May 28, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
UPCOMING
A record-setting 19 athletes and one relay team will represent the University of New Mexico on Friday and Saturday at the NCAA Midwest Regional Track and Field Championships in Norman, Okla. New Mexico’s previous best number of regional qualifiers was 16 in 2003. The Lobos have six competitors ranked among the top five in their respective events, including top-seeded seniors Katie Coronado (javelin) and Lee Emanuel (1,500 meters). The action begins each day at Oklahoma’s John Jacobs Track and Field Complex at 1:30 p.m. Mountain Time.
Athletes who finish among the top five in each event are guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, while a top-12 effort makes them eligible for an at-large bid, which is awarded based on the best mark/time of the season. The 10,000 meters and multi-event competitoins are not contested at the regional level. Bids for those events are based on top times/markes from the regular season. The 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships will be held in Fayetteville, Ark., June 10-13.
NCAA MIDWEST CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS/INFORMATION/HISTORY
NCAA Midwest Championships Central: Schedule, results, standings, facility/lodging information, weather updates, etc. will be available on the official website of the University of Oklahoma: http://www.soonersportsmedia.com/ncaa/championship.html
Lobos In Action On Friday (all times Mountain):
1:30 p.m. Men’s Javelin Finals – Sr. Anthony Fairbanks
2 p.m. Women’s Pole Vault Finals – Sr. Whitney Johnson
2:45 p.m. Men’s 4x100m Prelims – T. Trujillo, J. Solomon, P. Reid, J. McQueen
3:20 p.m. Men’s 1,500m Prelims – Sr. Lee Emanuel, Fr. Ross Millington, Jr. David Bishop
4 p.m. Men’s Long Jump Finals – Sr. Domnick Meadows
4:40 p.m. Men’s 100m Prelims – Sr. Jermaine McQueen
5:20 p.m. Men’s 400m Prelims – Sr. Jarrin Solomon
6:20 p.m. Women’s 400m Hurdles Prelims – Jr. Kim Perkins
7:20 p.m. Men’s 200m Prelims – Sr. Jermaine McQueen
7:40 p.m. Women’s 5,000m Finals – Jr. M. Corrigan, Jr. N. Archer
8 p.m. Men’s 5,000m Finals – Jr. R. Fraser, Jr. C. Barnicle, Jr. J. Kirwa, Sr. M. Ashton
Lobos In Action On Saturday (all times Mountain):
1:30 p.m. Women’s Javelin Finals – Sr. Katie Coronado
4 p.m. Men’s Triple Jump Finals – Fr. Ty Kirk
4:10 p.m. Men’s 4x100m Finals (if qualified)
4:20 p.m. Women’s 1,500m Finals – Jr. Ashley Gibson
4:30 p.m. Men’s 1,500m Finals (if qualified)
5:10 p.m. Men’s 100m Finals (if qualified)
5:20 p.m. Men’s 100m Finals (if qualified)
5:40 p.m. Women’s 400m Hurdles Finals (if qualified)
6:05 p.m. Men’s 200m Finals (if qualified)
6:40 p.m. Men’s 3,000m Steeplechase Finals – So. Alex Willis
Teams Competing: All Division I programs in the states of New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota that have athletes qualified.
Norman Weather Report: As of Thursday, May 28 the forecast for Norman predicts sunny and hot weather with no chance of rain. Friday’s forecast is for a high of 89, gentle breeze, and 41% humidity. Saturday calls for a high of 92, light breeze, and 48% humidity.
Last Year at the NCAA Midwest Region Championships: The University of New Mexico was represented by what was then a school record-tying 13 individuals (8 women, 5 men) in 16 events at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in Lincoln, Neb. After a tough opening day of competition New Mexico reversed its fortunes on day two.
Junior Katie Coronado became the first UNM woman to win a regional title, capturing the javelin with a throw of 178′ 7″ (54.43m), and senior Tiyana Peters secured her place in the NCAA Championship field with a dramatic fifth place finish (5′ 10 1/2″ – 1.81m) in the high jump tie-breaker. Senior Robert Caldwell (9th) and junior Lee Emanuel (7th), meanwhile, wrapped up at-large bids in the pole vault and 1,500 meters, respectively. Senior Ariel Burr closed her memorable outdoor career with a sixth place finish in the women’s 400m. Burr clocked a season-best 53.49 – just 0.08 seconds shy of an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.
