Kirby Invite comes to a fast finish
Lobo highlights: Kerr, Connor, record-breaking men’s 4x400 team
Josh Kerr didn’t quite take the collegiate running world by storm last year.
As a true freshman, the Edinburgh, Scotland native did not perform to expectations as part of the UNM cross-country team.
“It didn’t go as planned,” Kerr said.
Kerr made the wise decision to redshirt for the indoor track and field season last winter. That extra year to train and prepare is now paying off.
Kerr outkicked Utah State’s Dillon Maggard and Anthony Rotich (unattached) over the last 50 meters to capture the mile in 4 minutes, 3.34 seconds at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational on Saturday at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
See RELAY >> C7
If Kerr had not chosen to redshirt last year, he may have found himself chasing down the stretch instead of leading.
“I needed that extra year,” Kerr said. “I came over here when I was 17, and it was quite a big change in my life.”
Although it wasn’t a winning performance, the Lobos’ mile relay team of Cheyne Dorsey, Isaac Gonzales, Carlos Salcido and Mark Haywood was all smiles after finishing third behind Arizona and Arizona State.
Coming into the meet, the quartet’s best time was a full second shy of the school record. On this afternoon, the Lobos’ relay team shattered its previous-best time by 1½ seconds and broke a 33-year-old school record, timing 3:11.66.
The previous record of 3:12.27. “It’s awesome and such an honor to have such a long-standing record, and to break the record,” Gonzales said. “To be on the track to do that, it’s such an honor.”
UCLA set the early pace, but by the midway mark of the second leg, the Bruins gave up that spot to Arizona. Gonzales, who ran UNM’s second leg, also made his move taking the Lobos from last to third — and passing UCLA in the process.
“Isaac ran super tough,” Salcido said of his teammate. “He did something today that showed how hard he has been working.”
Bringing up the rear for most of the first two laps of the 200-meter oval certainly served as motivation.
“You never want to be at the end of a heat, and it certainly pushed us,” Salcido said.
UNM senior miler Sophie Connor had her breakthrough performance a year ago at this meet, qualifying for the NCAA Championships. Connor was pushed Saturday by UNM redshirt freshman Ednah Kurgat for the first two laps before Kurgat, as the “rabbit,” dropped out of the race.
Connor led by nearly 40 meters over the final two laps in cruising to a winning time of 4:44.02.
“She was helped out by her teammate, but she was running virtually unopposed,” said UNM coach Joe Franklin of Connor. “To (run that time) today was outstanding.”
Franklin said the Kirby Invitational continues to build on previous years’ successes, and he was happy with the attendance and the smooth transition from event to event.
“The stands were full, the production is better, and we’re broadcasting it all over the world,” Franklin said. “There are always things you can improve on, but this year, it’s been pretty impressive.”
Other notables:
■ UNM’s Gavin Sleeter edged past teammate Kristian Hansenm winning the first heat of the men’s 800-meter final in 1:51.09. Sleeter’s time held up over the remaining heats, and Hansen wound up third overall in 1:51.35.
■ In the showcase women’s sprint, Oregon’s Hannah Cunliffe led a 1-23 Ducks finish in the 60-meter dash timing 7.07 seconds. It was the fastest NCAA indoor time this season, the fastest collegiate time at the Albuquerque Convention Center, and the second-fastest time in NCAA history. Rio Games Olympian Deajah Stevens was second, and Makenzie Dunmore completed the sweep.
■ UNM’s record-breaking triple jumper, Jannell Hadnot, was unable to match her performance from the previous week, placing fourth with a leap of 41 feet, 9¼ inches.
■ It was a photo finish in the 60-meter women’s hurdles final as Oregon’s Sasha Wallace clocked 7.986 seconds to nip UTEP’s Tobi Amusan, who is also a Nigerian national team member, by one-one thousandth of a second.