STANFORD, Calif. — Two University of New Mexico track & field athletes opened their outdoor seasons on Friday as Alice Wright and Sophie Eckel both competed in the 10,000-meter run at the Stanford Invitational.
Wright, a three-time All-American and back-to-back NCAA runner-up in the event, set the school record in the event with a time of 32 minutes, 15.73 seconds, while Eckel clocked a time of 34:19.40 that moves her to 10th all-time in UNM history in the event.
For Wright, her time gives her seven of the 10 fastest 10,000-meter times in school history. She eclipsed her old school record of 32:29.28 set last May on the same track at Cobb Track and Angell Field.
Wright’s time is also just off the Mountain West record of 32:13.38 set by Boise State’s Emma Bates at Stanford in 2015.
Wright, who placed fourth overall and second collegiately in the invitational section of the event, moves to second in NCAA’s 10K rankings.
For Eckel, her first foray in the 10K yielded a strong result as she climbed into the program’s all-time rankings. She sits 10th in program history in the event after placing 15th in the second section of the event.
The Lobos are back in action this coming Saturday, April 7, as they host the Don Kirby Tailwind Invitational at the Great Friends of University of New Mexico Track Stadium.
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