Throughout the 2008 track and field season, UNM athletes have set school records, qualified for prestigious meets and enjoyed one of its finest seasons in years.
And the Lobos will get a chance to show off their talents in front of a home crowd for the first time this season, hosting the Don Kirby Invitational on Saturday.
"It's going to be a great opportunity," head coach Joe Franklin said. "There's lots of great events. The meet's a pretty small meet, but in each event, there's pretty talented people."
A good amount of the gifted athletes will be coming from the UNM roster. The Lobo women vaulted into the top-25 national rankings earlier this season and boast some of the highest ranked athletes in a few events.
Sophomores Alesha Walker and Deanna Young have enjoyed outstanding seasons in the long jump this season.
Walker broke an 18-year-old school record in the event April 12 at UTEP, leaping a distance of 21-4. Her mark is ranked No. 6 in the nation and leads the Mountain West Conference.
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Meanwhile, Young's best jump of 20-6.25 ranks third in conference and No. 23 nationally.
Young also hit a career-best mark of 42-5.5 in the triple jump this season, which ranks third on the MWC list.
On the track, sprinter Ariel Burr will look to continue her dominance this weekend. Burr holds the school record in the 400-meter dash and qualified for the NCAA Championships last season.
She won the 400 at UNM's home meet in 2005 and 2006 and earned a victory in the 200 in Albuquerque last season.
Heptathlete Sandy Fortner will look to continue her rise up the rankings, as she scored a career-best 5,343 points in the seven-event competition. Her score ranks second on the MWC list and is just 16 points behind Emily Pearson of CSU.
"It's been a good season," she said. "We push each other. There's a little bit of a rivalry between the long jumpers, with one person breaking the records and then the other one breaking the record. It's been a good start for a new program."
The Lobos also boast a pair of talented javelin throwers.
Katie Coronado is 6-0 on the season and has won each meet by an average of about 17 feet. Her best mark of 171-5 is a school record and the best in the MWC this season. Coronado's distance ranks No. 8 nationally.
On the men's side, Anthony Fairbanks set the Mountain West Conference record with a throw of 224-11, just missing the school record by five inches. His throw is No. 16 in the nation and fourth in the NCAA Midwest Region.
All-American pole vaulter Robert Caldwell continues to make a strong comeback after redshirting the 2007 season. Caldwell's height of 17-6.5 is No. 4 nationally and tied for first in the MWC.
Franklin said the athletes' opportunity to show off in front of friends and family members will be a nice break from a long season of traveling.
"I think they're really excited," he said. "It's nice to be at home with all the traveling. It's a unique opportunity."
While most of the UNM athletes will be on display in Albuquerque this weekend, distance runners Jeremy Johnson, Lee Emmanuel and Mat Ashton will be in California competing at Stanford's Cardinal Invitational.
Jeremy Johnson - a two-time All-American - will look to add his name to NCAA regional qualifiers list. Meanwhile, Emmanuel will try to improve his mark in the 1,500. He ran 3:40.77 on April 17, which was fastest in the nation at the time.
Franklin said the runners will get a chance to do something special at Stanford.
He said Johnson will have a good chance to qualify for the NCAAs this weekend.
"Jeremy is running the 10,000 at Stanford, and we're looking for big things there," he said. "Hopefully, he can run a time that gets him in the top 10 in the country."
Emmanuel said he's thrilled at the chance to compete at the Cardinal invitational, despite having to miss the home meet.
"Stanford's probably the best place to run in America in terms of the field that goes down there," he said. "It's a great place to run."
Track and field hosts Don Kirby Invitational
Saturday, 10:30 a.m.
UNM Track complex
