program to increase its community service and make sure it has a presence in the Valley.
“Be on the lookout for track and field and cross-country,” she said. “Come out and support us and not only us but all the other sports because the vision is very equal across the board.”
Chasing pro dreams
by Omar E. Zapata
UTRGV junior forward Reshaun Walkes of Ontario, Canada, said he dreams of becoming a professional soccer player and believes playing in the Rio Grande Valley is his first step toward accomplishing that goal.
Walkes said he loves his home but has not visited in a couple of years because he has been chasing his dreams in America. He said his mom always said, “You got to chase your dream. You got to make sacrifices.” And that is what he is trying to achieve in the South Texas heat.
Before transferring to UTRGV in 2020, Walkes tore up the National Junior College Athletic Association at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, Illinois, with 27 goals and 19 assists in 30 games. Walkes said his time at Lewis and Clark prepared him to make the transition to Division 1 soccer at UTRGV.
In his first season with UTRGV, Walkes posted five goals in eight games.
The Rider asked Walkes what he thought about his first season at UTRGV.
“It’s better than what I expected, personally, just because I knew I didn’t know how the game worked, things of that sort,” he replied. “But I felt like the players involved me and got me used to how they play.”
In Walkes’ second season with the Vaqueros, he tallied eight goals and five assists in 13 games. of the team but believes he can do better.
With Walkes averaging a goal or assist per game, UTRGV head coach Bryheem Hancock told The Rider he thinks the forward is one of the best players in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and deserves recognition because of his work ethic on and off the field.
“He works out, works hard every single day,” Hancock said. “Doesn’t take a day off. He hasn’t missed a session. Keeps himself very healthy, takes care of his body, which is also a big part of being on the field and being able to put in extra work. And our team and himself have benefited from that.” He said Walkes is now expected to carry the workload for the team and the winger has accepted that responsibility.
“That’s why he’s doing extra work, so that he’s ready for those moments,” Hancock said. “And I expect him to continue what he’s done all season for us. And not just scoring goals, but … the work he’s putting in defensively.”
Sophomore forward Michael Washington describes Walkes on the field as a player who likes to dribble, is a clinical finisher and assists in any way he can, defensively. Washington said off the field, Walkes is a fun person who communicates with his teammates well and will always try to keep the team positive.
“He’s been talking and he’s been working hard in training,” Washington said. “He knows that he should be getting some extra goals for us and extra assists, and he knows that. And that’s why he’s putting in extra work and training to help us provide for these last three games, because he knows that it’s a must-win.”
Washington, who lived in Canada for a while, said his favorite memories with Walkes were when they were younger and had sleepovers every weekend at Walkes’ house. Hancock describes Walkes as a “family guy” and said it correlates to why he works well with the team on the field.
“He’s around the younger guys just as much as with the upperclassmen, which I think is important,” he said. “Because, you know, for those guys who’ve just gotten here, they’re still trying to get settled with their first semester. So, for him to give them advice on the field and off the field and be there to help them, I think that’s important. That shows family.” Asked what motivates him besides chasing a professional soccer contract, Walkes replied, “I’ve been cut from [the] Toronto [Football Club] pro team when I was younger. The first time it’s ever happened, and I felt I took that the right way instead of the wrong way because I could have just quit right then and there. But, I use it as motivation to get where I am today.”
As of press time Friday, UTRGV sat in seventh place in the WAC standings with a 3-4 conference record. Having to go on the road for the last three games of the season, the Vaqueros must win out to secure a spot in the WAC tournament.
UTRGV was to first face Dixie State University last Friday, then challenge the University of Nevada Las Vegas last Sunday. Scores were not available at press time. Their final match is against the University of the Incarnate Word at 7 p.m. Saturday in San Antonio.
“I feel we have to go to games with the right mindset,” Walkes said. “We can’t lay back and watch. We got to go in from the front foot and lay it on whatever team we play.”
Soccer is part of every aspect of Walkes’ life, from his efforts during practice and games, uplifting his teammates and even on his down time when he plays FIFA video games or watches his favorite team, Arsenal from London. Walkes hopes to take his career to the next level after college.
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UTRGV volleyball player’s energy brings team together
by Omar E. Zapata
At every game, you will find freshman volleyball setter Julia Abramo Rocha screaming her heart out in support of her teammates, giving words of encouragement and doing goofy but energetic celebrations, such as pretending to have a heart attack on the court after the team scores a good point.
Described as being the most energetic person on the court by her head coach and teammate, the São Paulo, Brazil, native finds a way to impact the game on and off the court.
Rocha tries to be her teammates’ No. 1 supporter by cheering them on. “If I’m not playing, I need to be there for my teammates and I want them to feel like I’m playing with them on the court,” she said. “And I want them to feel that if they’re not playing good, I’m here for them. I’m cheering them up, and I’m here for every point of the game.”
Rocha has a variety of celebratory staples in her repertoire, from being lifted in the air like a cheerleader pretending to take a picture of the team, or faking a heart attack and being resuscitated after the team scores a point.
