Colorado Springs, Colorado - The New Mexico Highlands University track and Field team competed in the Colorado Running Company Mountain Lion Open at UCCS on Saturday in the final meet of the regular season.
New Mexico Highlands University All-American sprinter
Ashley Barrett dominated the UCCS Mountain Lion Open on Saturday, capturing gold in both the 60m and 200m sprints. Barrett's performance wasn't the only highlight for the Cowgirls, as the 4x400m relay team capped off the day with a season-best time and event win. Adding to the impressive showing, freshman
Summer Abeyta etched her name in the NMHU record books with a blazing run in the 3000m, posting the fourth-best indoor time in Cowgirl history and setting a new freshman standard.
In the 60m dash, Barrett (7.47 seconds) led a trio of Cowgirls across the line in an impressive display of Cowgirl speed. Freshman
Rujeko Munetsi surged to fourth on the RMAC performance list with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 7.53, while
Kacian Powell set a personal record of 7.63. The Cowgirls placed three athletes in the event final, showcasing their depth in the sprint events.
Making her debut in the 3000m, freshman
Summer Abeyta capitalized on a competitive field, racing to a fifth-place finish and becoming the first Cowgirl freshman to break the 10:50 barrier in the event. Her altitude-adjusted time of 10:46.8 ranks fourth all-time in program history. Abeyta also shaved a significant five seconds off her mile personal best, posting an adjusted time of 5:31.7.
The Cowgirl 4x400m relay team, comprised of
Rojrika Campbell, Rujeko Munesti,
Kacian Powell, and
Amoya Jameison, powered their way to a season-best time of 3:58.2, securing the team's third event win of the meet.
Campbell also showcased her versatility with a second-place finish in the triple jump (11.54m/37' 10 1/2") in her season debut.
Patreece Clarke made a strong return to the track after recovering from an injury sustained at the Colorado Mines meet in December. Clarke demonstrated impressive form in the prelims, clocking an 8.77 and surpassing the NCAA qualifying standard in the 60m hurdles.
Complete results from the meet can be found
here and NMHU results on
TFRRS.
Head Coach
Bob DeVries and the Cowgirls now turn their attention to the RMAC Indoor Championships at UCCS February 28th to March 1st.
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