COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The University of New Mexico’s track and field team claimed another pair of conference honors Tuesday as Adam Bitchell and Alice Wright earned recognition from the Mountain West for their performances for meets held February 20-21.
Bitchell was selected as the Mountain West Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, while Wright earned MW Women’s Track Athlete of the Week. Both are receiving their first-ever weekly conference honor and the eighth and ninth total honors for the Lobos this season.
Bitchell, a senior from Aberystwyth, Wales, raced to an altitude-converted time of 7 minutes, 53.27 seconds in the 3,000-meter run at the NAU Tune-Up last Friday in Flagstaff, Ariz. The two-time All-American won the race, topping Northern Arizona’s cross country All-American Futsum Zienasellassie.
Bitchell’s time, which set a new personal record, ranks third in New Mexico history and fifth all-time in Mountain West history. He also leads the Mountain West by nearly 2 seconds and ranks 10th in the nation.
Wright, a redshirt freshman out of Worcester, England, clocked a time of 9:26.42 in the 3000 Saturday at the Alex Wilson Invitational in South Bend, Ind. In just her second complete race on a track in the last four years, she set a new personal record.
She currently sits at fourth in school history in the event and ranks second in the Mountain West behind teammate Calli Thackery. She is also 59th in the NCAA in the 3000.
The duo combined for the eighth and ninth MW athlete-of-the-week honors that New Mexico has received in 2015.
Prior to this week, Aasha Marler (Jan. 13, field athlete of the week), Ridge Jones (Jan. 13, track athlete), Silva (Jan. 27 and Feb. 17, track athlete), Calli Thackery (Feb. 3, track athlete), Elmar Engholm (Feb. 17, track athlete) and Django Lovett (Feb. 17, field athlete) all earned a weekly honor from the MW.
Although the Mountain West expanded the number of conference athletes of the week this year from two to four (track athletes and field athletes for both genders), New Mexico has now doubled the program record of four weekly honors set in 2013.
Overall, the Lobos have earned nine of a possible 32 athlete-of-the-week honors. Of the 32 chances, four opportunities occurred in December, before New Mexico opened its season in January.
The Lobos are back in action this Thursday through Saturday as they aim to defend their conference titles when they host the Mountain West Indoor Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center.