“[My teammates and I] love doing the celebrations because we know that the girls are gonna look at us and they’re gonna be like, ‘Yes, they’re here for us,’” she said.
Volleyball head coach Todd Lowery told the Rider the energy Rocha brings to games, practices and team meetings is crucial to the team culture he is trying to establish this season.
“She was part of, like, really, the reset plan that we had [for this season], you know, just for everybody to buy in from top to bottom and being engaged throughout the match, being engaged in practice, and doing all those things,” Lowery said. When recruiting Rocha, he saw the energy in her and knew she would be
“When she got here, it was just kind of times two of what we were expecting,” Lowery said.
When Rocha met the team, she thought her high energy and happy personality would be an issue, but that was not the case.
“They love it,” she said. “They always say that if Julia’s down, the whole team is down. … And, if Julia’s not smiling, something’s really wrong.” The fans also notice Rocha’s energy. She said people comment on her Instagram, saying things such as “I love your energy” and “Your energy makes people feel happy around you.”
Lowery said the genuine support that she gives to the team is infectious and has spread to the whole team.
Asked how much Rocha’s energy at games helps the team, he replied, “It’s huge, especially when we go on the road. Of course, it’s easy to get the crowd behind us here at home and I think she’s a part of what draws the crowd into the match as well. … So it gets noticed, but on the road that becomes so important, because it’s just our little group in somebody else’s gym and how the team can feel their support.”
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues, sophomore right side hitter, said she loves Rocha’s energy and has had the same energy since meeting her on day one, when they had a team dinner at Lowery’s house.
“Every time I look at her, she’s cheering me up,” Rodrigues said. “We have our own handshake, so every time I come out [of the game] to the handshake, and she always has, like, something to tell me, so it makes me, like, really confident.”
Lowery said another way he would describe Rocha’s energy is being a kid at heart.
“They’re still college kids at the end of the day,” he said. “And this has to be some of the best experiences of their lives, and I think sometimes they get too caught up and stuff and they’re like, ‘I’m too cool to have fun,’ you know, and that’s what makes Julia so much fun.” Lowery said Rocha is a kid at heart. Her teammates nicknamed her “Dinosaur” because she’s always roaring. “Yeah, you know, she was always, like, acting like she was a dinosaur,” Lowery said. “You know, one of my kids had this dinosaur mask that they’ve had, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I gotta give this to her. And we saved it, kind of, for that big moment. And we gave it to her on game day, before the first match, and she came out that morning, wearing the dinosaur mask, just literally walking around the gym like a velociraptor.”
Rocha said at the beginning of the season, the team’s connection was not great but by being engaged and bringing energy to games, practices, the weight room and outside of school, the team has formed a connection.
“If we have a good connection, like friendshipwise, we can, like, go really good at the conference and we’re doing great just now,” she said. “And, if we keep playing like that together, it’s gonna be great.”
The Vaqueras’ record was 12-6 as of press time Friday. The team will be on the road for its next six games before coming home to face Lamar University at 2 p.m. Nov. 6 at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg.
The Art of Shooting a 3-pointer
by Angel De La Cruz
UTRGV’s The Rider took on a mission this week to better help students understand the art of shooting a 3-point shot.
As stated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association website, NCAA.org, the new 3-point line for men is at the international basketball distance of 22 feet, 1 ¾ inches.
However, for women the 3-point arc sits at 20 feet, 9 inches.
Redshirt junior guard Amara Graham explained some of the challenges athletes face when it comes to shooting a 3-pointer.
“One challenge I always say is, I mean, on a pass out from the middle going out to the 3-point line is always gonna be players running out at you,” Graham said. “So, I mean if you feel like they’re closer to you, you might not be able to get the shot off just because you think they might be able to block it. So, at that point you might have to pump fake and take a side step. That’s an even harder 3-point shot coming off on one dribble. So, I think that’s a challenge, the defense running out at you to defend a 3-point shot.” Nevertheless, she was able to provide The Rider with some tips on how to properly convert a 3-point shot from that distance.
“A 3-point shot in a game of basketball for women’s right now is a 20 feet, 9 inches shot away from the basket,” Graham said. “It’s a jump shot. Again, both feet have to be behind the line. It’s a little harder just ’cause of the length away.” distance might affect the shot.
“It might be a little harder to make just because it’s further, but I think since it’s further [it] also spaces out the court. So, a defense would have to either, if they stay on, I think it’s a little easier shot actually, because you might get it off quicker than a layup usually ’cause there’s defense on you already.”
The Rider asked how Graham would explain that answer for someone who is just beginning to play basketball.
“It all starts with your form,” Graham replied. “That’s any shot on the court. I also think, if you’re just starting, then you should probably start in a little closer, just because, again, being that far from the basket is gonna be harder to get it in the target. So, I think if you perfect your closer shots first, I think the 3-point line, once you are able to move back … [it is] easier for you to shoot it.”
