GUNNISON, Colo. --- With most of their events taking place on day one, the New Mexico Highlands women's track and field team took advantage of their two opportunities to score on day two of the RMAC Indoor Championships on Saturday at Mountaineer Field House.
Freshman
Alissa Martinez made it a perfect 5-for-5 on the season as she once again made the finals of the shot put competition. Martinez placed eighth with a throw of 12.57 meters (41'-3"). Martinez had a throw well over the 13-meter mark that was just foul - a toss that would have pushed her into the top five.
"Alissa had a great season," NMHU throws coach
Howard Dunbar said. "She made every final against tough competition and she did it while learning a new technique,."
The Cowgirls also found a way to score in the final event - the 4x400 relay.
"We had to pull one of our top sprinters for the 4x400 relay," noted NMHU head coach
Bob DeVries. The Cowgirls called on former Robertson HS distance running standout
Nieves Pacheco to deliver a strong leg.Â
"Nieves has not done a day of 400 work," said DeVries, "But she never hesitated when we called her name."
The foursome of
Beatrice Armijo (a former West Las Vegas HS athlete), Hilary Udechekwu and
Lucia Harrison, along with Pacheco, placed seventh in the event to grab the final team points of the championship for the Cowgirls.
"We took one of the smallest groups ever to the RMAC meet this year due to injury and illness," DeVries said. "But everyone we took scored and that's all we can ask at a championship."
The team will wait to see if Katy Scott makes it into the national championship in the weight throw when the NCAA announces qualifiers on Tuesday. Scott, who placed second in the RMAC championships with a more than two-foot personal best, sits 21st on the national performance list.
The rest of the squad will look to prepare for the outdoor season which kicks off March 18 at the West Texas Spring Break Classic in Canyon, Texas.
