Big meet’s site not much of a home advantage

The home track (and field) advantage again belongs to New Mexico today through Saturday during the Mountain West Indoor Championships, which for the fifth consecutive season are taking place at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

The Lobo men and women, however, haven’t won team titles since sweeping in 2015. Neither team appears to have the quantity of entrants to make a run at the team title this year either. How the makeup of the UNM women’s squad will be a year from now, if the school’s administration goes forward with its plan to increase the roster size for reasons of gender equity, remains to be seen.

For this weekend, Colorado State has more expected scorers, per the descending order list of participants, to be the favorite in an 11-team women’s field. The strength in the seven-team men’s field has Colorado State and Air Force listed with the most top-eight expected finishers. Quality of athletes, however, is where the Lobos come in. UNM’s star power is all in one place at last, which makes for some compelling matchups — and why the UNM women are ranked fifth nationally (CSU is No. 35) as of this week, even as they are not expected to win this meet.

UNM star Weini Kelati, the top seed in both the mile (4 minutes, 33.34 seconds) and the 3,000 (8:53.98) has showdowns looming in both events with Boise State All-American Allie Ostrander.

Ednah Kurgat, UNM’s Bowerman Watch List standout, holds the top NCAA time in the 5,000 meters (15:14.78) for the season, with teammate Kelati (15:15.24) and Ostrander not far behind. But neither one is running that event. Kurgat instead is expected to push Kelati in the 3,000 along with Ostrander. Hannah Nuttall and Adva Cohen are other Lobos who also should score.

Ada’ora Chigbo is another Lobo seeded first in her event, the high jump.

For the New Mexico men’s program, Jay Griffin IV has the top seed in the 200 (21.14, a school record) and teammate Carlos Salcido (47.36) in the 400.

Competition begins today with the men’s heptathlon at 10 a.m. and the women’s pentathlon at 11 a.m. Friday’s schedule begins at 10 a.m. with the final three men’s heptathlon events, then field events from 12:30-4:30 p.m and track events from 1:30-4:55 p.m.

Saturday has field events from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and track events from 11:40 a.m. to the 4x400 relays at 2:30 and 2:45 p.m.

All three days will be streamed on FloTrack, a pay website. Tickets will be sold at the public entrance at the corner of 2nd Street and Tijeras Blvd, at the southwest corner of the Convention Center.