The UNM indoor track team put in a full day's work on Saturday at the Albuquerque Convention Center, wrangling two school records and four first-place finishes during the Cherry and Silver Invitational.
"I think it was a great day, but a long day," head coach Joe Franklin said. "It's not like a two-hour basketball game."
UNM competed alongside 10 other schools in the reopened indoor track at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Among the competition were five teams with rankings in the top 25, including No. 10 BYU (men), No. 15 Arizona (women), No. 17 Stanford (women), No. 19 Arizona (men) and No. 25 Stanford (men).
Of the 42 nationally ranked runners, throwers and jumpers, 23 earned NCAA provisional qualifying marks, and two posted automatic bids in the first month of the season.
Three came from UNM. Junior Deanna Young triple jumped 12.9 meters to victory. Senior Lee Emanuel posted a first-place time of 1:50.91 in the 800-meter run, setting a school record in the process. Jarrin Solomon did the same thing in the 400-meter run, recording a time of 46.84 and breaking the school record he set in 2007.
"For me personally, the meet went well," Solomon said. "It's my first indoor race in the open 400 since 2007. I can't ask for anything more than a win and a school record."
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After redshirting last year's indoor season, this was his first competitive indoor open 400-meter run in more than 18 months. Judging by his time, he hasn't lost a step. In fact, he gained a few, he said.
"I have been working hard for the last six months, putting in a lot of strength work," Solomon said. ". This first meet you would like to just come out and see what you got - see where you are and hopefully you do well."
Runners will likely continue to do well and break records at the Convention Center track. The track quickly earned a reputation as one of the fastest facilities in the country. In two years, athletes earned 25 automatic NCAA qualifying marks and 249 provisional qualifying marks on the surface.
"This track is fast," Solomon said. "It's one of the fastest tracks I have ever run on in indoors, and I have been around a few places. If we have it up more often, I'm sure it will be one of the marquee places to run."
This track will be home to the majority of UNM's meets this year, a welcomed change from last year's permanent road schedule.
UNM's 2008 season was marred by perpetual road trips when the Convention Center booked a bowling meet in the space usually reserved for the track.
"Last year, for the team I know they traveled every weekend, and it is kind of taxing on the body," Solomon said. "Being (able) to wake up in the morning and just relax, do what you are used to doing, then come down to the track at your own pace is probably the best you can ask for."
Along with the excitement of the day, UNM was also dealt some blows. The nationally ranked Sandy Fortner twisted her knee in the 60-meter hurdles and will probably be out for the year, Franklin said. Alesha Walker, the nationally ranked long jumper, will also redshirt this year due to injury.
"We are going to lose two heavy hitters," Franklin said. "But they get to come back next year and be at the Mountain West Championship at home."
Track and field
Friday, 2 p.m.
Albuquerque Convention Center
