TUCSON, Ariz. – After posting multiple first-place finishes and solid showings on Friday, NM State returned to the track on Saturday for day two of the Willie Williams Classic, hosted by the University of Arizona.
 
Recording a top finish and posting a school record in the 1500 meters on Friday, Rachel O'Brien tallied another first-place result in the 800m. Alongside O'Brien, a duo of Aggie relay teams crossed the line in third place.
 
Track Headlines
 
The 4x100 relay kicked off the day of competition at Drachman Stadium, with a quartet of Marlee Cavitt, Jhana Downie, Sierra Brewer and Mickaliliah Vassell taking to the track – crossing the line with a time of 44.68 seconds to finish third overall. This mark represents the fifth fastest in program history.
 
A trio of student-athletes competed in the 100m hurdles for the Crimson & White, with Breanna Moss posting the top time among Aggies of 14.40, with Cameron Hodges tallying a time of 15.15. True freshman Sara McKee made her NM State debut.
 
Jahnya Hill was the sole entrant in the 400m dash for the Aggies, collecting a personal best time of 55.93 and just nearly missing out on a top-ten mark in program history; Hill is represented in the record book four times as a member of multiple 4x400 teams.
 
A trio of Aggies took part in the 800m run, with Rachel O'Brien taking gold with a time of 2:07.76 – the second-fastest mark in NM State history. Marlene Mosqueda (2:12.98) recorded an outdoor best and crossed the line sixth overall, while Angela Korte (2:16.11) tallied a personal best to finish ninth.
 
In the largest individual event grouping of the afternoon, five Aggies competed in the 100m dash. Jhana Downie notched a new personal best (11.67) to finish in sixth place, with Sierra Brewer (11.73) joining Downie in the top ten with an eighth-place result. Jaylah McDonnell (11.83) and Julissa Daniels (12.68, +2.2 m/s) made their 100m dash debut, and Angelina Killings posted a mark of 12.93.
 
Closing the weekend with the 4x400m relay, three teams represented the Crimson & White in the event. Splitting the group that took second in the 2024 CUSA Indoor Track & Field Championships, the 'B' team of Jaylah McDonnell, Sierra Brewer, Jhana Downie and Jahnya Hill finished in third place with a time of 3:43.61. Just behind in fourth place was the 'A' team of Breanna Moss, Marlee Cavitt, Mickaliliah Vassell and Sahara Tasker, posting a time of 3:45.64.
 
The 'C' team comprised of distance runners including Angela Korte, Marlene Mosqueda, Nia Allison and Rachel O'Brien finished with a time of 3:57.76.
 
 
Field Headlines
 
The high jump comprised the first field event on the second day of competition, with Aillen Alvarado posting a mark of 1.59m (5-2.5") – just missing her outdoor best of 1.60m (5-3") recorded at the 2024 edition of the Willie Williams Classic.
 
The final field event of the weekend was the discus toss, where Kamryn Cadle tallied the top mark for NM State with a distance of 39.92m (131'), while Baliey Beene (36.85m; [120-11"]) and Ellie Breckenridge (33.83; [111']) debuted for the Crimson & White in the event.
 
Top-3 Finishes
 
Rachel O'Brien – 800m (1^st)
Marlee Cavitt, Jhana Downie, Sierra Brewer and Mickaliliah Vassell - 4x100m (3^rd)
Jaylah McDonnell, Sierra Brewer, Jhana Downie and Jahnya Hill - 4x400m (3^rd)
 
Personal Bests
 
Jahnya Hill – 400m (55.93)
Rachel O'Brien – 800m (2:07.76)
Angela Korte – 800m (2:16.11)
Jhana Downie – 100m (11.67)
 
UP NEXT
NM State will split their teams for the first time this season with a group comprising of sprints, hurdles and jumps set to compete at the prestigious Texas Relays on the campus of University of Texas starting Wednesday, Mar. 26. Meanwhile, a group consisting of throwers will head up to Portales, N.M., for the Greyhound Invite, beginning Saturday, Mar. 29.
 
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