After a week of rest for most of its athletes, the New Mexico indoor track and field squad returns to action at Mountain West Indoor Championships on Thursday.
The three-day meet will take place at the Albuquerque Convention Center, where UNM has hosted its past four home meets.
“There are very good teams out there,” UNM head coach Joe Franklin said in an interview. “I would expect (the men of) Colorado State to win the championship.”
Colorado State’s men’s team moved up to No. 11 in this week’s national USTFCCCA rankings, and its women’s team placed No. 61 in the most recent rankings. Air Force ranked No. 35 on the women’s side, and No. 49 on the men’s side.
Facing these competitive opponents, the ultimate goal in the conference meet for the Lobos is to qualify for NCAA Championships.
“We are just going to try to score as many points as we can, and move people up on NCAA lists,” Franklin said in an interview.
Distance runner Josh Kerr likely secured his spot in the NCAAs after he placed No. 8 in the mile in the last meet.
His sterling performance moved the men’s squad up to No. 69 in the national rankings. It was the first time this season that they were ranked in national polls.
Franklin also expects the New Mexico men’s 1600 relay team to run its best race on Thursday night to qualify for the NCAAs.
On the women’s side, the Lobos dropped from No. 29 to No. 71 in the national polls due to the tuneup week.
Unlike some of her teammates, senior distance runner Calli Thackery did not rest her legs this past Sunday. She was busy winning the title in the 3,000-meter run at the 2017 USATF New England Indoor Track and Field Championships, with a time of 9:07.77.
Her time ranks No. 18 in the country, and it secured her Mountain West Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week honors.
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However, the 18th place would not qualify her for nationals, as only the top 16 individuals can compete in the NCAAs.
Franklin admitted that the distance runners needed to move up a little bit as Sophie Connor ranked at 17th place in the mile, and Alice Wright was placed No. 17 in the 5,000-meter.
The results of the Mountain West Championships this weekend could garner spots for more of New Mexico’s distance runners at nationals, though, especially after a week of rest for many of them.
With the goal of attending the NCAA Championships in front, the Lobos must post solid performances this weekend. 16 Lobo individuals hold top-five marks in the conference.
The conference championships this weekend will be a time when everybody comes to compete, but the message from New Mexico’s head coach to his athletes is simple.
“Support each other,” Franklin said, “and make sure you lay it on the line.”
Bo Yu is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers track and field, cross country and volleyball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Bo_YuB.
