Lobos open outdoor season with promising marks in Texas

LUBBOCK, Texas – Getting the 2023 outdoor season started on the front foot Saturday at the Fuller Track & Field Complex, New Mexico’s track and field team had a strong showing at the Texas Tech Masked Rider Open.

Mikyla Harkley hit a personal best in her first meet of the outdoor season, finishing third among a field of 24 competitors in the long jump. Harkley hit a distance of 5.89 meters (19’ 4”) on her third attempt Saturday, which was an improvement of 0.09 meters on her previous outdoor best of 5.80 meters (19’ 0.5”) she hit last April. Harkley followed with a jump of 12.16 meters (39’ 10.75”) in the triple jump, placing second among a field of eight jumpers in that event as well.

Brodie Young hit a time of 46.20 seconds (converted from 46.09) in the 400-meters, which was an improvement on his top indoor time of 46.65 seconds (46.54) which he ran on Feb. 10. It was also an all-time outdoor personal best for the freshman, whose previous top mark was 46.69 seconds which he ran in July of 2022 in Great Britain. He wound up placing sixth among a field of 47 sprinters who competed on Saturday.

Fellow freshman Mckenna Watson had an outstanding showing in her collegiate outdoor debut, establishing a PR in the 100-meters with a time of 11.86 seconds (11.83). Watson entered her collegiate career with a best of 12.09 seconds, which she ran in April, 2022.

Coming off an indoor season that saw her win Mountain West titles in both the 200-meters and 400-meters, Tianna Holmes placed fourth among a field of 54 runners in the 200-meters, with a time of 24.19 seconds (24.12). Watson was close behind in seventh place with a time of 24.34 seconds (24.27).

Lilee Kaasch and Zennia Gonzalez each also competed in the long jump, with the freshmen posting marks of 5.51 meters (18’ 1”) and 5.43 meters (17’ 9.25”), respectively. Gonzalez’s mark was her best of the 2022-23 season, after she topped out during the indoor campaign with a leap of 5.42 meters (17’ 9.5”). Kaasch also surpassed her best indoor jump of the season, which was 5.27 meters (17’ 3.5”) on Jan. 21. She followed with a leap of 11.59 meters (38’ 0.25”) in the triple jump, which was 0.02 meters beyond her indoor best of 11.57 meters (37’ 11.5”).

Lokesh Sathyanathan got his first outdoor season as a Lobo off to a good start, placing second among a field of 16 competitors in the long jump. The third-place finisher at the Mountain West Indoor Championships in the event, Sathyanathan posted a leap of 7.38 meters (24’ 2.5”) on Saturday.

Keagin Brooks had a strong showing in her collegiate debut on Saturday, placing third among a field of 17 competitors in the javelin. The true freshman posted a throw of 40.52 meters (132’ 11”), which was just one meter off her personal best of 41.52 meters which she set during her career at Murray High School in Kentucky.

Senior Aidan Quinn got his outdoor season started with a triple jump of 14.52 meters (47’ 7.75”), taking third place in the event on Saturday.

Victor Akhalu led the Lobo men in the 200-meters, finishing eighth among 52 runners with a time of 21.60 seconds (21.53). Jovahn Williamson placed 12th with a time of 21.69 seconds (21.62), and Jevon O’Bryant was close behind in 17th at 21.91 seconds (21.84).

Women’s pole vaulters Alyssa Gregory and Kailey Ludwig were in action on Saturday, after each recording personal bests during the indoor campaign. Gregory led the way for the Lobos with a mark of 3.45 meters (11’ 3.75”), and Ludwig followed clearing a height of 3.05 meters (10’ 0”).

Maria Cisneros Llamazares turned in a time of 12.60 seconds (12.57) in the 100-meters in her first outdoor competition of the year. The Spanish international also ran the 200-meters, where she took 28th place among 54 runners with a time of 26.36 seconds (26.29). Lobo newcomers Annamaria Leszczynska and Logan Neely participated in the 400-meter hurdles, posting times of 1:01.00 minutes (1:00.89) and 1:01.96 minutes (1:01.85) respectively to place second and fifth among a field of 11 runners.

Emily Ho notched a throw of 27.68 meters (90’ 10”), Kora Pettingill hit 27.16 meters (89’ 1”), Victoria Plummer had a throw of 20.71 meters (67’ 11”), and in her first-ever javelin Alix Rule hit a mark of 20.29 meters (66’ 7”). Plummer took 11th out of 20 in the 100-meter hurdles, with a time of 15.76 seconds (15.72) seconds, and finished the 200-meters with a time of 27.35 seconds (27.28). Pettengill meanwhile ran a time of 26.39 seconds (26.32) in the 200-meters to place 30th out of 54, and Gonzalez notched a time of 28.20 seconds (28.13) in the 200. Ho also competed in the race, finishing with a time of 30.16 seconds (30.09).

Freshman Analisa Ibarra competed in the 400-meters in her first collegiate outdoor meet, posting a time of 59.10 seconds (58.99). On the men’s side, Rivaldo Leacock ran unattached with a time of 48.47 seconds (48.36), and Ayoub El Ashmawi checked in with a time of 49.67 seconds (49.56) in the 400-meters. El Ashmawi also ran the 200-meters, posting a time of 22.65 seconds (22.58).

NEXT WEEK: The outdoor season continues next week, with the Lobos heading to a pair of meets on the road. UNM will be in action at the Texas Relays in Austin, as well as the Stanford Invitational on the West Coast with both events beginning next Friday.

ALTITUDE CONVERSIONS: Lubbock, Texas is one of the cities in which altitude conversions are required for NCAA qualification purposes due to elevation. This article lists athletes’ converted times first, with raw times listed in parentheses. The official New Mexico record book recognizes converted times to adjust for altitude.