Lobos set for final meets before championships
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Set to compete in its final meets before the championship portion of the schedule, the New Mexico track and field team will be in action at four different locations this weekend.
Action gets started on Friday evening, with three Lobos set to compete at the Oregon State High Performance meet in Corvallis, Ore. UNM is then slated for the Penn Relays, the Fresno State Invitational, and the Texas Tech Corky/Crofoot Shootout on Saturday.
It will be the final slate of preparation for the Lobos before the championship schedule kicks off on May 11-13 with the Mountain West Track and Field Championships. UNM will follow with the NCAA West Region Preliminary meet on May 24-27, with its sights set on qualifying for the NCAA Championships on June 7 in Austin, Texas.
Lobo Track & Field Comprehensive Competition Schedule – April 28-29, 2023
All times listed are Mountain Daylight Time
| Friday, April 28 |
Women’s 1,500-Meters (Oregon State High Performance) – 7:52 p.m.
Sarah Eckel – Lifetime Best: 4:14.11 (2/17/2018 – Australia)
Maisie Grice – Lifetime Best: 4:17.99 (7/9/22 – Great Britain)
Sarah Eckel enters Friday’s meet at No. 8 on the Mountain West performance list, with her season-best time of 4:23.45 minutes coming on April 13 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Maisie Grice is coming off a time of 4:23.85 minutes at the Stanford Invitational on March 31, and she enters the weekend ranked ninth in the Mountain west in the 1,500-meters.
Women’s 3,000-Meter Steeplechase (Oregon State High Performance) – 9:05 p.m.
Lauren Bettencourt – Lifetime Best: None.
Lauren Bettencourt will take on the 3,000-meter steeplechase for the first time in her collegiate career on Friday night.
| Saturday, April 29 |
Women’s 4×1500-Meters (Penn Relays) – 10:40 a.m.
Abigail Goldstein, Stefanie Parsons, Elise Thorner, Danielle Verster
A quartet of the Lobos’ top distance runners will compete in the historic Penn Relays on Saturday afternoon, taking part in the American Championship section of the 4×1500-meter relay. All four of the Lobos who are competing are in the top-seven in the Mountain West individually in the 1,500-meters this year, with Abigail Goldstein’s school-record time of 4:12.98 minutes leading the conference. Elise Thorner is third in the conference at 4:17.08 minutes, Danielle Verster is fifth at 4:18.12 minutes, and Stefanie Parsons ranks seventh with a time of 4:20.26 minutes.
Women’s & Men’s High Jump (Texas Tech) – 2 p.m.
Alyssa Magallanez – Lifetime Best: 1.68m/5’ 6” (3/6/2021 – UNLV Spring Opener)
Victoria Plummer – Lifetime Best: 1.70m/5’ 7” (2/23/2023 – MW Championships)
Adam Giron – Lifetime Best: 2.01m/6’ 7” (4/21/2022 – Don Kirby Tailwind)
Victoria Plummer matched her lifetime best in the high jump during the indoor season, clearing a bar at 1.70 meters (5’ 7”). Alyssa Magallanez has been on the cusp of clearing her personal best throughout the spring, and Adam Giron came 0.01 meters away from doing so as well during the indoor season.
Women’s 400-Meters (Fresno State Invitational) – 3 p.m.
Tianna Holmes – Lifetime Best: 52.11 (5/27/2022 – NCAA West Preliminary)
The school record holder in the 400-meters, Holmes will give herself a preview of the Mountain West Championship track on Saturday. The defending MW indoor champion in the event, Holmes has the top time in the conference this season with a mark of 53.29 seconds hit on April 13 at the Bryan Clay Invitational.
Women’s Long Jump (Texas Tech) – 3 p.m.
Zennia Gonzalez – Lifetime Best: 5.93m/19’ 5.5” (4/30/2022 – Mexico)
Lilee Kaasch – 5.58m/18’ 3.75” (4/15/2022 – HS)
Lilee Kaasch is coming off her best collegiate long jump yet at the Texas Tech Masked Rider, clearing a distance of 5.51 meters (18’ 1”) on March 25. Gonzalez meanwhile hit a season-best mark of 5.71 meters (18’ 9”) on April 6 at the UNM Spring Invitational.
Men’s 400-Meters (Fresno State Invitational) – 3:15 p.m.
