New Mexico Set to Host Don Kirby Tailwind Invite
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Don Kirby InvitationalIt may be the Lobos’ only home meet outdoors, so you’ll have to excuse the athletes if they go for second helpings of some home cooking.
It’s their only chance to load up before taking on the meat of their outdoor schedule.
The University of New Mexico track & field team continues its outdoor campaign this Saturday at the Don Kirby Tailwind Invitational as the Lobos aim for strong results in the team’s only home outdoor meet of the year.
Although a handful of athletes opened their outdoor season two weeks ago at UTEP, this short, one-day meet at the Great Friends of UNM Track & Field Stadium gives New Mexico a chance to keep improving as the season unfolds.
As the Lobos get set for their first major action outdoors, they are eyeing this Saturday’s affair as an opportunity to build early momentum in a lowkey but competitive setting.
The postseason starts in mid-May with the Mountain West Championships, and good outdoor performances this weekend can pay off later in the season as New Mexico approaches the NCAAs.
The top 48 athletes in each event in the NCAA’s West Region advance to the NCAA West Preliminary Championship in late May, which is the qualifying meet for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June.
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But, in order to make some moves up the rankings and into the postseason contention, the Lobos will need to translate their home-track advantage into productive marks.
In the middle-distance and distance events, Ian Crowe-Wright opens up his outdoor season in the 800-meter run, while Jared Garcia, Taylor Potter and Brandon Parrado are entered in the 3000. Chris Graham is also slated to compete in the 1500 and Jonny Glen in the 2000-meter steeplechase.
The women’s distance events will feature Charlotte Prouse and Alondra Negrón Texidor making their outdoor debuts in the 2000 steeplechase.
Kieran Casey, Steffi Jones and Mackenzie Everett are also slated to compete in the 800, with Alex Buck, Samantha Dicker and Everett in the 1500. Kendall Kelly, Emily Martin, Sarah Laverty and Elizabeth Weiler will also run the 3000.
New Mexico will also look to continue improving in the sprints and hurdles after a number of those athletes opened up two weeks ago at the UTEP Springtime Invitational.
On the men’s side, Alejandro Goldston and Jay Griffin are both entered in the 100 and 200, with Mark Haywood and Isaac Gonzales both entered in the 200 and 400. Bryan Cutler, Michael Wilson, Kristian Uldbjerg Hansen and Beau Clafton are also scheduled to run the 400.
Carlos Salcido, the school-record holder in the indoor 200 also makes his first appearance outdoors in the 200.
Clafton, Goldston, Salcido and Griffin will also team up to run the 4×100 meter relay.
For the women’s sprints and hurdles, Erynn Caldwell and Akeisha Ayanniyi are entered in both the 100 and 200, while Kyra Mohns races the 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles.
Out in the field events, the men will compete most of their standouts, including Tanner Battikha in the long jump, Brent Dionisio in the high jump, Malik Matthews-Gordon in the javelin and the tandem of Daniel Lam and Jason Atencio in the pole vault.
Additionally, Ryan Chase, Miles Brinson and Goldston are competing in the long jump, with Lam, Chase and Clafton seeing action in the throws.
The women will also see their top field-event athletes in action, with Ada’ora Chigbo and Shannon Fritz in the high jump, Katherine Whiting and Fritz in the pole vault, Ayanniyi in the long jump, Allison Mady in the shot put and Sara Reyes and Morgan Smith in the javelin.
The meet starts at 10 a.m. with the women’s javelin throw and men’s shot put, while track events kick off at 11:30 a.m. with the men’s 4×100 relay. Live results for the Don Kirby Tailwind can be found at LiveRunningResults.com.
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