The New Mexico women finished a program-best 15th in the overall standings, scoring 16 points. It was the second straight top-20 finish and double-digit point total for the women at the NCAA Midwest Region Championships. UNM had scored a combined 9.5 points in its first four years of regional competition. The men, meanwhile, finished tied for 28th with two points.
2008 All-Midwest Region Honorees:
Men (1)
Jr. Lee Emanuel (1,500)
Women (3)
Sr. Ariel Burr (400); Jr. Katie Coronado (Jav.); Sr. Tiyana Peters (HJ)
BOLD indicates Midwest Regional champion
SCOUTING THE LOBOS’ REGIONAL QUALIFIERS
Senior Katie Coronado Ą Javelin Ą Ruidoso, N.M.
Ranked No. 1 in the Midwest and No. 4 nationally
Broke her own school record with a throw of 181′ (55.18m) on April 4 in Austin, Texas
Defending Midwest champion, winning with a throw of 178′ 7″ last year in Lincoln, Neb.
Four-time regional qualifier, earning all-region honors each of her previous three trips
2007 and 2008 NCAA Championships qualifier…NCAA silver medalist last year
Won her third straight Mountain West Conference title on May 16
MWC Most Outstanding Performance Award winner in 2008 and 2009
Senior Lee Emanuel Ą 1,500m Ą Hastings, England
Ranked No. 1 in the Midwest and No. 2 nationally
Has run under 3:38 in both 1,500 races this year, including a school record 3:37.25 on May 2 at Stanford
Is one of six men in Division I to run sub-3:40 in the 1,500 this spring
One of three Lobos in the men’s 1,500 field – more than any other school
2009 NCAA Indoor champion in the mile
UNM indoor record holder in the 800m, mile, and 3,000m
Earned all-region honors with a seventh place finish in his regional debut last year
16th in the 2008 NCAA 1,500m semifinals
Also qualified in the 800m (scratched) with a top time of 1:49.21 (altitude adjusted)
Junior Rory Fraser Ą 5,000m Ą Leicester, England
Ranked No. 3 in the Midwest and has the 12th-best time nationally
Top time of 13:39.85 on April 17 at Mt. SAC Relays
One of four Lobos in the Midwest 5K race – only Oklahoma State has more (6)
Also qualified, but scratched in the 1,500m with a top time of 3:46.09
Finished 11th in the 5,000 at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championships
First year of Division I competition
Senior Jarrin Solomon Ą 400m Ą Albuquerque, N.M.
Ranked No. 4 in the Midwest and has the 15th-best time nationally
Career-best 45.89 (altitude adjusted) to win the MWC title by 1.38 seconds on May 17
Earned 2009 MWC Men’s Most Outstanding Performance Award
One of six men in the Midwest field with seed times under 46 seconds
Will also run a leg on the Lobos’ regional qualifying 4×100 relay team
Finished fifth to earn All-America honors at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championships
UNM indoor record holder in the 400m…No. 2 all-time outdoors
Fourth appearance at the Midwest Regional Championships
Earned all-region honors and trip to NCAAs with fifth place finish in 2007
17th at the 2007 NCAA Championships…missed the semifinals by one-hundredth of a second
Redshirted the 2008 indoor/outdoor seasons
Member of the Trinidad & Tobago national team (dual-citizenship)
Split 44.86 on April 25 to lead T&T in the “USA vs. The World” race at the Penn Relays
Senior Anthony Fairbanks Ą Javelin Ą Albuquerque, N.M.
