Lobos Prepared for NCAA Outdoor West Regional
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of New Mexico track & field is set to send 21 Lobos to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field West Regional, hosted by the University of Arkansas on May 25-28. This is the fourth most student-athletes in program history to qualify for the regional round.
The preliminary round is set in Fayetteville, Ark., for the west region this season. The top-48 student-athletes in each event from the west region will be competing. From here, the top-12 performers in each event from each regional will advance to the NCAA Championships.
21 Lobos were selected to compete in this season’s west preliminary round – the fourth most in program history. The most in school history was 29 in 2011, second most was 25 in 2015 and third most was 23 in 2016.
Camillo Dunninger will get action started on Wednesday, May 25, at 2 p.m. (CT) in javelin as the 40th seed in the event. Abdirizak Ibrahim is the 29th seed in the 1500m run prelims, set to go at 6:30 p.m. In the men’s 400m dash prelims, two Lobos qualified – Jevon O’Bryant (19th seed) and Jovahn Williamson (20th) – set for 7:25 p.m. Matthew Larkin is the 40th seed in the 800m run prelims, which is set for 7:50 p.m. Rivaldo Leacock will conclude Wednesday’s events as he competes in the 400m hurdles prelims at 8:20 p.m. as the 11th seed.
The trio of Abbe Goldstein (9th seed), Stefanie Parsons (30th) and Sarah Eckel (35th) will start Thursday’s events as they run in the 1500m run prelims at 6:30 p.m. Tianna Holmes is the 15th seed in the 400m dash prelims, set for 7:25 p.m. The day will be concluded as three Lobos – Amelia Mazza-Downie (5th seed), Emma Heckel (8th) and Ali Upshaw (12th) – run in the 10K at 9:10 p.m.
In each first round event, the top-24 in each event will advance to the quarterfinal rounds that are set for Friday, May 27, and Saturday, May 28. As of now, there is no knowing who advances, so the full Lobo schedules for the final two days is still to be determined.
As of now, Awet Yohannes is set to open competition on Friday, May 27, as he competes as the 13th seed in the men’s 3000m steeplechase at 5:40 p.m. Then, Aidan Quinn will compete as the 26th seed in triple jump at 6 p.m. Ibrahim will run in the 5K at 8:10 p.m. as the 35th seed. The men’s 4x400m relay of Leacock, O’Bryant, Williamson and Victor Akhalu will compete as the 15th seed in the event at 8:45 p.m.
On Saturday, the trio of Elise Thorner (2nd seed), Adva Cohen (8th) and Samantha Valentine (32nd) are set to compete in the women’s 3000m steeplechase at 5:40 p.m. A handful of Lobos are set to run in the 5K at 8:10 p.m. – Cohen (4th seed), Gracelyn Larkin (5th), Heckel (12th), Samree Dishon (14th) and Mazza-Downie (23rd) to close out regional competition.
From here, the top-24 competitors in each event (12 from West Regional and 12 from East Regional) will advance to the NCAA Championships set for June 8-11 in Eugene, Ore.
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