TEMPE, Ariz. — The University of New Mexico track & field team wrapped up competition at the Sun Angel Classic Saturday as a handful of athletes registered strong performances in the team’s second outdoor meet of the year.
Highlighted by strong performances in the jumps and the sprints — including a runner-up performance by Allan Hamilton in the men’s long jump — the Lobos continued to amass experience at Joe Selleh Track at Sun Angel Stadium.
Although New Mexico is still just beginning its three-month long outdoor season, some athletes have started to compile strong credentials for the postseason, which starts in May.
The top 48 athletes in each event in the NCAA’s West Region advance to the NCAA West Preliminary Championship, which is the qualifying meet for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June.
And meets like this weekend’s, which featured a number of power conference teams as well as other Mountain West squads, can help facilitate stronger performances later in the season.
Hamilton’s performance was one of the top for New Mexico, as he posted a season-best leap of 24 feet, 6 ½ inches in the long jump. His mark was good for second place overall and first collegiately.
Also finishing with a strong mark was Daniel Lam, who jump 21-8 ¾ for 15th.
Jannell Hadnot also performed well in the women’s triple jump, where she took third place with a leap of 42-2 ¼. Sam Trigg added his own top-five finish, jumping 49-10 ½ for fourth overall.
In the women’s long jump, Aasha Marler leaped 19-4 ¾ for eighth place, and Hadnot chipped in a mark of 17-4 ¾ to tie for 19th.
The pole vault also produced a couple of solid marks, as Jason Atencio cleared 15-7 for 11th place in the men’s vault and Annie Stirling cleared 11-9 ¾ for 14th in the women’s.
On the track, the Lobos’ sprinters registered some solid marks, including Ridge Jones’ double in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
Jones placed 15th in the 100 (10.82 seconds) and 19th in the 200 (season-best 21.99), while Mark Haywood added a strong time of 48.22 in the 400 to place 16th.
Cheyne Dorsey, Chris Kline, Isaac Gonzales and Haywood also tallied a time of 3:16.18 in the 4×400 meter relay, good for sixth place.
Yannick Roggatz chipped in a season-best of 14.91 in the 110 hurdles.
The women received a pair of season bests in the 100 from Peri Moran (13th place, 12.48) and Samantha Woodman (14th, 12.49) and strong debuts in the 400 from Haley Sanner (16th, 56.43) and in the 800 from Zoe Howell (13th, 2:12.44).
Holly Van Grinsven also posted her fastest time in the 100 hurdles this season, running 13.88 for 14th.
In the relays, Sanner, Van Grinsven, Hadnot and Marler combined for a third-place time of 46.16 in the 4×100, while Sanner, Howell, Larimar Rodriguez and Van Grinsven team up for a seventh-place time of 3:46.38 in the 4×400. .
The throws rounded out the Lobos’ competitors on the weekend.
Nik Aston posted a 12th-place toss of 188-10 in the men’s javelin throw, while Lam posted a heave of 41-5 in the men’s shot put. Allison Mady posted a hurl of 41-3 ¼ in the women’s shot put.
At the Mesa Classic in nearby Mesa, Calif., Amaris Blount finished 13th in the hammer throw with a mark of 164-5.
The Lobos return to action next week as they head to the Bryan Clay Invitational hosted by Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, Calif.