Ranked No. 4 in the Midwest and No. 21 nationally
Season-best throw of 223′ 7″ (68.15m) to claim MWC silver medal on May 16
Over 220 feet three times in his career with a career-best 224′ 11″ early in 2008
Four-time regional qualifier and two-time all-region honoree (7th in `06 & `07)
Finished 21st last year (190′ 3″) after entering as the No. 3 seed (16th nationally)
Has never advanced to the NCAA Championships
Junior Ashley Gibson Ą 1,500m Ą Loughborough, England
Ranked No. 4 in the Midwest and has the 58th-best time nationally
Lobos’ first regional qualifier in the women’s 1,500
Top time of 4:23.96 on April 17 at the Mt. SAC Relays
MWC bronze medalist in the 1,500m on May 16
UNM indoor record holder in the mile
First year of Division I competition
Freshman Ross Millington Ą 1,500m Ą Stockport, England
Ranked No. 6 in the Midwest and has the 55th-best time nationally
Top time of 3:45.04 on April 17 at the Mt. SAC Relays
One of three Lobos in the men’s 1,500 field – more than any other school
First Lobo freshman since 2005 to qualify for regionals in a men’s distance event
Junior Michelle Corrigan Ą 5,000m Ą Green Bay, Wisc.
Ranked No. 7 in the Midwest and has the 62nd-best time nationally
Career and season-best time of 16:29.26 on May 2 at Stanford
Also ranks No. 23 in the 10,000m with career-best 34:12.31 on April 16 at Mt. SAC
MWC runner-up in the 10K on May 15
Making NCAA regional debut…redshirted 2008 outdoor season
UNM indoor record holder in the 5,000m
Junior Kim Perkins Ą 400m Hurdles Ą Clovis, N.M.
Ranked No. 7 in the Midwest and has the 69th-best time nationally
Lobos’ first NCAA regional qualifier in the women’s 400 hurdles
Career and season-best time of 59.88 on April 24 at Cal
MWC bronze medalist in the event on May 16
Senior Whitney Johnson Ą Pole Vault Ą Mission Viejo, Calif.
Ranked No. 9 in the Midwest and has the 56th-best jump nationally
Upset a pair of top-20 vaulters from BYU to win MWC gold in Laramie, Wyo. on May 15
Season-best jump of 12′ 11 1/2″ (3.95m) was her best since school record 13′ 1/4″ in 2006
Had never finished higher than fourth at the MWC Outdoor meet prior to 2009
Three-time NCAA regional qualifier, but making first appearance since 2005 (no height)
Suffered a major knee injury while training for the 2006 Midwest Championships
Redshirted all of 2007 following surgery
Senior Jermaine McQueen Ą 100m/200m Ą Raleigh, N.C.
Ranked No. 9 in the Midwest and has the 38th-best time nationally in the 100
Ranked No. 11 in the Midwest and has the 48th-best time nationally in the 200
First Lobo to qualify for regionals in both events and first short sprinter since `03 to qualify
Top 100m time of 10.37 (altitude adjusted) in the MWC prelims on May 15
Top 200m time of 20.95 (altitude adjusted) to take the MWC silver on May 16
One of 15 Midwest competitors with seed times under 10.40 in the 100m
One of 15 Midwest competitors with seed times under 21.0 in the 200m
The Midwest field features the top-three 200m runners in the country
Also anchors the Lobos’ regional qualifying and school record setting 4×100 team
Former Lobo wide receiver who is in his first full season of Division I competition
Appeared in one meet in 2008
4x100m Relay Ą Fr. Thomas Trujillo, Sr. Jarrin Solomon, Jr. Philip Reid, Sr. Jermaine McQueen
Ranked No. 9 in the Midwest and has the 47th-best time nationally
Set UNM record and with a time of 40.30 (altitude adjusted) in their first race together
Finished 2nd in the MWC and became the first Lobo relay team since `03 to qualify for regionals
Trujillo, Reid, and McQueen are all making their NCAA regional debuts
Junior Chris Barnicle Ą 5,000m Ą Newton, Mass.
