It was a big week for UTPA Athletics. Coming off of the emotion packed Feb. 16 homecoming festivities, which included the induction of the UTPA Athletics Hall of Fame and Hall of Honor Class of 2013, a memorial to the late “Father of Broncs Basketball” Sam Williams, the retiring of Luke Jackson’s jersey and a tribute to the 1963 NAIA National Championship team, most of the Broncs teams hit the road for contests with major implications.

One team got to compete not only got to compete at home this week, but give a local product her first opportunity on the court. Roma High School alum Julia Perez, a freshman who walked onto the Broncs women’s tennis team, made her dual season debut in front of her friends and family on Tuesday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. She teamed up with Did Fatchikova at No. 3 for the Broncs’ closest doubles match, a 4-8 loss, and then fell at No. 6 single 3-6, 1-6, but showed the Broncs enough that she got to stay in the lineup on Sunday at Houston. Perez won a career-high four dual games in the second set, but ultimately fell 0-6, 4-6 at No. 6. She also fell with teammate Manon Lavrijssen 1-8 at No. 3 doubles. The Broncs dropped both matches 0-7.

The Broncs had some great success at the Great West Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships, winning six individual titles, including two by local athletes. Senior Mission High School alum Jesus Alvarez won the men’s weight throw while sophomore PSJA Memorial alum Macario Zarate won the men’s 60-meter hurdles. Other winners included sophomore Jasmine Davison in the women’s weight throw, senior Judith Chumba in the women’s mile run, and junior Martin Casse in both the men’s mile run and the men’s 800-meter run.

Broncs men’s basketball had a big week. Following a non-conference loss at UT Arlington on Wednesday, the Broncs endured a travel day that can only truly be recapped by reading this amazing blog on CBSSports.com by head coach Ryan Marks: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/21747197/planes-trains-and-automobiles-a-day-in-the-life-of-a-low-major-program

So an exhausted Broncs squad rolled into Chicago State for a critical Great West Conference game. With a win and a Utah Valley loss, the Broncs would clinch a top three finish and a spot in the Great West Conference Tournament semifinals. And it happened. The Broncs beat Chicago State 55-51 and Houston Baptist beat Utah Valley.

The women’s basketball team only played one game, but it too was a big conference matchup. The Broncs beat Houston Baptist 67-59 to improve to 3-4 in conference play. The Broncs now control their own destiny. If they beat Chicago State in the final game of the season on March 9, they will clinch a top three finish and a spot in the Great West Conference Tournament semifinals.

Broncs baseball had a rough weekend, picking up just one win in three games in their first-ever series at Northwestern State. Sam Street is establishing himself as the Broncs ace, pitching a complete game six-hitter in a 4-1 win on Friday, allowing just an unearned run. Street is now 2-0 with a 0.53 ERA. He has a 3:1 strikeout to walk ratio (9Ks, 3BBs) while giving up just 12 hits, 11 of which have been singles, in 17 innings. Opponents are batting .203 against him.

Coming Up

•Broncs women’s basketball hosts New Orleans in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at the UTPA Fieldhouse. The first 250 fans in attendance receive free popcorn.

•Broncs men’s basketball hosts New Orleans in a non-conference matchup on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the UTPA Fieldhouse. One lucky fan will have the opportunity to win $1,000 dollars, courtesy of Rio Bank. Another lucky fan will win a free oil change, courtesy of RGV All Tune & Lube. The first 250 fans in attendance will receive free popcorn.

•Friday and Saturday will be busy days for tennis. On Friday the men host the University of the Southwest at 10 a.m., the women host St. Mary’s at 2 p.m., and then the men host St. Mary’s at 4 p.m. On Saturday the men host Schreiner at 2 p.m. All matches are played at the Orville Cox Tennis Center and admission is free.

•Broncs baseball visits UTSA on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.

•Broncs men’s golf is at the San Antonio Shootout on Monday and Tuesday.

•Broncs women’s golf is at the Islanders Classic on Monday and Tuesday.

For more information, logon to UTPABroncs.com.