Lobos find success in first home meet of outdoor season

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Hosting its first of two home meets during the 2023 outdoor season on Thursday at the UNM Track & Field Complex, the New Mexico track team enjoyed a day of successes on its home turf.

Victor Akhalu and Ayoub El Ashmawi each notched personal bests in the 100-meters, hitting times of 10.44 seconds (converted from 10.41) and 10.94 seconds (10.91), respectively. The duo struck again in the 200-meters, with Akhalu running a PR of 21.25 seconds (21.18) to lead all Lobos who competed in the event, and El Ashmawi following at 21.81 seconds (21.74). Brodie Young also had a PR in the 200-meters with a time of 21.38 seconds (21.31), while Jevon O’Bryant ran 21.28 seconds (21.21) and Jovahn Williamson logged a time of 21.52 seconds (21.45).

Stefanie Parsons topped a field of 21 runners in the 800-meters, posting a time of 2:07.53 minutes (2:08.29) to finish in first place. Rebecca Grieve finished fourth with a personal-best time of 2:08.39 minutes (2:09.15), and Maisie Grice placed fifth in 2:10.26 minutes (2:11.04). Danielle Verster checked in with a time of 2:11.34 minutes (2:12.12), Semira Mebrahtu Firezghi ran 2:16.43 minutes (2:17.24), Isabella Fauria ran 2:16.93 minutes (2:17.75), Lauren Bettencourt posted a mark of 2:22.77 minutes (2:23.62), and Laini Cota rounded out the field for UNM in 2:27.46 minutes (2:28.34).

Harrison Smith III ran his best 800-meter time in a Lobo uniform, hitting a mark of 1:53.92 minutes (1:54.60) to top a field of eight competitors. That was just off his lifetime best of 1:53.81 minutes, which he ran during the indoor season as an unattached competitor.

Nehemiah Cionelo hit a personal best in the 1,500-meters, running a time of 3:53.61 minutes (3:59.08) on Thursday. That was nearly six full seconds faster than his previous collegiate outdoor best of 3:59.14, which he hit on April 1, 2022 in Texas.

Aidan Quinn logged a PR in the long jump, leading the way with a mark of 7.10 meters (23’ 3.5”) on Thursday. That was an improvement upon his top leap of 7.05 meters (23’ 1.75”), which he recorded on Feb. 25, 2022 at the Mountain West Indoor Championships.

Zennia Gonzalez and Lilee Kaasch competed in the women’s long jump, with Gonzalez’s mark of 5.71 meters (18’ 9”) being her top distance cleared in a Lobo uniform. Kaasch meanwhile hit a mark of 5.47 meters (17’ 11.5”), which was just off her season best of 5.51 meters (18’ 1”) set on March 25 in Texas. The freshman followed with a distance of 11.42 meters (37’ 5.75”) in the triple jump. Mikyla Harkley was the top performer in the triple jump, hitting a mark of 12.19 meters (40’ 0”).

Three Lobo women competed in the pole vault, with the unattached Kiara Quezada-Arzate leading the trio with a personal-best height of 3.90 meters (12’ 9.5”). That topped her previous best of 3.82 meters (12’ 6.25”), which she set on Feb. 11, 2022 at the Don Kirby Elite during the indoor season. Alyssa Gregory notched a height of 3.65 meters (11’ 11.75”), and Kailey Ludwig followed at 3.20 meters (10’ 6”).

Adam Giron was the lone Lobo to participate in the high jump, where he cleared a mark of 1.92 meters (6’ 3.5”). On the women’s side, Emily Ho was the top performer in the high jump at 1.65 meters (5’ 5”), finishing just 0.02 meters off her lifetime best of 1.67 meters set during the 2022 indoor season. Victoria Plummer and Alyssa Magallanez cleared a height of 1.65 meters as well, and Kora Pettengill checked in with a mark of 1.40 meters (4’ 7”). Pettengill also posted a shot put mark of 11.19 meters (36’ 8.5”).

In her second javelin throw of the season, freshman Keagin Brooks notched a mark of 38.79 meters (127’ 3”) at the outset of the meet on Thursday. Alix Rule had her best throw of the outdoor season at 28.0 meters (91’ 10”), and Victoria Plummer followed with a toss of 20.98 meters (68’ 10”). Plummer also competed in the 100-meter hurdles, where she notched a time of 15.83 seconds (15.79).

Semira Mebrahtu Firezghi led the Lobo women in the 1,500-meters, finishing third among a field of 19 competitors with a time of 4:29.58 minutes (4:35.89). Camille Jackson also participated in the race, running a time of 5:16.47 minutes (5:23.88).

Mckenna Watson was the top performer in the 100-meters, running a time of 12.24 seconds (12.21) to finish third among a field of 11 competitors. Maria Cisneros Llamazares ran a time of 12.43 seconds (12.40), while Tatyanah Wiley made her season debut with a time of 13.10 seconds (13.07). Alexandra Adams hit a mark of 13.29 seconds (13.26), Gregory ran 13.43 seconds (13.40), Ludwig finished in 13.87 seconds (13.84), and Adriana Gabaldon made her spring debut with a time of 14.41 seconds (14.38).

Watson also led a large group of 200-meter competitors, finishing second out of 16 with a time of 24.34 seconds (24.27). Cisneros Llamazares checked in at 25.63 seconds (25.56), Pettengill ran 25.73 seconds (25.66), and Wiley finished in 26.10 seconds (26.03). Adams also broke the 27-second threshold, finishing in 26.99 seconds (26.92). Magallanez ran a time of 27.46 seconds (27.39), Kaasch finished in 27.70 seconds (27.63), Gonzalez ran 27.76 seconds (27.69), and Gabaldon was the final UNM competitor in 29.82 seconds (29.75).

Leigh James, Analisa Ibarra, and Preslie Coffey competed in the 400-meter hurdles, with James posting the top mark at 1:07.87 minutes. Ibarra followed in 1:15.21 minutes (1:15.10), and Coffey turned in a mark of 1:17.31 minutes (1:17.20).

The Lobos also participated in the 4×400-meter relays on Thursday, with the women’s quartet of Bettencourt, Fauria, Grice, and Parsons clocking a time of 4:00.84 minutes (4:00.40). On the men’s side, Smith III, Cionelo, Ethan Brouw, and Matthew Larkin put together a time of 3:27.93 minutes (3:27.49).

LOOKING AHEAD: The Lobos are scheduled to compete in the Bryan Clay Invitational in California and the Tom Jones Memorial in Florida next weekend.