2012 Track Medie Guide (pdf file) - Texas A&M Kingsville

Texas A&M-Kingsville
Track & Field
year.
A native of Detroit, Texas, Stewardson enters her second year with the Javelina track and cross
country programs. During the cross country season she coached only the second All-American in the
program’s history in Kiya Dandena.
In her first year with the Javelinas, she helped guide a young women’s cross country team to an
eight place finish in the Lone Star Conference. She helped Dandena earn first team all-LSC and all-region
honors in cross country and first team all-LSC honors in track.
Stewardson did graduate course work at Adams (Colo.) State and has been named an emerging
junior elite coach by the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Track and Field. She has worked at the
University of Oregon and Francie Larrieu-Smith camps.
Stewardson was a volunteer men’s and women’s cross country coach at Harvard in 2007, was
head men’s cross country and track and field coach at Colby (Kan.) Community College in 2008 and was
the men’s and women’s distance coach at Neosha County (Kan.) Community College in 2009.
She was a three-year letterwinner at the University of Texas where she received her bachelor’s
degree and she received her master’s degree from Harvard. She attended Texas A&M her freshman
In addition to participating in track and cross country for the Longhorns, Stewardson was on the powerlifting squad that
placed third in the nation while she finished fifth individually.
Harold Nair is in his third year with the Javelina track and field program. He was a multi-event athlete
for the Javelinas for two years before joining the coaching staff.
Nair works extensively with the jumpers, vaulters and multi-event athletes and has success in his
short time with the program. In 2010, high jumper Trent Hesseltine and long jumper Connell Davis each
won the Lone Star Conference title with the help of his tutelage. He had had a pair of female pole vaulters
get second and third place at the LSC Championships in 2010 and 2011. In 2011, he guided Samantha
Alvarez to a national runner-up finish in the high jump.
A native of Fiji, Nair holds numerous national records and finished third in the decathlon at the
2007 South Pacific Games. Prior to coming to Texas A&M-Kingsville, he competed in the decathlon at
Mt. Sac Junior College where he finished third in the California Junior College State Championship.
Nair earned a degree in Kinesiology/Pre-Physical Therapy from Texas A&M-Kingsville and is currently
pursuing a Master’s degree in Kinesiology/Exercise Science.
Anthony Ayala, a four-year member of the Javelina track & field program, is in his third year working
with the team.
Ayala was a graduate assistant coach for the Javelinas for two years before working at Orange
Grove High School for one year and returns back to Kingsville after the year away. He completed his
USATF Level I certification in December of 2008.
During his first two years with the Hoggies, Ayala was an outstanding recruiter and worked extensively
with the sprinters and hurdlers. He helped Sergio Rios win the 2010 Lone Star Conference title in
the 400-meter hurdles.
As a Javelina student-athlete, he medaled three different years at the LSC Championships in the
400-meter hurdles. His best finish was his senior year when he took sixth place in a time of 55.69. His
best performance in his career came when he clocked a 54.60 in the 400 hurdles at the 2007 LSC Championships.
He was a part of two medal winning 4x400-meter relay teams. The 2007 team finished in
second place at the conference meet in a time of 3:18.67. He was named to the LSC All-Academic Team
in 2007. He received a degree and in Kinesiology from Texas A&M-Kingsville in 2008.
Olivia Raya is in her first year as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M-Kingsville. She will work exclusively
with the throwers.
Raya comes to the Javelinas from UNLV where she graduated with a degree in University Studies
with a focus on Kinesiology and Physical Education. She was a four-time All-Mountain West Conference
Academic Team member. She broke the school record in the hammer throw in 2009 with a toss of 174-
9.
Raya is originally from Orange, CA and is pursuing a degree in Kinesiology with a focus on Athletic
Administration. She is a certified American College of Sports Medicine Personal Fitness Trainer.
44 2011 2012 Javelina Javelina Softball Track Media & FieldGuide