Open Announce

Five Lobos Earn All-America Honors for Indoor Season

USTFCCCA RELEASE

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— While the NCAA Indoor Championships were not able to take place at the Albuquerque Convention Center back in March, the USTFCCCA has proceeded with announcing All-America honors for the 2020 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field season on Tuesday.

Unlike in typical years where first- and second-team distinctions were determined by finish at the NCAA Championships, the NCAA Division I Track & Field Executive Committee adopted the following criteria for this unique instance:

  •          Based on the post-medical scratches start list for the national championships posted on Wednesday, March 11 at 9:24 p.m., local, the following will be recognized as All-America for the 2020 indoor track & field season:
  •           Individual events: ALL student-athletes listed on the start list for the anticipated event.
  •           Relay events: The four student-athletes per anticipated relay who produced the performance that was declared and accepted into their event. Those listed as alternates will not be recognized.

Additionally, there will not be a distinction of “first-team”, “second-team”, or “honorable mention” to these recognitions.

As a result, five Lobos were awarded All-American status in Weini Kelati, Emily Martin, Abigail Bendle, Adva Cohen, Elise Thorner. Cohen, Thorner, Bendle and Kelati were the four entries on the DMR (distance medley relay) team that qualified for the championship, while Martin earned it for the 5000-meters. Furthermore, Kelati was one of 10 women who earned three All-America distinctions after qualifying in the 3000-meters, 5000-meters and DMR.

Martin, Thorner and Bendle were set to make their first championship appearance at UNM and received their first All-America accolades, while Cohen earned her first for indoor and third overall All-America honor.

For Kelati, the newly-acquired three All-America honors gives the junior an overall 13 All-America nods, with three from cross country, a now-seven in indoors and three in outdoors. As a result, the distance runner has surpassed Alice Wright (11) as the most decorated All-American in UNM history on both the men’s and women’s side.

A total of 671 honors were handed out to 119 different institutions.