On Friday and Saturday, Jan. 23-24, the University of New Mexico track and field team held its first home meet of the season, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational.
The meet was held at the indoor track at the Albuquerque Convention Center, which features a 200-meter Mondo oval with 12-degree banked turns and six 36-inch lanes along with a 60-meter infield and high jump area.
Kyra Mohns, assistant coach of sprints, hurdle and multis, said it is important to have meets at a higher altitude, especially at the beginning of the track and field season.
“They’re running faster. The bank track that we have is one of the best tracks in the world … People from all over the world want to come run on this track,” Mohns said.
The meet featured a total of 49 athletes competing in over 20 separate events.
The Lobos come into the 2026 season with high hopes after a successful 2025 season with the Lobo women’s track and field team winning both the indoor and outdoor track and field Mountain West Conference titles, with the men winning second place in conference for both the indoor and outdoor sections.
UNM sophomore and sprinter Kahari Wilbon set an indoor personal best for the 200 meters with a 21.56 second converted time.
“Very happy to come out here and be stronger than I was last year,” Wilbon said.
UNM sophomore and long jumper Cameron Miller jumped 6.96 meters, surpassing the previous 6.95 meters he achieved in 2025. The jump marks his personal best in all conditions, finishing 12th overall.
“Good to be out there competing again, we’re competing kind of late, so they got to get back in the swing of everything,” Miller said.
UNM sophomore Sofia Pineda ranked eighth in UNM’s all-time indoor performances with a time of 20.56 in the 200 meters.
“I think it was a great opener, for sure. It’s great being at home, it’s great having all my teammates here, and start with a shorter race than my race; I run the 400 (meters), so it’s a good start with a good 200 (meter),” Pineda said.
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Another high point for the Lobos was the one-mile race where sophomore Matthew Endrödy took first place for the men with a converted time of 3:53.65 — the sixth fastest mile ran at the Albuquerque Convention Center. For the women, Lobo senior Tilly Simpson won with a converted time of 4:35.50.
On Friday and Saturday, Jan. 30-31, UNM Track and Field will meet again to compete at the New Mexico Team Open at the Albuquerque Community Center.
Elizabeth Bolke is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
