UNM Hosts MW Indoor Championships Thursday-Saturday
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS | LIVE RESULTS | MEN’S START LIST | WOMEN’S START LIST
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The New Mexico track and field teams are hosting the Mountain West Indoor Championships starting this Thursday, Feb. 27 in the last chance for athletes to qualify for the coveted NCAA Indoor Championship.
Starting with the men’s pentathlon at 10 a.m. MT, the three-day meet will be held at the Albuquerque Convention Center and will be streamed on FloTrack but will require a subscription. UNM’s first event of the championship will be the distance medley relay, with the men going at 4 p.m. MT and the women at 4:20 p.m., with the Lobos having a total of 54 entries throughout the three days.
One event to watch for will be the women’s 3000-meters with UNM having nine entries including Adva Cohen, Gracelyn Larkin, Hannah Nuttall, Emily Martin and Weini Kelati, which is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 29 at 1:10 p.m. MT. On the men’s side, both the 60-meter and 200-meter should produce good results for the Cherry and Silver with Lawrence Johnson and Elijah Lilly among two of the four fastest times in the conference and Jay Griffin IV and Alejandro Goldston with two of the top three times in the 200-meter.
UNM enters the conference championship with seven of the top results in the conference and five with the second-best result in their respective events.
Aidan Quinn holds the top mark in the triple jump (49-9, 15.16m), Tanner Battikha in the long jump (24-6.5, 7.48m), Carlos Salcido in the 400-meters (46.76), Griffin in the 200-meters (21.00) and Kelati in the mile (4:32.66), 3000-meters (8:54.66) and 5000-meters (15:14.71).
Additionally, the Lobos carry five of the second-best results in the Mountain West with the 4×400 men’s relay team (3:12.79), Nuttall (3000-meters, 9:15.56), Alondra Negrón (mile, 4:40.39), Max Wharton (800-meters, 1:49.67) and Johnson (60-meters, 6.83).
The Lobo women have the top three times in the mile with the addition of Emily Martin’s time of 4:40.90 and the men have two of the top three times in the 800-meters with Wharton and Gavin Sleeter (1:49.87).
In the 2019 indoor championships, also held at the Albuquerque Convention Center, the men finished fourth as a team with 86 points and three event wins. Griffin won the 200-meter in 21.01, Quinn the triple jump at 49-3.75 (15.03m) and Battikha in the long jump at 24-6.25 (7.47m).
On the women’s side, the Lobos also finished fourth with 63 points behind Kelati’s mile win in a school- and MW-record time of 4:37.75 (4:31.70 converted for altitude). UNM posted four runner-up finishes in Charlotte Prouse (3000-meters, 9:13.64), the distance medley relay (11:29.42), Cathilee Mullings (triple jump, 40-6.75, 12.36m) and Ada’ora Chigbo (high jump, 5-8.75, 1.75m).
Nationally, the Lobos have two athletes that are currently inside the top-16 cutout for the NCAA Championship with Kelati third in the mile and 3000-meters and second in the 5000-meters, as well as Martin, who sits in 15th in the 5000-meters. The NCAA championship will be held at the Albuquerque Convention Center March 13-14, with tickets available to purchase HERE .