LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico State track and field takes on the best from the Western Athletic Conference at the 2018 WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Lawrence, Kan., from May 9-12. The Aggies head to Rock Chalk Park for the four-day meet after being voted second in the pre-championship coaches poll.
Katara Nelson holds the top time in the conference for the 100m (11.67), 200m (23.04), and 400m (51.98) events this season.
Lashira Tremble clocks in at 11.73 for a season-best that ranks second in the league for the 100m.
Tanisha Scott posts a time of 55.96 in the 400m, which also ranks second in the WAC. In the 100m hurdles,
Arniesha Mitchell's season-best time of 13.90 puts the junior in second in the conference. Both the 4 x 100m (44.66) and the 4 x 400m (3:40.37) relay teams lead the WAC in the events.
In the high jump,
Keyarha Wilson leads the conference with a season-best mark of 1.70m (5-7).
Hannah Smith's jump of 12.64m (41-5.75) in the triple jump ranks as the league's best mark. In the throws events,
Yemisi Oroyinyin ranks first in the shot put (14.60m, 47-11) while teammate
Taniya Mitchell leads the WAC in the hammer (52.64m, 172-8).
Alyssa Covarrubia posts a mark of 40.98m (134-5) in the javelin throw, which is second in the league for the event.
Grand Canyon was picked as the favorite to win the conference championship with six first place votes and 48 points overall. NM State was close behind with 43 points and two first place votes. Utah Valley is favored to finish third with 37 points while UMKC grabs the fourth spot with 32 points. UT Rio Grande Valley with 25 points, CSU Bakersfield with 18 points, and Seattle U with 14 points are fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively. Chicago State rounds out the poll in eighth place with seven points.
The meet begins with the 100m hurdles for the heptathlon on Wednesday, May 9, at 11 a.m. MT. The first individual events are set to begin on Thursday with the 10,000m race being scheduled for 7 p.m. Fans can catch the action from Friday and Saturday's events on the
WAC Digital Network.
