Four Lobos will represent New Mexico on the big stage for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon on June 8-11.
Though inclement weather prevented teams from competing on Thursday, Courtney Frerichs, Alice Wright, Elmar Engholm and Allan Hamilton have all punched their ticket after placing in the top 12 at the NCAA West Preliminary Round at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kansas on Friday.
Wright gained an All-American status last year with her performance at the NCAA championships and proved to be a top competitor in the West with her runner-up time of 34:21.95 in the 10,000 meter run. The redshirt sophomore has a chance to garner an All-American honor again in less than two weeks.
Frerichs, a senior, was the only competitor to finish under 10 minutes in the 3000-meter-steeplechase. She will have a lot to live up to, ranked No. 1 in the nation, as she makes her third appearance in the NCAAs.
The senior represented UMKC in the steeplechase a year ago before transferring to UNM. She took silver at the national championships last year and is ranked third all-time in the NCAA history books, according to a UNM release.
The men’s team will also be representing New Mexico with a pair of athletes.
A jump of 24 feet, 10 ½ inches garnered an eighth place spot in Hamilton’s senior year. Hamilton missed last year’s trip to the NCAAs by just one spot when he finished 13th with a leap of 25 feet, 4 ¾ inches. This year’s shorter jump was more, in a way, and has a definite spot in Oregon this year.
Hamilton is the first long jumper to wear a UNM uniform at the NCAAs since 1985 when Fidelis Ndyabagye was jumping for New Mexico.
Engholm has made it to the preliminaries for all four years in his collegiate career. However, this will be the first time he will be competing on the national stage as his time of 8:42.29 on Friday was second best on the day.
He is just the fifth student in program history to represent the University in the men’s steeplechase.
The four UNM athletes may not be the only representatives with events occurring today. Even if no more student-athletes qualify, it is the 10th consecutive year that the Lobos have sent at least four to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
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