Albuquerque, New Mexico - The New Mexico Highlands University women's track and field team traveled to the Albuquerque Convention Center this weekend for the MLK Invitational. Squaring off against a gauntlet of powerhouse Division I programs - including defending NCAA champions Georgia, Stanford, UCLA, and the host University of New Mexico - the Cowgirls delivered two school records and several personal bests.
Record-Breaking Performances
Two Cowgirls etched their names into the NMHU history books with standout performances in the 60-meter hurdles and the 400m dash.
Patreece Clarke (60H):
Clarke turned in a stirring performance in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 8.35. This mark broke the 10-year-old school record previously held by NCAA Hall of Famer Salcia Slack. Clarke's time currently ranks her in the top three nationally for Division II.
Amoya Jameison (400m):
Jamieson posted a 55.98 in the 400m to eclipse the previous record held by Elicia Gallegos. The time moves her to the top of the RMAC performance list and places her within the top 20 in the national D2 rankings.
Misha-Jade Samuels (400m):
Samuels set a personal best and moved up to number eight in the RMAC as she ran a 59.45.
Distance and Field Highlights:
The mid-distance and distance squads showed significant progress, with three athletes hitting collegiate bests in their respective races.
Taylor Begay led the way in the 3k, setting a new personal best with an altitude-adjusted time of 10:54.
In the mile,
Summer Abeyta and
Jewels Leslie both recorded collegiate bests, finishing in 5:29 and 5:32 (altitude adjusted) respectively.
Hailey Renteria also joined the list of personal bests, clocking a 2:29 in the 800m.
In the field,
Allyssa Casaus stayed consistent in the triple jump. She reached a collegiate best of 10.61m (34'9 1/2"), hitting the mark on two of her three jumps during the competition. The freshman from Fort Sumner, NM was the only DII jumper in the field.
The Cowgirls are expected to take a small squad back to Albuquerque for the New Mexico Collegiate Open next Friday and Saturday (Jan. 30-31).
