Jan. 24, 2015
RESULTS
Albuquerque, N.M. – The UTEP track and field team kicked their indoor season off with a successful performance at the Lobo Invitational.
“For the first meet, it is what I expected. We had some great things happen to us, and then we also experienced the opposite end of the spectrum due to traveling so many athletes. We had a lot of inexperience, but I am most pleased that the new people and freshman that had a great meet such as Ada Benjamin, Lilian Koech and Darius Mitchell,” head coach Mika Laaksonen said.
UTEP got off to a hot start with the 3,000m race early in the morning. In the men’s 3,000m race, the Miners finished 1-2-3. Anthony Rotich blazed around the track to finish with a time of 8:22 (ranks third in Conference USA this year). Daniel Cheruiyot, who ran in his first ever indoor meet today, finished in second with a time of 8:45. Placing in third right behind him was Evans Kiprono with a time of 8:48.
On the women’s side of the 3,000m heat, newcomer Lilian Koech made a huge splash for her Miner debut. The freshman crossed the finish line with a time of 10:21 to take gold in her first indoor competition.
Greta Kerekes was all over the place in the first meet of the year. The senior won her 200m heat with a time of 25.91. She also won her 60m hurdle preliminary heat, and finished fourth in the finals with a time of 8.46. Anna-Kay James advanced to the finals as well with a time of 8.48. James also ran the 200m at 25.50 clip to cap off her day.
A trio of Miners won their respective 600m heats. Freshman Esteban Montanez won his race with a blistering time of 1:22. Sophomore Ada Benjamin won her race with a time of 1:31 (time ranks seventh in the NCAA). Aiyanna Stiverne followed suit clocking in at 1:34 to win her heat. Stiverne, who was pulling double duty, also ran her 200m in 24.40, which is the second best in C-USA this year.
Brandon Moss had a solid day at the triple jump; he finished in third-place with a leap of 7.11m (23-3). Senior Nickevea Wilson registered a fifth-place finish with a long jump of 5.65m (18-6). Jallycia Pearson notched a top-10 finish in the high jump by clearing 1.64m (5-3)
Cosmas Boit ran his 800m with a time of 1:52.89. Although, he finished sixth in the heat, his 800m time is the fastest thus far in C-USA during the 2015 campaign. Freshman Darius Mitchell performed very well in his first collegiate meet. Mitchell advanced to the finals and finished fourth in the 60m dash with a time of 6.77. Also, he ran the 200m dash in 21.35, which ranks first in C-USA and 21st in the nation.
Abiola Onakoya ran the 200m just a tad off Mitchell’s pace at 21.43, which is the second best 200m time by a male in C-USA this season.
The Miners will make a return trip to Albuquerque next weekend to compete in the New Mexico Collegiate Invitational.
