LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Breaking a pair of school records at each of the last two meets in Albuquerque, NM State returns to the Albuquerque Convention Center for the Don Kirby Invitational, hosted by the University of New Mexico. This is the second two-day meet for the Aggies this season, following up on last weekend's New Mexico Collegiate Classic. To close out the indoor season, the Crimson & White will take part in their first CUSA Track & Field Championships hosted by Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. on Feb. 23-24.
 
Starting Line

• This is the third straight meet for the Aggies from the Duke City, preceded by the MLK Invitational (Jan. 20) and the NM Collegiate Classic (Feb. 2-3).
• NM State will compete in 13 events, highlighted by nine student athletes set to compete in the mile run, including Maggie Gibbs, Thobile Amon and Emily Stutesman, who each rank inside the top-ten in NM State program history.
• Rebecca Green looks to break her own school record in the shotput for the third-straight meet after recording a toss of 16.10m at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic.
• A variety of top programs from across the nation will compete alongside NM State in  Albuquerque, including UCLA, Stanford, Oregon, BYU, California, Stanford and San Diego State among others, as well as teams from the Land of Enchantment such as Eastern New Mexico, New Mexico Highlands and host New Mexico.

 
Back Track | New Mexico Collegiate Classic | 2.2-3.24

• The unseeded 200m dash was the next event on the day to feature NM State, with multiple notable performances. Jhana Downie took to the track first, approaching the starting line with fellow student athletes from a pair of 'Power Five' programs (Iowa and Tennessee). With a strong start, Downie was easily able to finish at the top of her heat, while surpassing her own school record with a time of 23.52 seconds.
• Leading off the final day from Albuquerque was the shot put, where Green's mark of 16.10m not only gave her a sixth-place finish but also earned her qualification for the USATF Indoor Championships, held at the Albuquerque Convention Center Feb. 16-17.
• Earning CUSA Female Track Athlete of the Week following her school-record breaking performance with a time of 8.24 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles on Jan. 13, senior Aliyah Logan picked up right where she left off. Entered into a competitive heat with three-time All-American Talie Bonds running unattached, Logan once again posted a time of 8.24 seconds, tying her own school record and recording a runner-up finish in the heat.

 
One Year Ago… | Don Kirby Elite Invitational | 2.10-11.23

• They say good things come in pairs, and Thulisile and Thobile Amon have proven just that through their performances at NM State. In the 800m run, Thulisile crossed the line in seventh with a time of 2:12.13, while Thobile took fourth with a time of 2:10.85. This marked a personal best for the junior from Middleburg, South Africa, while also giving her the top spot all-time in NM State history.
• Jhana Downie took the top spot for her heat in the 400m dash, posting a time of 53.86. This time marked a personal best and places her third in NM State history for the event.
• Both Aggies who partook in the mile run, Kayla O'Connell and freshman newcomer Jordan Torres, turned in personal bests in the event. O'Connell recorded a time of 5:19.28, while Torres posted a mark of 5:39.97.

 
Schedule of Events (All Times MDT)
 
Friday
 
Weight Throw – 1:00 p.m.
400m (Unseeded) – 1:55 p.m.
High Jump – 2:30 p.m.
3000m – 3:20 p.m.
200m (Unseeded) – 4:35 p.m.
600m – 6:10 p.m.
200m – 6:50 p.m.
 
Saturday
 
Shot Put – 9:00 a.m.
60m hurdles Prelims – 9:55 a.m.
Triple Jump – 10:00 a.m.
60m (Unseeded) – 10:45 a.m.
60m – 11:25 a.m.
Mile Run – Noon
60m hurdles Finals – 12:30 p.m.
400m – 1:00 p.m.
800m – 2:00 p.m.
4x400 Relay – 3:00 p.m.
 
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