UTEP Track & Field Concludes First Meet of 2026 at Texas Tech’s Corky Classic Saturday

1/17/2026 9:27:00 PM

FINAL RESULTS | SATURDAY RESULTS

LUBBOCK, Texas – The UTEP track and field team wrapped up its first meet of the season at Texas Tech's Corky Classic at the Sports Performance Center on Saturday.

A total of 17 Miners made their UTEP debuts, while 15 were true freshmen kicking off their collegiate careers this past weekend.

"This was a solid opening weekend for us and an important step in the process. We saw some really good things, and we also saw areas where we know we can be better, which is exactly what you want early in the season," first-year UTEP Head Coach Francesca Green said. "What matters most to us is how we continue to build. Being "Miner Built" means we compete with intention, learn from every opportunity, and keep raising our standard. This meet gave us valuable feedback, and now it's about taking that information, going back to work, and continuing to prepare ourselves for the conference championship when it matters most."

Sophomore and El Paso native Juan Leal clocked in a personal-best time of 8:33.79 in the men's 3000-meter race, finishing sixth overall. His previous best was 8:43.79 at last season's CUSA Indoor Championships.

Junior Vallary Kiplagat placed fourth of 15 competitors in the women's 3000 with a time of 10:23.81. Kiplagat ranks 11^th in CUSA with an altitude-adjusted time of 10:16.29.

Cydni Martin and Addison Stricklin finished 16^th and 17^th, respectively, out of 70 runners in the women's 200-meter dash. Martin clocked in a 24.49, and Stricklin opened her sophomore season with a 24.55.

UTEP has four of the top nine women's 200-meter sprinters after week one. With the altitude adjustment, Martin ranks third in CUSA (24.56), and Stricklin is fourth (24.62). Juantai-Shay Williams clocked in a 24.82 (24.89-adjusted), which is tied-seventh, and Londyn Colon turned in a 24.84 (24.91-adjusted), ranking ninth in CUSA.

Martin, Williams, and Colon all made their UTEP debuts this weekend.

Amai Newman is ranked third in CUSA in the women's 400 after a time of 55.74 (55.85-adjusted) in her collegiate debut on Friday night.

Martin is sixth in the women's CUSA 60-meter hurdles after clocking in at 8.77 (8.79-adjusted) on Friday.

El Pasoan Sarah Dovenbarger opened her sophomore campaign with a 3.61-meter mark (11-10) in the women's pole vault, ranking ninth in CUSA.

Praise Djoma's indoor personal-best mark of 6.04 meters (19-9.75) in Friday's long jump is first in CUSA.

Sophomore Samahri Foster, an El Paso native, was the top Miner in the women's 600-yard race, clocking in at 1:27.18. It was her first 600 event since high school. El Pasoans junior Cailee Philipps and freshman Samirah Avila also competed in the 600.

Other Miners who opened their UTEP careers were freshman Madison Evans (200, 400, 4x4), freshman Malorie Richardson-Clay (shot put), and junior Braela Sargent (600, 60H) for the women's side. For the men, freshman Kayden Gibson (200, 60H), freshman Timothy Grice (60, 200, 4x4), freshman Arion Hill (200, 60H, 4x4), junior Deondre McIntosh (60, 200), freshman Elias Munoz (60, 200, 4x4), freshman Amari Taylor (200, 400, 4x4), senior Nethaneel Taylor (mile), and freshman Jacob Yeager (mile) made their UTEP track and field debuts. Yeager and N. Taylor competed for the UTEP cross country team this past season. Munoz, A. Taylor, and Yeager are from El Paso.

CORKY CLASSIC INFORMATION: FINAL RESULTS | CUSA INDOOR PERFORMANCE LIST

UP NEXT
The Miners return to Lubbock, Texas, next weekend for the Stan Scott Invite on Friday, Jan. 23.

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