SWEEP SUCCESS
New Mexico’s men and women repeat as Mountain West indoor track-and-field champions.
The snowball effect was in full force for the University of New Mexico track and field teams Saturday afternoon.
With one victory after another, the Lobo men and women piled up the points and pulled away to win both team titles at the Mountain West Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
“We felt comfortable going into today on the women’s side; the men’s side we had to have a lot of things happen right,” UNM coach Joe Franklin said. “It’s one of those days where we had everything happen right. It started with the (men’s) high jump early in the morning and then the mile, and it just started to get rolling and it just literally snowballed.”
The UNM women finished with 149 points to easily outdistance Colorado State (96), giving the Lobos back-to-back indoor titles.
“Honestly, it’s just extremely rewarding to be able to accomplish this with my team in what is my last season,” said senior Sammy Silva, who won both the mile (4 minutes, 50.22 seconds) and 800 meters (2:11.52) after overcoming a number of stress fractures in her ankles in seasons past. “I’ve been competing collegiately for quite some time and I’ve dealt with so many injuries in the past, just to be able to contribute points and be a part of this is honestly so amazing.”
The UNM men (160) edged the Rams (140) for the Lobos’ third straight indoor conference title.
“Both (teams) are holding the trophy at the end of the day, so that’s all that needs to be said about that,” said junior Ridge Jones, who set a personal best (6.6 seconds) in winning the 60-meter dash. “Everybody did their part.”
Individual Lobos won five men’s events and four women’s events Saturday.
“To have some of the performances that we had today was unbelievable,” Franklin said. “Across the board, from Ridge Jones running 6.6, that was just flat-out fast. That’s world-class speed.”
Jones’ time in the 60 was enough to qualify him for the coming NCAA Championships.
“In the 60 I really focused on my start, my middle and my end,” Jones said. “I took everything I was lacking in the prelims and (overcame it) in the finals. That helped me a out a lot.”
In addition to Jones’ victory, sopho- more Elmar Engholm captured the mile (4:10.13) and senior Adam Bitchell sprinted from behind to win the 3,000 (8:11.05), beating Colorado State’s Jefferson Abbey by 0.08 seconds.
Senior Django Lovett got the day started on a positive note for UNM by winning the high jump (7 feet, ¼ inch). Senior Warrick Campbell defended his title in the triple jump with a leap of 51-5.
For the women, junior Aasha Marler made it a Lobo sweep of the triple jump with her leap of 42 feet, 1 ½ inches.
Junior Holly Van Grinsven won the 400 (54.69) and was a close second in the 60 hurdles (8.24), just 0.03 seconds behind San Diego State’s Micha Auzenne.
Van Grinsven’s victory in the 400 was protested because of physical contact between her and another runner, but in the end her win was upheld.
“That happens a lot of times when you do the cut-in. It just gets a little messy sometimes,” Van Grinsven said. “Sometimes you have some pushing and shoving, so I wasn’t about to get pushed around, so I gave a little back, which caused a little bit of controversy.”
The NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships loom next for the Lobos on March 13-14 in Fayetteville, Ark.
“We may have a significant contingent going to nationals,” Franklin said. “It’s going to be our largest contingent (up to seven individuals and a relay team).”