UTRGV women’s cross country entered 2026 with something to build on. The Vaqueros finished third at the Southland Conference Championships last fall, their best conference finish in 15 years, and were picked third again in this year’s preseason poll. Then came the season opener. Kailey Salazar and Mia Picazo immediately gave us something to talk about. Salazar produced one of the fastest 5Ks in program history, while Picazo made a significant jump from where she started last