Lobo aims to leap to NCAA championships
Long jumper Hamilton seeded 5th in regional
Allan Hamilton’s family has been on the run in Scotland for 70 years.
But today Hamilton is a long hop, skip and a jump from Edinburgh and its famous castle. The UNM senior is in Lawrence, Kan., hoping to qualify in the long jump for the NCAA Track and Field Championships next month in Eugene, Ore.
This is his second venture into the NCAA West regional, having had a good effort last year in Austin, Texas, but failing to advance.
“Last year was a learning experience, having never been part of the American system,” Hamilton said. “Going into the regional meet, I knew I had a chance. I handled it well, but the competition was too good. People came out and had massive (personal records).”
This year, he said his focus has been more on the jumping portion than on sprinting.
He comes from a family of sprinters. His grandparents, now in their 80s, have run since they were children. His grandmother even had a stint as coach for Scotland’s national team in the 1970s. Naturally, he began as a sprinter.
“But when I tried out jumps, it really clicked with me,” Hamilton said. “Once I started, I never stopped.”
“Allan is a fierce competitor,” said UNM coach Joe Franklin. “He takes his sport very seriously. That’s why he is one of the best jumpers in the country.”
Hamilton is seeded fifth in the regional, having jumped 25 feet, 10¼ inches this season.
He just graduated with a master’s degree in exercise science, but hopes to continue to jump as a pro. He will head back to Scotland for a few weeks this summer.
“I’m going to try to figure out what to do with myself,” he said.
But before that, he has a trip to Oregon in mind.
NCAA PRELIMS: The Lobos have 20 individuals and a relay team scheduled to compete in the regional and have a handful of athletes whose seeds indicate a good opportunity to reach the NCAA Championships.
Patience will be important as lightning storms are predicted, Franklin said.
“This is always a little different for us when we come to the Midwest,” the coach said. “With storms, it’s not a matter of if, it’s when. We expect significant delays. Once lightning hits, it’s a half-hour delay. We’ve had delays up to four hours. We can’t get frustrated. It is what it is.”
The top 12 finishers in each event from the regional at Rock Chalk Park and the top 12 from the East meet in Jacksonville, Fla., advance to the championships at Oregon’s Hayward Field on June 8-11.
Senior Courtney Frerichs, who led UNM to the NCAA cross-country title in the fall, has the top 3,000-meter steeplechase time (9:29.31) coming in.
Her cross-country teammates also have had good outdoor seasons. Seeded second in their events are senior Sophie Connor (1,500 meters, 4:14.03), senior Calli Thackery (5,000 meters, 15:37.44) and sophomore Alice Wright (10,000 meters, 32:36.11). Connor and Wright race today.
Meanwhile, UNM has two women seeded in the top 10 in the triple jump —senior Aasha Marler and junior Jannell Hadnot, both with jumps of 42-9¾.
On the men’s side, senior Elmar Engholm has the sixth fastest time (8:40.03) in the 3,000 steeplechase.
Freshman Josh Kerr is seeded eighth in the 1,500 meters with a time of 3:42.09.
The Lobos will also field a 4x100 meter relay, anchored by senior Ridge Jones. Jones, Hamilton, Carlos Salcido and Scott Bajere set a school record (40.38) and are seeded 23rd.