by Todd Burns
Daily Lobo
The UNM track team produced some of its best marks of the season last weekend at Kidd Field in El Paso, Texas.
Despite fierce winds, UNM took home wins in eight events and celebrated nine personal-best marks.
Junior Sarah Gonzales captured her first career victory in the 3,000-meter race along with junior Sean Flaherty who also grabbed his first collegiate win in the 1,500-meter.
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Sophomore Jamie Fishencord continued her success in the hammer throw with an enormous toss of 154 feet. Fishencord's mark crushed her former personal best by 12 feet and shattered the school record of 149 feet 11 inches, set by Chelsea Stephens in 1997.
Junior Jason Barkermeyer hurled the discus 169 feet 6 inches, qualifying for the NCAA Midwest Regional track meet.
"I just had a good throw," Barkermeyer said. "It would have went further if the wind wasn't blowing so hard. I still have five or six more feet and I hope to throw over 170."
Sophomore Veronica Gonzales also secured her spot at the regional track meet throwing the javelin 141 feet 1 inch. Gonzales finished first in the javelin for the second time this year at Kidd Field.
"I qualified the third meet of the season," Gonzales said. "But I still have room to improve. I'm looking for big throws in the meets to come."
Junior Jimmy Minner and red-shirt freshman Ruben Trujillo also fared well in the men's javelin. Minner finished second and qualified to regionals with a throw of 204 feet while Trujillo took third, recording his best collegiate throw of 193 feet 6 inches.
"I've been struggling all season," Minner said. "I'm just glad I hit the mark. I'm just looking forward to conference. It's the only one that counts."
Sophomore Amanda Barnes took first place, hurling the shot put 47 feet 3.5 inches and had a 137-foot-4-inch season best in the discus.
Junior Erin Johnson will also attend the regional track meet after qualifying in the high jump, leaping 5 feet 7 inches along with Senior Keren Sari-Bentzur, who qualified in the women's long jump. Sari-Bentzur jumped into first place with a mark of 20 feet 1 inch.
Many of the sprinters continued the success of the field event athletes.
Sophomore Erin Teske recorded a team-best time of 12.70 seconds in the 100-meter dash followed by freshman Kimillia Davis, who set a team-best time in the 200-meter dash clocking in at 24.94.
Senior David Lloyd continued his undefeated status at Kidd Field in the men's 400-meter hurdle race. Lloyd crossed the finish line at 51.96 seconds recording his second regional qualifying time.
"This was not my best time," Lloyd said. "But it was my best race because of the weather."
Lloyd, along with senior Nick Lott and juniors Chris Garofola and Ahmed Raji, took second place in the men's 4x100 meter relay clocking in at 41.02 seconds.
Adam Keul, a former Lobo pole vaulter competing in the meet without any college affiliation, jumped against Olympic gold medallist Nick Hysong, placing second with a height of 18 feet 2.5 inches and is now qualified to vault in the Olympic Trials.
The New Mexico track team will take a week off in preparation for the 2003 Mountain West Conference Outdoor Championships held in Albuquerque at the Great Friends of UNM Track Stadium, May 14-17.