Ranked No. 10 in the Midwest and has the 38th-best time nationally
Career-best time of 14:00.16 recorded on April 17 at Mt. SAC
One of four Lobos in the Midwest 5K race – only Oklahoma State has more (6)
Also ranked 23rd nationally in the 10K (28:53.20 on May 2 at Stanford)
Making his regional debut as a Lobo
All-Mideast Region honoree in the 5,000 (6th) as a RS freshman at Arkansas in `07
Redshirted the 2009 indoor season and did not compete outdoors in 2008
Junior David Bishop Ą 1,500m Ą Chippenham, England
Ranked No. 10 in the Midwest and has the 107th-best time nationally
Top time of 3:46.79 on April 11 in Tempe, Ariz.
One of three Lobos in the men’s 1,500 field – more than any other school
First year of Division I competition
Freshman Ty Kirk Ą Triple Jump Ą Arlington Heights, Ill.
Ranked No. 12 in the Midwest and No. 40 nationally
First Lobo to qualify regionals in the men’s triple jump
Top mark of 50′ 11″ (15.52m) in his second collegiate attempt on April 11 in Albuquerque
It was the best jump by a Lobo since 1984
Will be a redshirt freshman wide receiver on the Lobo football team in 2009
Junior Jacob Kirwa Ą 5,000m Ą Eldoret, Kenya
Ranked No. 13 in the Midwest and has the 73rd-best time nationally
Top time of 14:05.31 (altitude adjusted) to win MWC gold on May 16
Also earned silver in the MWC 10K to lead the Lobos in scoring (18)
MWC meet was held at the highest D-I track stadium in the nation in Laramie, Wyo. (7,163 feet)
One of four Lobos in the Midwest 5K race – only Oklahoma State has more (6)
First year of Division I competition
Senior Mat Ashton Ą 5,000m Ą Oxford, England
Ranked No. 14 in the Midwest and has the 76th-best time nationally
Top time of 16:47.38 on April 17 at Mt. SAC
One of four Lobos in the Midwest 5K race – only Oklahoma State has more (6)
Also ranked 19th nationally in the 10,000 with a top time of 28:50.93 on May 2 at Stanford
10th in the 10K at the 2008 NCAA Championships
14th in the 5,000 at the 2008 Midwest Regionals in his first year of D-I competition
Sophomore Alex Willis Ą 3,000m Steeplechase Ą Leadville, Colo.
Ranked No. 16 in the Midwest and has the 75th-best time nationally
Top time of 9:03.56 (altitude adjusted) on May 15 at the MWC Championships
MWC meet was held at the highest D-I track stadium in the nation in Laramie, Wyo. (7,163 feet)
First Lobo to qualify for regionals in the men’s 3K steeplechase
Junior Nicky Archer Ą 5,000m Ą Cheshire, England
Ranked No. 18 in the Midwest and has the 135th-best time nationally
Top time of 16:47.38 on April 17 at Mt. SAC
Also ranked 29th nationally in the 10,000 with a top time of 34:32.21 on March 27 at Stanford
Lobos’ high-point woman at the MWC Championships (14)
Silver medalist in the 5,000 and bronze medalist in the 10K
MWC meet was held at the highest D-I track stadium in the nation in Laramie, Wyo. (7,163 feet)
First year of Division I competition
Senior Domnick Meadows Ą Long Jump Ą Albuquerque, N.M.
Ranked No. 25 in the Midwest and No. 103 nationally
Top mark of 24′ 1″ (7.34m) on May 2 in Albuquerque
Making his NCAA regional debut…first Lobo long jumper to qualify since `06
RECORD NUMBER OF QUALIFIERS
New Mexico smashed its program record with 20 athletes and one relay team qualified for the 2009 NCAA Midwest Regional Championships (in 16 different events). The group of 21 includes 13 men, 1 men’s relay team, and seven women.
An additional four athletes (two men, two women) have reached the NCAA provisional qualifying standard in the 10,000 meters. The 10K and multi-event competitions are the only events not contested at the regional meets.
NATIONAL RANKINGS WATCH
The New Mexico men finished the regular season at No. 28 while the women were ranked 61st in the week eight USATFCCCA national team rankings. There were 248 teams ranked on the women’s list and 225 on the men’s side. The Lobos are fourth among the nine women’s teams in the MWC and second among the six men’s teams in the league behind only No. 22 BYU.