AUSTIN, Texas — Say hello to the Lobos’ Final Four.
A pair of University of New Mexico track & field athletes qualified to the finals of the NCAA Championships Saturday as the Lobos finished with four total qualifiers at the 2017 NCAA West Preliminary Round this weekend.
During the final day of action at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Josh Kerr (1500-meter run) and Sam Trigg (triple jump) both punched their tickets to Eugene, Oregon, the site of the finals of the national championships in two weeks.
That group will join Alice Wright (10,000-meter run) and Graham Thomas (3000-meter steeplechase), both of whom qualified over the first two days of the three-day meet.
The four total qualifiers extends an 11-year run of at least four athletes advancing to the national championships.
The top 48 athletes and top 24 relay teams in the NCAA West Region qualify to the West Prelims, where the top 12 finishers in each event advance on to the NCAA Championships.
Trigg got the Lobos off to a superb start on Saturday as the senior set a new personal record in the men’s triple jump with his leap of 53 feet, nine inches (16.38 meters). He finished fourth overall, well within in the top 12 needed to advance to the NCAA Championships.
His mark ranks third in UNM history and he is the eighth Lobo to make the national finals in the event in program history.
Kerr also advanced on the final day of the meet, outkicking his competition on the homestraight to win his quarterfinal heat of the 1500 in 4:00.07. After winning his first-round heat on Thursday, Kerr has now won 12 races in his last seven meet.
His time placed 11th overall, but it gives Kerr, who owns the sixth-fastest 1500-meter time in NCAA history, the chance to defend his NCAA title in the indoor mile from March.
Kerr is also making his second straight NCAA finals appearance in the 1500 and continues UNM’s success in this event at the national championships. It’s the seventh year in the last 10 that the men have qualified a runner in the event.
From Thursday, Wright qualified to her third-straight NCAA Championships in the 10K. She took control of the 25-lap race about eight laps in and held on for the win with a time of 34:06.78.
She is the first New Mexico athlete to make the NCAA Championships in the same event in three straight years since Katie Coronado (javelin, 2007-09).
Thomas punched his ticket on Friday, as he placed third overall in the steeplechase with a time of 8:50.65. The Dulce, New Mexico, product made his move with about four laps remaining in the seven-lap race and notched his first-ever berth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
He is just the sixth New Mexico athlete to make the NCAA finals in the steeplechase, but the second in the last two years along with Elmar Engholm.
Meanwhile, New Mexico received strong efforts from the rest of its athletes.
In the women’s triple jump, Jannell Hadnot posted a strong series, including a best leap of 42-6 ¾ (12.97 meters), but couldn’t advance as she placed 18th.
It was arguably one of the deepest competitions in the event at the West Prelims, as eight jumpers reached 12.90 meters (with four reaching 13 meters) and didn’t advance. It’s the first time in meet history that a 13-meter jump did not advance to the national finals.
Additionally, Natasha Bernal placed 21st in the women’s 3000 steeplechase (time of 10:41.64), Kieran Casey took 27th in the first round of the women’s 1500 (4:32.63) and Sophie Eckel did not finish in the women’s 5000.
On the men’s side, Emil Danielsson placed 24th in the quarterfinals of the 1500 (4:14.47) and Tanner Battikha placed 41st in the men’s long jump (23-8 ¼).
The Lobos will travel to Eugene for the final rounds of the championships on June 7-10. The men will compete on Wednesday, June 7 and Friday, June 9, while the women compete Thursday, June 8 and Saturday, June 10.
Fans can follow the Lobos on Twitter (@lobo_track) and Instagram (@lobo_xc_tf) for information and updates on the team!