Don Kirby Results | Stanford Results
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It might have been snowing Saturday morning, but the Lobos posted a hot start to their outdoor season.
The University of New Mexico track & field team opened its 2017 outdoor campaign with a strong team performance at the Don Kirby Tailwind Open, picking up a number of solid marks on Saturday despite cold, rainy weather.
Behind six event titles, the Lobos notched 15 top-three finishes at the Great Friends of UNM Track & Field Stadium, as athletes across the board shined in New Mexico’s only home outdoor meet of the season.
“We got through it without any injuries,” UNM coach Joe Franklin said. “It was terrible weather. We considered cancelling the competition but it was great for our kids to go out and compete hard because at the conference championships, you have to be ready for all types of weather.”
With temperatures hovering in the upper-30s and low-40s for most of the day, the meet was already shaping up to be an unseasonably cool event. And coupled with rain (or sometimes snow) and the occasional wind, the conditions Saturday were less than ideal.
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| Akeisha Ayanniyi |
But the Lobos managed to fight through the weather, registering some productive results as they embark on a long outdoor season that continues next weekend at Arizona State.
“You have no choice when it comes to facing this adversity,” Franklin said. “We have to start somewhere. Going into Arizona State next week, had we not had a meet on Saturday, it might have been very problematic.”
Leading the charge were New Mexico’s sprinters and jumpers, as they tallied some superb season debuts.
Tanner Battikha leaped 23 feet, 10 ¼ inches to win the men’s long jump, while Akeisha Ayanniyi jumped 19-2 to take second in the women’s long jump. Also in the men’s long jump, Alejandro Goldston placed fourth with a jump of 21-4 ¾.
Ayanniyi captured runner-up honors in the women’s 100-meter dash with a time of 12.48, and Erynn Caldwell logged a solid double in the 100 (third place, time of 12.51 second) and 200 (third, 25.91).
Goldston also posted a pair of third-place finishes in the 100 (11.24) and 200 (22.13), while Carlos Salcido was right behind in the 200, running 22.14 for fourth place.
Additionally, Larimar Rodriguez added two strong races of her own, winning the 400 in 57.46 before coming back to place sixth in the 200 (26.23). Hannah Riker-Urrutia finished second in the quartermile, clocking in at 58.27.
Mark Haywood won the men’s 400 in 48.35, followed by Isaac Gonzales (third, 49.06), Kristian Uldbjerg Hansen (sixth, 50.53) and Gavin Sleeter (50.58). Haywood, Goldston, Salcido and Gonzales also combined for a win in the 4×100 meter relay, running 41.93.
Rounding out the Lobos’ effort in the sprints and hurdles were Mustafa Mudada and Cheyne Dorsey, who went 1-2 in the 400 hurdles with times of 53.70 and 53.88, respectively.
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| Mark Haywood |
New Mexico also received some good outdoor debuts in the distance events, including a win from Alexander Palm in the 1500. Palm won the race in 4:07.00, ahead of Chris Graham in fifth place (4:13.68).
Mackenzie Everett was fourth (5:07.37) in the women’s 1500, with Samantha Dicker (sixth, 5:11.19) and Reiley Kelly (eighth, 5:15.59) also top-10. Everett was also fifth in the 800 (2:40.12), while Ruth Haynes was fourth in the 3000 (10:50.53) and Dicker sixth (11:10.83).
Elsewhere, Taylor Potter was fourth in the men’s 800 (1:58.03) and Jared Garcia (fourth, 8:55.81) and Tyler Valdez (fifth, 8:59.89) finished back-to-back in the men’s 3000.
In the women’s javelin throw, Kyra Mohns placed fourth (106-10), followed by Morgan Smith (seventh, 102-1). Allison Mady was fifth in the women’s shot put (37-3), while Ryan Chase placed sixth in the men’s discus (118-10).
New Mexico returns to action next week as it heads to the Sun Angel Classic hosted by Arizona State in Tempe, Arizona.
STANFORD INVITE RUNDOWN: Out at the Stanford Invitational in Stanford, California, on Friday, a pair of Lobos logged their season debuts at one of the top distance-event meets of the year.
In the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, Natasha Bernal placed fourth in her section with a time of 10:26.13, while Sarah Laverty made her Lobo debut running in the second section of the women’s 10,000-meter run.
Fans can follow the Lobos on Twitter (@lobo_track) and Instagram (@lobo_xc_tf) for information and updates on the team!