Lobos Wrap Up Day One at UNM Collegiate Classic
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico Track & Field posted eight new personal bests and four marks that rank among the Top 10 in program history in its first day hosting the UNM Collegiate Classic at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Friday.
Alyssa Gregory became the third UNM women’s pole vaulter to clear four meters and Gabriella K. Szabo, Dylan Burrows and Klara Dess all moved up in the record books in the middle distance races to highlight UNM’s day of competition.
The action resumes tomorrow for Day Two, with events set to begin at 10:30 a.m. MT. This weekend’s events – as well as all of UNM’s collegiate home meets this season – will be exclusively live streamed via FloTrack, with live results available via GoLobos.com/TrackResults.
THE ACTION
Alyssa Gregory PR’d twice to get the day started with an event win in the women’s “B” pole vault, jumping 3.89 and 4.04m to move to No. 3 on the UNM all-time list and beat her previous best (3.36m) by .68m. She scratched out at the 4.19m mark, which would’ve beaten the current program record by .08m.
Gregory is the third UNM women’s vaulter to clear 4.00m this season – the first time in program history that three female Lobo vaulters have done so in the same season. UNM’s women’s pole vault squad ranked No. 13 in the nation in the USTFCCA’s initial #EventSquad rankings released earlier this week, and will likely move up in the ranks with the addition of Gregory’s new best.
True freshman Kyle Hatler followed with a lifetime PR of his own in the men’s vault, jumping 4.80m (15′ 9″) to finish tied for fourth on the men’s side.
Adam Giron Jr. came just short of his PR set last week at the UNM Team Open in the men’s high jump, clearing 1.97m (6′ 5½”) to finish 14th. In the long jump, Fabian Biondina jumped 6.76m (22′ 2¼”), finishing third in Flight One and 13th overall. Lilee Kaasch (37th) jumped 5.34m (17′ 6¼”) and Carlotta Duenninger (44th) notched 5.07m (16′ 7¾”) in the women’s long jump.
In the unseeded men’s 200m dash, Victor Akhalu finished fourth overall with a 21.15 raw PR (21.22) for a season best ahead of Brodie Young (15th, 21.74), Jose Cornejo (21st, 21.86), Elijah Jefferson (23rd, 21.88) and Tim Harris (37th, 22.73).
Lauren Fowler was UNM’s fastest finisher in the women’s 200m, placing 15th with a 24.29 converted time. Behind her, Ophelia Pulley finished 59th (25.67) ahead of Carlotta Duenninger (73rd, 27.23) and Malia Dumlao (28.88). Both Fowler and Pulley’s times stand as new personal bests even after elevation conversions, with the duo shaving .26 and .35 seconds off their prior bests respectively.
The Lobos’ lone competitor in the 600m, Gabriella Szabo ran a lifetime PR with a 1:34.00 finish – the seventh-fastest indoor 600 in program history. Through her first two races in a UNM uniform, the Hungarian national has ran new personal bests in both the 800m and 600m.
Annamaria Leszczynska made her season debut in the first women’s 400m racing of the day, finishing first in heat five and 14th overall with a 56.86 modified time.
UNM’s Aussie duo of Ethan Brouw and Dylan Burrows placed third and fourth behind a pair of professionals to finish at the top collegians of the day in the men’s 800m. Brouw put down a 1:48.05 modified mark that would rank 18th on the TFRRS D-I NCAA Indoor Qualifying list, with Burrows getting a 1:48.25 converted PR that would rank 20th. In the second heat, Osaze Williams ran a 1:52.50 converted time to finish ninth overall.
Burrow’s time moves him into the No. 4 spot on the UNM indoor all-time list after putting down the seventh-fastest time in program history (1:49.09) in his 800m debut last weekend at the UNM Team Open.
Klara Dess (2:08.36) led three Lobos in her first 800m of the indoor season with a third-place finish and new personal best, with Harriet Tuson (2:11.03) and Sarah Eckel (2:11.92) finishing right behind in fourth and fifth. Dess’ personal best moved her into No. 5 on the Top 10 list.
In the fastest women’s 400m competition of the night – and UNM’s final race of Day One – Lou-Anne Pouzancre Hoyer finished third overall with a 54.62 converted time. Pouzancre currently holds the second-best 400m time in the Mountain West.