Mazza-Downie, Young honored by Mountain West
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Two more New Mexico track and field stars were recognized for standout performances over the weekend, as the Mountain West Conference announced its weekly award winners on Tuesday.
Amelia Mazza-Downie was selected as the Mountain West Female Athlete of the Week, and Brodie Young was named the Mountain West Male Freshman of the Week. “It’s a great honor for both Amelia and Brodie,” said UNM head coach Joe Franklin. “Amelia has vaulted into the upper echelon of elite distance runners in the United States, and Brodie is one of the top freshmen in country.”
Making her 2022-23 indoor track debut in Seattle on Friday night, Mazza-Downie won the 5,000-meters at the University of Washington Husky Classic with a personal-best time of 15:18.54 minutes. Topping a field of 60 competitors in the race, Mazza-Downie ran far and away the fastest time in the Mountain West this season and her mark stands as the fourth-best by any runner in the NCAA so far this year.
The reigning Mountain West champion in the 5,000-meters, Mazza-Downie flirted with Weini Kelati’s school record of 15:14.71 minutes, which was achieved on Dec. 7, 2019. She was also less than three seconds off Katelyn Tuohy’s national-leading time of 15:15.92 minutes, as she solidified herself a chance to compete in the NCAA Championships on March 10-11 in Albuquerque.
Young’s award comes after four weeks of solidifying himself as one of the top freshmen in the conference. He ran a personal-best time of 46.65 seconds (altitude converted from 46.54) in the 400-meters, which stands as the third-fastest 400-meter time by any Mountain West athlete this season.
Young helped the Lobo 4×400-meter relay squad break the school and Mountain West records on Feb. 4 with a time of 3:06.58 minutes (3:06.14), and he anchored the team again this week as it finished just off that at 3:06.80 minutes (3:06.36). He, Jovahn Williamson, Jevon O’Bryant, and Rivaldo Leacock hold the fastest time in the Mountain West this season with a more than two-second lead over second-place San Jose State (3:08.74 minutes).
These are the first-career athlete of the week awards for both Mazza-Downie and Young. The Lobos have now had eight different student-athletes earn nine total weekly awards this indoor season, which is the most of any school in the conference.
| Date | Athlete | Award |
| 12/6/2022 | Rebecca Grieve | Women’s Freshman of the Week |
| 12/6/2022 | Gracelyn Larkin | Women’s Track Athlete of the Week |
| 1/24/2023 | Elizabeth White | Women’s Field Athlete of the Week |
| 1/31/2023 | Stefanie Parsons | Women’s Track Athlete of the Week |
| 2/7/2023 | Elizabeth White | Women’s Field Athlete of the Week |
| 2/7/2023 | Jake Burkey | Men’s Field Athlete of the Week |
| 2/7/2023 | Ethan Brouw | Men’s Track Athlete of the Week |
| 2/14/2023 | Amelia Mazza-Downie | Women’s Track Athlete of the Week |
| 2/14/2023 | Brodie Young | Men’s Freshman of the Week |
In a light week, the Lobos will have select athletes competing in the distance medley relay at the Alex Wilson Invitational hosted by Notre Dame, and at the USATF Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Full schedules for this weekend’s action can be found online here.