Jevon O’Bryant – Lifetime Best: 45.67 (5/25/2022 – NCAA West Preliminary)
Brodie Young – Lifetime Best: 46.20a (3/25/2023 – Texas Tech Masked Rider)
Two of the Lobos’ top sprinters will look to improve their season bests heading into the championship portion of the schedule. Brodie Young enters the week second in the Mountain West with a time of 46.20 seconds (converted from 46.09), while Jevon O’Bryant is fourth in the league at 46.53 seconds (46.42).
Men’s 100-Meters (Fresno State Invitational) – 3:45 p.m.
Victor Akhalu – Lifetime Best: 10.44a (4/6/2023 – UNM Spring Invitational)
Competing in the 100-meters for the first time in his collegiate career, Victor Akhalu raced to a time of 10.44 seconds (10.41) at the UNM Spring Invitational on April 6. That was good for the second-fastest time in the conference this spring, as he trails only Javin Bostic of Air Force who ran 10.34 seconds.
Women’s 800-Meters (Fresno State Invitational) – 4 p.m.
Rebecca Grieve – Lifetime Best: 2:07.20a (1/28/2023 – New Mexico Team Open)
Standout freshman Rebecca Grieve ran her lifetime best in the 800-meters during the indoor season, hitting a time of 2:07.20 minutes (2:07.91) on Jan. 28. She followed with an outdoor season best time of 2:08.39 minutes (2:09.15) on May 6, as she enters this week at No. 4 on the Mountain West performance list.
Men’s 800-Meters (Fresno State Invitational) – 4:15 p.m.
Ethan Brouw – Lifetime Best: 1:47.21 (2/11/2023 – UW Husky Classic)
Harrison Smith III – Lifetime Best: 1:53.81a (2/3/2023 – UNM Collegiate Classic)
Ethan Brouw broke the indoor school record in the 800-meters, running a time of 1:47.21 minutes on Feb. 11 on his way to being an All-American in the event. Harrison Smith III also hit a lifetime best during the indoor season, clocking in at 1:53.81 minutes (1:54.45) competing unattached at the UNM Collegiate Classic on Feb. 3.
Women’s 400-Meters (Texas Tech) – 4:55 p.m.
Analisa Ibarra – Lifetime Best: 57.92a (2/11/2023 – Don Kirby Invitational)
Annamaria Leszczynska – Lifetime Best: 56.32 (11/25/2018 – Australia)
Logan Neely – Lifetime Best: 54.62 (4/1/2023 – Texas State Bobcat Invitational)
Aleksandra Wolczak – Lifetime Best: 53.86 (7/16/2022 – Slovenia)
Neely holds the top time this season among this group of four, as she ranks No. 6 on the Mountain West performance list at 54.62 seconds. That was a lifetime best for the Lobo newcomer. Freshman Analisa Ibarra ran a lifetime best of 57.92 seconds (57.81) during the indoor season, while Annamaria Leszczynska and Aleksandra Wolczak will each be competing in the event for the first time during the 2023 outdoor season.
Women’s 200-Meters (Fresno State Invitational) – 5 p.m.
Tianna Holmes – Lifetime Best: 23.12 (5/27/2021 – NCAA West Preliminary)
Holmes also has the school record in the 200-meters, establishing that mark during the 2021 season. Holmes is No. 9 on the Mountain West performance list this spring, running a season-best time of 24.19 seconds (24.12) on March 24 at the Texas Tech Masked Rider.
Women’s Triple Jump (Fresno State Invitational) – 5 p.m.
Mikyla Harkley – Lifetime Best: 12.57m/41’ 3” (4/30/2022 – Fresno State Invitational)
Mikyla Harkley’s lifetime best in the triple jump came at the same meet a year ago, when she cleared 12.57 meters (41’ 3”). She has already reached a PR in the long jump this spring at 6.01 meters (19’ 8.75”), and she’ll have her eyes set on improving her standing at No. 9 on the Mountain West performance list in the triple jump with a season-best tally of 12.39 meters (40’ 7.75”).
Women’s Triple Jump (Texas Tech) – 5 p.m.
Lilee Kaasch – Lifetime Best: 11.70m/38’ 4.75” (5/19/2021 – HS)
Kaasch and Harkley will jump virtually simultaneously on Saturday, albeit roughly 1,250 miles apart. Kaasch has shown steady improvement in the triple jump throughout her debut collegiate season, increasing her indoor best of 11.57 meters (37’ 11.5”) to an outdoor best of 11.59 meters (38’ 0.25”) which she hit on March 25 in Lubbock.
