Battikha and Kelati Earn MW Athlete of the Week
MW RELEASE
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The University of New Mexico track and field program picked up Mountain West conference honors for consecutive weeks, however, this time the Lobos doubled their winners.
Senior Tanner Battikha and junior Weini Kelati earned MW Men’s Field Athlete of the Week and MW Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, respectively.
Tuesday’s announcement marks the first weekly conference honor for Battikha and the second this season for Kelati, fourth in her career for indoor. Kelati was named the athlete of the week on Dec. 17 to open up the indoor season.
Alondra Negrón earned MW Women’s Track Athlete of the Week last Tuesday after turning in what was then the fastest MW time in the mile at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Collegiate Invitational with 4:52.27 (4:45.91 altitude converted). The top time in the conference would stand for just one week as Kelati led the Lobos with a 4:38.73, 4:32.66 converted for altitude, to pick up the event win at the UNM Team Open.
The junior runner went on to win the race by 7.9 seconds, and in the process recorded the second-best time ran in the mile in the NCAA this season. Her time was also the second-fastest recorded by a UNM runner in program history, second only to Kelati’s 4:31.70 that she clocked at the MW Championships in 2019.
Also notching the top result in the MW was Battikha in the long jump, jumping 24-3.50 (7.40m) on his third attempt to move in to second, which would hold as his best mark of the event as well as secure his standing in the field. Battikha’s mark was a season best for the California native by 3.25″ and put him at the top of the MW performance list in the event by 2.0″.
Battikha is just the second Lobo to win the conference field athlete of the week award in the last five years, joining Ryan Chase who won on Jan. 22, 2019.
The Lobos return to the Albuquerque Convention Center this Friday and Saturday for the NM Collegiate Classic. The meet will again be streamed on FloTrack with live results also available.