White garners MW Field Athlete of the Week
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Being recognized for a standout performance in her first meet in a New Mexico uniform, sophomore Elizabeth White was named the Mountain West Field Athlete of the Week announced by the conference office on Tuesday.
Coming inches shy of the school record in her first meet, White won the long jump at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational on Saturday with a leap of 6.22 meters (20’ 5”). The Lobo newcomer was just off Aasha Marler’s school record of 6.22 meters (20’ 5.25”) set on Feb. 13, 2015. White then took down her PR in the 60-meters, running a time of 7.86 seconds to top her previous mark of 7.94 which she set during her career at Southern Utah.
“For Lizzie in her first-ever UNM meet to get athlete of the week is a great honor for her, and hopefully we see her name on that list a lot more this year,” said New Mexico head coach Joe Franklin. “We are looking forward to her progression throughout the year, with the goal always being to make it to the NCAA Championships on her home track in March.”
White was an All-American in the long jump during her freshman year at Southern Utah University in 2021-22, and holds a PR of 6.34 meters (20’ 9.75”) in the event. On Saturday she bested a field of 38 competitors to claim the victory. “I just trusted the training we have behind us from the fall, and it was nice having some good competition,” White said. “I knew there were some bigger schools here, so coming into it I knew I had enough people to push me.”
White didn’t waste any time, ripping off her narrow miss of the program record on her first leap of the morning. “Usually my first one is my best one,” said White, whose PR in the long jump is 6.34 meters (20’ 9.75”). “My mindset is to just get a mark (on the first jump), and then see what happens. My last two were really good, I just scratched barely in the red.”
White and the Lobos are in action again this weekend, hosting the New Mexico Team Open on Friday-Saturday at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Live coverage for this weekend’s meet will be available online here.