21 Lobos Selected for NCAA Outdoor Track & Field West Prelims
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – As NCAA regional selections have been announced, the University of New Mexico track & field team has 21 student-athletes selected to compete in 15 events in the NCAA West Preliminary in Fayetteville, Ark., on May 25-28.
The 21 student-athletes set to compete in the preliminary round is fourth in program history. The most the Lobos have qualified was 29 in 2011, while the second-most was 25 in 2015 and third most was 23 in 2016.
On the men’s side, nine Lobos qualified for the preliminary round. The men’s 4x400m relay team – which will likely be the quartet of Jevon O’Bryant, Jovahn Williamson, Rivaldo Leacock, and Victor Akhalu – qualified with a time of 3:06.76 in the event. Three of those four also qualified in other individual events – O’Bryant (45.98) and Williamson (46.02) in the 400m dash and Leacock in the 400m hurdles with a season best time of 50.04s.
Matthew Larkin qualified in the 800m dash with his season best being 1:49.64. Abdirizak Ibrahim qualified in both the 1500m run (3:41.89) and 5000m run (13:43.14). In the 3000m steeplechase, Awet Yohannes was selected with a season-best of 8:42.02. Aidan Quinn was selected to compete in triple jump with his season-best mark of 15.58m. Camillo Dunninger was the final Lobo on the men’s side selected to participate in the preliminary, with a season-best mark of 63.29m in javelin.
On the women’s side, 12 Lobos found their way into the preliminary round. With a time of 52.40 in the 400m dash, Tianna Holmes was selected to compete in the event. Three Lobos were selected in the 1500m run – Abbe Goldstein (4:15.79), Stefanie Parsons (4:20.87) and Sarah Eckel (4:22.41) all qualified.
Five more student-athletes qualified in the 5000m run, as Adva Cohen (15:26.48), Gracelyn Larkin (15:29.93), Emma Heckel (15:52.78), Samree Dishon (15:54.83) and Amelia Mazza-Downie (16:02.58) were selected. In the 10K, Mazza-Downie (32:55.26) and Heckel (33:05.02), along with Aliandrea Upshaw (33:18.32), qualified in this event as well. Lastly, in the 3000m steeplechase, three Lobos qualified as Cohen was selected for her second event (9:49.32), alongside Elise Thorner (9:32.42) and Samantha Valentine (10:18.14).
The West preliminary round is set for May 25-28 in Fayetteville, Ark. The top 12 competitors in each event will advance to the NCAA Championships, which are set for June 8-11 in Eugene, Ore. Full meet notes will be released closer to the start of the preliminary round.
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