TUCSON, Ariz. – NM State made its last appearance of the regular season on Saturday at the Desert Heat Classic, hosted at the recently renovated Roy P. Drachman Stadium by the University of Arizona. Overall, the Aggies secured eight top-10 finishes at the most competitive meet the team has entered this season.
 
Opening the day of action in field events, true freshman Julia Nystrand and Presley Edwards led NM State in the hammer throw and javelin, respectively.
 
In the early afternoon on a bright and sunny Saturday, a trio of Aggies competed in the 3000m steeplechase, with Nia Allison recording the top time of 10:59.52 to finish fifth overall. Jordan Torres and Murrie Dodge trailed shortly behind, finishing in sixth and seventh, respectively.  
 
Alesha Lane led the Aggies in the shot put with a stiff field of competition, including seven of the top-20 athletes in the West region, finishing 14^th overall with a best mark of 14.42 meters (47-3.75"). Julia Nystrand tallied her second-best mark of the season, posting a distance of 13.11m.
 
The 100m dash saw Marlee Cavitt post a time of 11.56 and Aja Johnson record her mark of 12.35.
 
Adéla Steinsová paced NM State in the 1500m, crossing the line with a new personal best time of 4:28.43 – the sixth-fastest time in NM State history.
 
Closing the throws events on the day, Alesha Lane recorded the top finish among Aggies in the discus, taking 11^th.
 
The lone member of the Crimson & White competing in the high jump, Aileen Alvarado finished with a best mark of 1.63m (5-4.25").
 
Returning to the track for the 200m, Marlee Cavitt tallied a new personal best time of 23.45, the third-fastest time in NM State history. Jaylah McDonnell also posted a new personal best in the event, falling just short of etching her name into the record book, trailing Grace Pendarvis' 10^th-place time of 23.86.  
 
Brooke Kelly recorded a second-place finish in the 5000m after returning to competition for the first time since April 11, recording a time of 19:39.65.
 
The 4x400m was the last event of the weekend for NM State, with the quartet of Jaylah McDonnell, Amanda Radava, Adéla Steinsová posting a time of 3:51.19, the second quickest relay time of the season.
 
UP NEXT
With the conclusion of the regular season, NM State now looks ahead to the 2026 Conference USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted on the campus of Middle Tennessee. The three-day meet is set to begin Thursday, May 14.  
 
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