SEATTLE — The University of New Mexico’s distance runners posted strong times at the Washington Husky Classic as the Lobos aimed to qualify athletes to next month’s NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.
Calli Thackery made a strong case for her inclusion to nationals at the Husky Classic, while four other Lobos registered solid performances at Dempsey Indoor Friday and Saturday.
Thackery strengthened her credentials for the NCAAs with a superb time of 9 minutes, 7.31 seconds in the 3,000-meter run. She placed sixth overall, and ranks right in the top 10 in Division I prior to this weekend.
The top 16 individual athletes (and the top 12 relay teams) in the nation advance to the national meet.
However, Thackery’s time improved on her previous lifetime best of 9:19.67 set two weeks ago at the New Mexico Team Invitational in Albuquerque. She also just missed the school record in the event, needing an extra .96 seconds to eclipse Josephine Moultrie’s 9:06.35.
Elsewhere in Seattle, Adam Bitchell raced to a ninth-place time of 13:50.05 in the men’s 5000. He came in with a personal record of 13:44.70, but ranks 15th in the nation and tops in the Mountain West.
Alice Wright ran to an 11th-place time in the women’s 5000, finishing in 16:09.38. Her time, which moves her up to fourth in school history, is doubly impressive considering it was her first full race on the track since 2011.
The cross country All-American didn’t race her first year at UNM and only paced a race earlier this season. Nonetheless, she ranks second in the Mountain West this year.
Also in the 5000, Heleene Tambet clocked a time of 16:44.15 to place 26th overall, while Nicole Roberts was 60th place in 17:20.72.
The duo ranks fourth and eighth, respectively, in the MW.
The Lobos are done for their regular season and will be off next week as they prepare to host the Mountain West Indoor Championships Feb. 26-28 at the Albuquerque Convention Center.