To those who follow UTSA athletics, it is clear that the women are doing the heavy lifting this spring, consistently breaking records and delivering strong performances across their respective sports.
Women’s basketball has won all but one of its matches since the start of 2025 and possesses the top record in the American Athletic Conference. Women’s tennis is undefeated this season, with a 12-0 record. Softball’s year is off to a great start, with an all-time five-win streak at the UTSA Invitational earlier this month. UTSA’s women’s track athletes have also broken records multiple times this season.
Women’s Basketball
The women’s basketball team is undefeated at home and has an overall record of 22-3. Head coach Karen Aston completely turned around the program after stepping into the role in 2021 and was named the 2025 Kathy Delaney Smith Coach of the Year in recognition of her achievements of the team. The women’s basketball team’s improvement is evident in their transformation from a 13-19 record in the 2022-23 season to their current success. They are currently on a five game winning streak, most recently beating Memphis on Saturday.
Senior Jordyn Jenkins has been in the spotlight recently over speculation that she will go pro after graduation. She is the AAC’s lead scorer at 18.5 points per game, the highest on the team, and has received numerous accolades, including five AAC player of the week awards, three AAC Honorable Mentions and an AP Honorable Mention. The sheer number of laurels laid at her feet demonstrates both her and the program’s excellence. Sophomore Idara Udo also received an AAC Honorable Mention and no doubt has a bright future ahead of her, an exciting prospect for the future of women’s basketball. Graduate student Nina de Leon Negron was also awarded AAC player of the week and reached 1,000 career points this season, a boon for both her and UTSA.
Women’s Tennis
The women’s tennis team is on a roll this season and could have been ranked last year had they not lost 4-3 to Tarleton State in the 2023 season. They have since redeemed themselves, beating Tarleton 4-3 last Saturday and winning again the next day against Houston. Head coach Ki Kroll has been with the team since 2018 and is having his best season with UTSA this year. The team’s 2023-24 season had the third-most wins in program history, and it’s looking like this one will be even better for the Roadrunners.
Sophomores Ekua Youri and Vittoria Baccino have stood out this season. Youri has only dropped one singles and doubles match this season and Baccino won both her third sets last weekend, fueling the team’s two wins. UTSA produces top-notch athletes that make a team unstoppable once they get together, bringing acclaim to the university and ensuring a bright future for both themselves and the program.
Women’s tennis has been thriving for quite a few seasons now, and there is no sign of a decline. Roadrunner fans have many years of exciting plays and record-breaking victories to look forward to.
Softball
The softball team was ranked ninth by the AAC’s Preseason Softball Coaches Poll earlier this year and started their year with a great performance at the UTSA Invitational. After a less-than-ideal 2024 season, it is good to see the team kick off the 2025 season with such success. It is coach Vann Stuedeman’s second season with the team, and while it takes time for a coach to implement changes in and grow with a team, already there are returns on the work she and her players put into improving.
There are still a lot of tournaments to go to truly gauge how their season will end, but there is no reason why they should not end as victorious as they started. Their resilience has not gone unnoticed, with renowned ESPN broadcasting duo Alex Loeb and Cat Osterman joining the Roadrunners on their home games this season as the commentary team. That kind of attention is exactly what a team needs to gain confidence and be reassured that things are, as Stuedeman put, “headed in a good direction.”
Track
UTSA’s Track team is filled to the brim with talent in both the men and women’s categories, but it is the women who are standing out particularly so far this year. Last week’s meet saw achievements that beat UTSA’s own recordbooks.
Shadae Findley ran the 400 meter race in 53.29 seconds and came in first place, a position also achieved by Selma Ims as she ran through her 60 meter hurdles in 8.41 seconds. Together alongside Ibiso David-West and Ida Breigan, they ran the 4×400 meter relay race in 3.39 minutes and took first place in that as well. Both as individual athletes and as teammates, UTSA’s runners have what it takes to take those gold medals home.
Sophomore Mia Lien came in first place in high jumps with a distance of 1.81 meters and finished second in the pentathlon competition, showcasing the strength and diversity of her skills. Two other second place finishers from UTSA were Nyaluet Diew in shot put for launching the ball 15.87 meters and Rachela Pace in the triple jump after achieving a distance of 13.02 meters. Seeing so many women in the list of top-scorers in UTSA track & field history is awe-inspiring and speaks well of the kind of talent that the university draws in and can foster.
Women’s sports teams are delivering outstanding results across the board this spring and the season has just started. Roadrunner fans have much to look forward to– in whatever sport they like!
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