The University of New Mexico track and field team is headed to Logan, Utah to participate in the conference outdoor championships today through Saturday.
With a number of individual leaders in Mountain West, the Lobos will have several chances to claim the conference title if the team can perform consistently throughout the event.
New Mexico seems hopeful that it will have a solid showing that sends several standouts to compete at the national level.
"The expectations are to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to score as many points as possible while still trying to prepare people for the national championships,” head coach Joe Franklin said in a release.
Nine Lobos and one relay team that ranked in top three of the conference will have some opportunities to win individual titles for New Mexico .
Distance runner Alice Wright could be expected to run a double this week as she ranked No.1 in Mountain West in both the women’s 5000-meter (15:53.28) and the women’s 10,000-meter (32.29.28).
Wright was named as the most recent Mountain West Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week on Tuesday.
Her time in the women’s 10,000-meter run at the Payton Jordan Invitational last Friday broke the program record, and ranked third in the NCAA in 2017.
Out on the field, Jannell Hadnot led the triple jumpers of the conference with her leap of 43 feet 5 inches. In the heptathlon, Kyra Mohns ranked second with 5,125 points.
There are plenty more scoring opportunities with individual leaders on the men’s side as well.
In the men’s 1500 meter-run, No. 1 Josh Kerr will attempt to defend his metric mile title with his world-leading time of 3:35.99.
Graham Thomas could also have a chance in the men’s 3000-meter steeple, as he placed second in Mountain West (8:54.29).
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In the men’s 200-meter dash, Carlos Salcido was ranked No. 2 in the conference (21.07).
The Lobo men have a great chance to succeed in the 1600-meter relay event and pick up a team title, as they ranked third in the league (3:09.58).
Out on the fields, Tanner Battikha is ranked No.1 in the long jump (24 feet, 9 3/4 inches).
In the triple jump, Samuel Trigg sits at second place with his leap of 52 feet, 10 3/4 inches.
Along with New Mexico, the rest of the 11 women’s teams and seven men’s teams should provide a competitive conference meet.
“The conference as a whole just is the best it's been in years, even back when there were other schools in the conference,” Franklin said. “The conference right now is incredibly deep in all events.”
The meet began on Wednesday, with the event scheduled to conclude with the awards ceremony taking place at 7:25 p.m. on Saturday.
Bo Yu is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers beach volleyball, track and field, cross country and volleyball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Bo_YuB.
