LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The 2025 outdoor season begins anew for NM State on Friday, Mar. 21, at the Willie Willams Classic, hosted by the University of Arizona. The two-day meet begins with the field events at 3 p.m. MDT, concluding on Saturday, Mar. 22. Fans can follow along with live stats available at this
link.
The Starting Line
- NM State begins its 2025 outdoor season at Drachman Stadium in Tucson, Arizona at 3:00 p.m. MDT on Friday, and at 11:05 a.m. MDT on Saturday.
- NM State will compete alongside programs such as Arizona State, BYU, Grand Canyon, Northern Arizona, UTEP and host Arizona, among others.
- As a team, the Crimson & White will compete in 15 events: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, 3000m Steeplechase, 100m Hurdles, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay, high jump, shot put, hammer throw, discus, javelin.
Aggie Accolades
- As the Aggies start their outdoor season of competition, multiple current Aggies rank inside the top-10 marks in program history, including:
Bailey Beene – Javelin
Sierra Brewer – 100m, 200m, 4x100, 4x400
Kamryn Cadle – Shot put
Jhana Downie – 100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100, 4x400
Jahnya Hill – 4x400
Cameron Hodges – Long Jump, Triple Jump
Mariah Humphrey – Javelin
Alesha Lane – Discus
Breanna Moss – 4x400
Grace Pendarvis – 100m, 200m, 4x100
Mickaliliah Vassell – 200m, 400m, 4x100, 4x400
* - Indicates 2025 season addition
Fresh Faces
- Following the departure of a historic senior class, the Aggies welcome a multitude of new student-athletes, with a wealth of accolades ready to make their mark on the Crimson & White.
- After competing with the cross country team in the fall, Rachel O'Brien returns to the Aggies for outdoor competition.
- Sprinters and hurdlers making their first outdoor runs with the Aggies in 2025 include Julissa Daniels, Jaylah McDonnell, Sahara Tasker, Sara McKee and Marlee Cavitt.
- Ellie Breckenridge, Samonne Cauley, and Kylie Rubrecht are set to begin their outdoor careers with NM State on Friday, while Bailey Beene is set to debut in the discus alongside the javelin toss.
Dual Sport Star
- Sophomore Marlee Cavitt is set to continue her track & field career with NM State after transferring from the University of Portland last summer. In one of the most unique situations in the nation, Cavitt is also a member of the NM State Soccer team, becoming a pivotal member of the backline defense, finishing third on the team in minutes played (1,575) in a debut season that saw the Aggies tally 10+ wins for the third consecutive season.
- Cavitt competes in short sprint events for the Aggies, posting indoor bests of 7.59 in the 60m dash and 24.39 in the 200m dash.
One Year Ago… | Willie Williams Classic | 3.22-23.24
- On day one, Bailey Beene posted a first-place finish in the javelin, nearly matching her personal best, while Jordan Torres posted a runner-up result in the 3000m steeplechase – running in the event for the first time in her collegiate career.
- Getting the second and final day of action underway with the 4x100 relay, the quartet of Sierra Brewer, Jhana Downie, Grace Pendarvis and Mickaliliah Vassell put together a school-record time of 44.64 seconds – finishing in first place in the process. This bests the previous fastest time of 44.66 that has been held since 2018.
- After helping the 4x100 team break the school record to begin the day, Jhana Downie took on the 400m dash solo, taking third with a time of 53.45. This is the quickest result to open an outdoor season for the Senior from Sunrise, Fla. in her NM State career.
- Closing the weekend, the 'A' team of Terice Steen, Breanna Moss, Jhana Downie and Mickaliliah Vassell ran away from the competition – and the NM State record book – convincingly taking first over second-place Arizona with a time of 3:35.78. This time bests the previous mark set at the 2023 Desert Heat Classic (3:39.39).
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