UTRGV Men’s Basketball Head Coach Lew Hill understands the importance of scoring a 3-pointer. “We like to shoot threes,” Hill said. “We work on threes. That’s part of our culture. That’s part of our DNA and that’s what we wanna do. A game we try to shoot 35 percent and above and just play freely.”
The Rider finished with its mission asking Graham about any specific 3-point shots she remembers throughout her trajectory as a basketball athlete.
“Yeah, one of our home games this year the shot clock was running down,” Graham replied. “It’s, like, three on the shot clock and I get a pass out from the middle of the key, but all the way out and I’m like at the volleyball line on our court and I had to shoot it. I mean, it went in, I don’t know, but it was a pretty far shot. I remember that one.”
She said how the game of basketball is changing.
Untied Hair and Goals
By Omar E. Zapata
when junior forward EmilyZapata broke the UTRGV Women’s Soccer Team record in career goals, she fulfilled a promise she made to her family. Her mom called afterward, crying tears of joy at the accomplishment.
Zapata became the program leader for career goals with 29 on Sept. 15 after scoring two goals against Our Lady of the Lake University.
After the first goal, she made a heart symbol toward the camera for her family, who were supporting Zapata from her hometown.
Early Soccer Career
Zapata was born in Laredo and is the daughter of a Salvadorian mother and a Mexican father. She said almost all of her family live in the bordertown and always help each other out.
Her dad, Romualdo Zapata, a passionate soccer player and fan, always wanted his children to share the same enthusiasm for the game.
“My dad started training me when I was 3 years old and from there, I just liked soccer and I continued with soccer,” Zapata said.
When she was a child, Zapata would play games with her hair untied, she said. She continues that habit and can be recognized on the field by her long, black untied hair.
She said her dad is proud that she is playing Division 1 and aspires for her to play professionally.
“He expects more from me every game I play,” Zapata said. “There’s always something more I can give and he knows it.”
Before breaking records at UTRGV, she garnered 238 goals at United South High School and won multiple awards throughout her career there.
“It feels good to leave high school with a record like that, but I can’t say it was all me,” Zapata said. She credits the help from her sisters, father and family support that contributed to her early development in high school. Zapata said she never thought she would play Division 1 soccer because she wanted to be close to home. Glad Bugariu, UTRGV Women’s Soccer head coach, told The Rider that he had been scouting Zapata since she was a junior in high school.
“We knew right away she’d be a special player. There was no doubt,” Bugariu said. “She’s certainly a Division 1 player. We knew that from the first moment we saw her. So, you know, proven right, because she has been the leader in goals for the team every single year since she’s been here.”
Zapata said Bugariu was the only head coach that came to personally scout her and he said he had to fight off professional Mexican teams that wanted to sign her.
“It made no sense for her to do that at her age,” Bugariu said. “She can always go to Mexico. … I think it was important for her to play Division 1 soccer, get exposure, get a college education and then she can always continue her career after that.”
UTRGV Career
When Zapata arrived at UTRGV in 2018, she said, “No manches” at how well her college teammates’ level of play was and thought she would never break any records but told herself she was going to give it all her “ganas.”
Junior forward Shentatious Knox told The Rider that when she transferred from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in 2018, a lot of girls on the team talked about how great a shooter Zapata is.
“I hadn’t really got to see her play it and then when she did play, she just goes out there and she plays very fearless,” Knox said. “Like, she doesn’t really care. She’ll shoot from anywhere on the field and it’ll carry in.”
Zapata would go on to a program season record of 11 goals and one assist in 2018.
Proud and happy is what she felt after her freshman season, she said. A player who helped Zapata become the shooter she is today is previous career-record-holder Sarah Bonney, who played for UTRGV from 2016 to 2019.
Zapata said she has a lot of respect and appreciation for Bonney for showing and teaching her various things that helped elevate her game.
“She would always tell me that if I had a one-v.-one situation that I should go for it and that’s how I get some of my goals,” she said.
Bugariu said with her tremendous talent, Zapata had to learn how to be a known entity.
“Since nobody really knew her freshman year coming out of Laredo, it made scoring a bit easier, but the following seasons have seen teams mark her tighter, thus giving her less space to work with,” he said. “So, she’s learned how to deal with that and still become the leading goal scorer of the team each year.”
Fast forward three years, Zapata said becoming the program leader for career goals is something that she strived for and feels happy knowing she accomplished and kept her promise to her family.
“They always knew I could break it,” she said.
Knox said she would describe Zapata now as fearless, a force and graceful.
“The way that she just dribbles around people, she makes it look very easy,” she said.
Zapata admitted she hasn’t had the best start this season. However, she was confident going into the game against Our Lady of the Lake University and felt she was going to get a goal and break the record.
“My mom called me crying. She was very happy,” Zapata said. “She said, ‘We’re always going to be supporting you. No matter where you are, we will always support you.’”
She said her next goal is to win the Western Athletic Conference this year.
“I want to get a [championship] ring. I want to win the WAC,” Zapata said. “I think it’s something all the girls have dreamed about and want.”
