UTRGV Women Claim Third at Southland Championships
The team secured a third-place finish, led by N Vanee Anchike's 10th-place performance at the conference meet.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Track & Field
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The UTRGV women's cross country team earned a third-place finish at the Southland Conference Championships held in Lake Charles. Junior N Vanee Anchike secured second team all-conference honors after placing 10th overall.
Why it matters
The result highlights the competitiveness of the UTRGV program within the conference field. The team's performance sets a baseline for their upcoming postseason competition.
The UTRGV women's squad finished with 116 points at the Enos Derbonne Multi-Sport Complex. Individual scoring for the team included performances from Anchike, De Leon, Salazar, Picazo, and Surita.
The players
N Vanee Anchike
She is a junior distance runner for UTRGV who earned second team all-conference honors at the 2026 championship.
UTRGV
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a public university that competes in NCAA Division I athletics.
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin State University is a public institution that operates a competitive cross country program within the Southland Conference.
The details
N Vanee Anchike completed the 6K course in 20:59.45 to lead the Edinburg-based university to its third-place standing. Stephen F. Austin captured the team title with 32 points, while the UTRGV men's team placed seventh with 250 points.
Timeline
The Southland Conference Championships were held on October 24, 2026.
The NCAA South Central Regional meet is scheduled for November 13, 2026.
Season Trajectory
This race result provides a qualifying benchmark for the NCAA South Central Regional in Bryan-College Station. The team's performance marks their final preparation stage before entering the NCAA South Central Regional.
Anchike's 10th-place finish confirms her status as a top scorer for the UTRGV rotation heading into the postseason. The third-place team result places the university behind winner Stephen F. Austin and runner-up Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the final standings.
The takeaway
Consistent performance in 6K events is critical for building team points in championship settings. Student-athletes can monitor regional qualifying trends to see how individual times compare against the broader conference field.
What happens next
UTRGV will compete in the NCAA South Central Regional on November 13, 2026, in Bryan-College Station.
Further reading
For more updates on regional athletic standings, visit Track & Field.
Source note: This article includes information reported by UTRGV Athletics.
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