New Mexico hosts the Don Kirby Invitational this weekend in its final tuneup before the Mountain West Conference Championships.
Head coach Joe Franklin said he is encouraged by the improvements the team is making each week, with several athletes having posted personal records in consecutive weeks.
“We are making progress, which is very positive,” Franklin said.
Adam Cotton, who returned from injury last weekend, competed for the first time in almost two years. His second place finish in the men’s 800-meter run earned him Mountain West Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week honors.
This marks the first time Cotton has received the award. His run of 1:52.24 in the event is the third best time in the conference this season.
Franklin said Cotton’s performance was really impressive, especially seeing as he overcame several setbacks along his journey back to the track. Franklin said he knows things aren’t going to happen overnight, but hopes to continue to see improvement. He said if that happens, the team will have a pretty competitive middle-distance crew.
The head coach said the group is still dealing with some injuries, but that comes with competing. He said some people are still a little bit sore, so they won’t press too much.
He said everyone that is healthy will be running this weekend as the team tries to maximize attempts to register marks.
Franklin said the goal for this weekend will be to get better at the little things and pay attention to detail. He said New Mexico will do everything it can to close the gap in the final weeks leading up to the conference championships.
“Colorado State is way out in front,” he said. “We are just trying to pick away and make up some ground.”
New Mexico will also send a player to compete at the Washington Husky Classic in Seattle, Washington this weekend. The event takes place on Friday and Saturday as well. Distance runner Callie Thackery will be the lone Lobo competing at the meet.
Franklin said the majority of the team will participate in distance running at home. He said he feels the team will have more control and success qualifying in the 1-mile run events in Albuquerque.
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“When we run miles, we’re going to do that here,” he said. “We’ve done that for the last three years in a row.”
The Don Kirby Invitational will take place on Friday and Saturday at the Albuquerque Convention Center. The team will not compete again until it returns to host the Mountain West Indoor Championships two weeks later.
Robert Maler is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers cross country, tennis, and track and field. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
