AUSTIN, Texas — The University of New Mexico track and field team wrapped up the second day of competition at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships competition Friday with solid performances from its five competitors.
Although New Mexico was unable to nab another qualifier for the NCAA Championships next month in Eugene, Ore., five Lobos saw action Friday at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, with a bevy of athletes slated to compete tomorrow.
The women’s steeplechasers had the most success during the second day of the three-day meet, as Nicola Hood led the pack with a 15th-place finish out of the 48 entrants.
Hood, a senior out of Dumfries, Scotland, finished the 3000-meter steeplechase with a personal-record time of 10 minutes, 25.10 seconds, running the last 150 meters of the race on an injured ankle.
Seniors Amber Zimmerman (time of 10:30.87) and Nicole Roberts (11:11.63) finished 19th and 47th, respectively, in the steeplechase.
It’s the second-straight year New Mexico had two qualifiers in the event, as Hood and Roberts made a repeat appearance.
Elsewhere, Alex Herring vied for a berth at national in the men’s 800-meter run, finishing 22nd overall in the quarterfinals with a time of 1:52.36. However, the Albuquerque senior missed the requisite top-12 finish needed to advance to the NCAA finals.
Holly Van Grinsven rounded out the Lobos competing as she took 40th in the first round of the 100 hurdles. The junior from Brentwood, Tenn., clocked a time of 13.76 in her race.
The Lobos already advanced one athlete to the NCAA Championships on Thursday, as freshman Alice Wright qualified in the 10000.
On Saturday, 13 Lobos will be competing for a NCAA bid.
Peter Callahan will run the men’s 1500, while Tamara Armoush and Sophie Connor will race the women’s 1500. Also competing tomorrow on the track are Matt Bergin and Calli Thackery in the men’s and women’s 5000 and the men’s 4×100 relay team of Allan Hamilton, Ridge Jones, Carlos Wiggins and Scott Bajere.
In the field, Michael Ellis and Beau Clafton are scheduled to compete in the javelin, with Logan Pflibsen in the men’s pole vault, Hamilton in the men’s triple jump and Jannell Hadnot in the women’s triple jump.
New Mexico action starts with the javelin throw at 11 a.m. MT, with track events kicking off at 5:15 p.m. MT. Check back tomorrow night for a recap of the Lobos’ action.