Portales, New Mexico - New Mexico Highlands Track and Field traveled to the Greyhound Open this weekend, hosted by Eastern New Mexico University, with a singular focus: securing and improving qualifying marks for the upcoming RMAC Championships.
In a conference as deep as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, simply earning a lane or a spot in the circle is a significant hurdle.
"The RMAC is a top track and field conference," noted head coach
Bob DeVries. "There are 15 teams, including five ranked in the national top 25. It is tough just to get into the meet."
Field Event Successes
The Cowgirls saw significant movement in the RMAC rankings following several career-best performances in the field:
Hammer Throw: Zavein "Chin" Bowen solidified her postseason positioning by recording a new personal best of 42.38m.
Kiara Garcia also notched a career-best mark of 39.89m; she currently sits just outside the automatic qualifying window and will await final selection.
High Jump:
Tariqah Gurley cleared 1.52m (5' 0"), a personal best that moves her into a qualifying position for the conference meet.
Javelin:
July Lafferty delivered a standout performance, improving her personal best by nearly two meters with a toss of 32.86m to move firmly into the RMAC qualifying field.
On the Track
Jewels Leslie continued a remarkable spring campaign, recording two more personal bests in the 800m and 1500m—events she has rarely contested. With these marks, Leslie is now five-for-five in set goals this season, having improved her lifetime collegiate bests in the 800, 1500, 3000, 5k, and 10k.
"I told Jewels if she was coming back for her final season, she was going to go after every PB—and she did it," DeVries said.
Up Next
The RMAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships are scheduled to begin Friday morning in Pueblo, Colorado. The three-day event kicks off with the heptathlon on Friday and continues through Sunday.
