|
||||||||||||||
New Mexico Team InvitationalAfter posting a solid season debut last weekend, the University of New Mexico track & field team faces off against a strong field of teams as it hosts the New Mexico Team Invitational this Saturday at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
With virtually every healthy athlete expected to see action this weekend, the Lobos will look for more progress as they invite Air Force, Fresno State, Kansas State, TCU, Utah State, Washington State to the Duke City for a team-scored meet.
“Pretty much everyone is competing,” 10th-year New Mexico head coach Joe Franklin said. “They won’t all be in their primary events, but it’s the first time that the majority of the team will compete.
“The expectation is to go out and compete hard. It’s a very small meet, it’s a one-day meet and [we’ll] go from there.”
 |
|
| Kyra Mohns |
Although a number of New Mexico’s top athletes made opened 2017 last week at the Cherry & Silver Invitational, this Saturday’s meet will see more top Lobos suit up for the first time this year.
This meet will also provide a solid litmus test for UNM early in the season as they continue to open up their indoor campaign.
With less than a month before the Mountain West Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, this team effort for the Lobos will give Franklin and his staff an idea of what kind of team — the sum a very talented group of athletes — they have.
And since New Mexico is taking on a couple of their MW brethren, this week’s tilt will be a very insightful evaluation of where the Lobos stand in the league.
“I think we’ll see some improvement this weekend,” Franklin said. “It’s just little improvements all the time without getting sick or injured. … Competition level and environment is what’s going to push people to personal records.”
Leading the charge this weekend will be New Mexico’s vaunted distance team, including 2016 All-Americans Sophie Connor and Calli Thackery.
Connor, an All-American in the mile, will race the 800-meter run and the mile on Saturday, while Thackery, an All-American in the 3,000, takes aim in the mile.
Kathryn Fluehr (mile), Natasha Bernal (mile) and Kendall Kelly (3,000) are also looking to make their season debuts.
Additionally, the mile will see Mackenzie Everett, Kyoko Koyama and Reiley Kelly, while the 3000 also includes Ruth Haynes and Samantha Dicker.
In the field events, Jannell Hadnot (triple jump) and Katherine Whiting (pole vault) will look to build on tremendous performances from last weekend. Both are ranked in the top 30 of their respective events, and can continue pushing for more success this week.
 |
|
| Kristian Uldbjerg Hansen |
Akeisha Ayanniyi (long jump), Shannon Fritz (pole vault, high jump) and the duo of Amaris Blount and Allison Mady (weight throw, shot put) are also seeking improvement.
In the sprints, the women will turn to Ayanniyi, Peri Moran and Erynn Caldwell in the 60 and 200, while Hannah Riker-Urrutia and Larimar Rodriguez will run the 600.
Kyra Mohns will also get one more meet of multiple events (this week the 200, 60 hurdles and high jump) in anticipation of her first pentathlon next weekend at the New Mexico Classic & Multis.
On the men’s side, the Lobos are aiming for more strong marks after they collectively tore through the Cherry & Silver Invite.
Like the women, the men’s distance crew will take the spotlight on Saturday. Josh Kerr, the reigning Mountain West Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, paces a large contingent in the mile, including Emil Danielsson, Alexander Palm, Elmar Engholm, Taylor Potter, Graham Thomas, Jesus Mendoza and Chris Graham.
Kerr will also run the 800 along with a youthful but promising group that includes Kristian Uldbjerg Hansen, Gavin Sleeter and Adam Monroe.
The men’s sprints will also competing in force, with Ben Shields and Parker Jones in the short sprints; Mark Haywood and Carlos Salcido in the 400; and Cheyne Dorsey, Isaac Gonzales and Mustafa Mudada in the 600.
In the field events, where the Lobos are arguably rather youthful, UNM has a number of talented athletes.
Freshmen Nathan Burnett spearheads New Mexico’s effort in the pole vault alongside sophomores Jason Atencio and John Harari, while freshmen Tanner Battikha and Alejandro Goldston compete in the long jump. Fellow rookie Caleb Meyer-Hagen is also entered in the high jump.
Rounding out the Lobos competing are the men’s combined event athletes, Daniel Lam, Ryan Chase and Andris Sturans, as they all take on multiple events before next week’s New Mexico Classic & Multis.
The meet starts with the field events at 9:30 a.m. MT, before the track events kick off at noon. Check liverunningresults.com throughout the meet for live results and GoLobos.com after the meet for a full recap.
Fans can follow the Lobos on Twitter (@lobo_track) and Instagram (@lobo_xc_tf) for information and updates on the team!