New Mexico’s track and field team is ready to defend its conference crowns at the Mountain West Indoor Championships, which start Thursday and conclude on Saturday at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The men enter the meet as the three-time defending MW champions, while the women have won the last two titles. The women’s squad also earned a new distinction on Monday.
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association moved the women’s team into the top 25 national rankings. The team jumped up 10 spots to grab the 23rd position, which is the highest ranking in program history.
Head coach Joe Franklin said the goals for this week continue to remain the same. Scoring points is the obvious objective, but Franklin said he wants to see everyone continue to get better.
The team will need to score a lot of points to defend its title. Franklin said Air Force, ranked 21st in the nation, is a threat on the men’s side, but Colorado State is really good on both sides as well, especially the women’s team.
“If you ask any coach, they would say they expect Colorado State to win,” Franklin said. “Can we give them a run? That’s the question. They are deep everywhere.”
Franklin said he wants to focus on getting the most people they can to the finals. He said the scorers on the team are pretty predictable and he believes several athletes have the potential to score well.
Janell Hadnot has been consistent in her jumps so far this season. She tied a school record leaping 43 feet, 2 1/2 inches in the women’s triple jump in her most recent showing at the Don Kirby Invitational.
Allan Hamilton and Yannick Roggatz have also executed several successful jumps this season and may be poised for a big day in the men’s long jump or triple jump events.
Amaris Blount said at the beginning of the season that her goal was to set a new personal record every time, which she has accomplished thus far. She said she wanted to reach 60 feet in the women’s weight throw and is getting close to reaching that mark.
“We haven’t had a scoring throw in a long time,” Franklin said. “Can Amaris get to that point where she can score?”
The head coach said the tradition and past success of the program is a very positive thing. He said he wants to see everyone put it all out on the line and see if they get close to some of the tougher competition.
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The scored meet will determine the conference champion, but it also marks the final opportunity for competitors to qualify for the national championships.
The NCAA Division I Indoor Championships take place on March 11-12 in Birmingham, Alabama. For most events, the top 12 teams will receive an invite to compete.
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.