Men’s 200-Meters (Fresno State Invitational) – 5:15 p.m.
Victor Akhalu – Lifetime Best: 21.25a (4/6/2023 – UNM Spring Invitational)
Akhalu reached his lifetime best in the event three weeks ago at home, running 21.25 seconds (21.18) in Albuquerque at the UNM Spring Invitational. He enters the final week of the regular season at No. 7 on the conference performance list in the 200-meters.
Women’s 100-Meters (Texas Tech) – 5:25 p.m.
Kora Pettengill – Lifetime Best: 12.78a (4/20/2023 – Don Kirby Tailwind)
Mckenna Watson – Lifetime Best: 11.81 (4/15/2023 – Bryan Clay Invitational)
Mckenna Watson checks in at No. 8 on the Mountain West performance list in the 100-meters, as she has progressed down to a season-best time of 11.81 seconds on April 15 in California. Kora Pettengill ran the event for the first time at the collegiate level on April 20, recording a time of 12.78 seconds (12.75).
Women’s 400-Meter Hurdles (Texas Tech) – 6:15 p.m.
Analisa Ibarra – Lifetime Best: 1:04.90 (4/14/2023 – Bryan Clay Invitational)
Annamaria Leszczynska – Lifetime Best: 58.57 (4/14/2023 – Bryan Clay Invitational)
Logan Neely – Lifetime Best: 59.10 (4/14/2023 – Bryan Clay Invitational)
Leszczynska and Neely are the top-two athletes in the Mountain West in the 400-meter hurdles, as the duo recorded lifetime bests at the Bryan Clay Invitational two weeks ago in California. The strong marks have UNM’s event squad ranked No. 10 in the latest USTFCCCA rankings in the event. Ibarra will look to cut down on her season-best time of 1:04.90 seconds, in her first collegiate campaign.
Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles (Texas Tech) – 6:30 p.m.
Tim Harris – Lifetime Best: 53.89 (5/16/2021 – MVC Championships)
Rivaldo Leacock – Lifetime Best: 49.63 (5/25/2022 – NCAA West Preliminary)
Rivaldo Leacock is the school record holder in the 400-meter hurdles, posting a time of 49.63 seconds at last year’s NCAA West Preliminary Championships. He will compete unattached on Saturday. Tim Harris will look to improve upon his season-best time of 56.04 seconds, as he reaches towards his lifetime best of 53.89 seconds which he ran during his career at Loyola Chicago. Harris enters the weekend at No. 9 on the Mountain West performance list.
Women’s 200-Meters (Texas Tech) – 6:40 p.m.
Zennia Gonzalez – Lifetime Best: 27.76a (4/6/2023 – UNM Spring Invitational)
Lilee Kaasch – Lifetime Best: 27.70a (4/6/2023 – UNM Spring Invitational)
Annamaria Leszczynska – Lifetime Best: 25.33 (2/11/2022 – Chicago)
Kora Pettengill – Lifetime Best: 25.73a (4/6/2023 – UNM Spring Invitational)
Victoria Plummer – Lifetime Best: 26.57 (3/30/2023 – Texas State Bobcat Invitational)
Mckenna Watson – Lifetime Best: 23.95 (4/13/2023 – Bryan Clay Invitational)
Watson is the Lobos’ top competitor in the event so far this spring, entering Saturday ranked No. 4 on the Mountain West performance list with a season-best time of 23.95 seconds which she hit on April 13 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Four of the other five Lobos set to compete in the 200-meters on Saturday have also hit lifetime bests this year.
Men’s 200-Meters (Texas Tech) – 6:55 p.m.
Tim Harris – Lifetime Best: 22.93 (2/22/2020 – Alex Wilson Invitational)
Rivaldo Leacock – Lifetime Best: 21.52a (2/24/2023 – MW Championships)
Harris will compete in the 200-meters for the second time this spring, after finishing second in his heat at the Don Kirby Tailwind on April 20. Leacock will also compete in the event as an unattached runner.
Women’s 4×400-Meters (Texas Tech) – 7:40 p.m.
Analisa Ibarra, Annamaria Leszczynska, Logan Neely, Mckenna Watson, Aleksandra Wolczak
New Mexico will close out the weekend with a 4×400-meter relay, with a pool of five runners available to construct the quartet who will compete on Saturday night in Texas.