Tag Archives: utep track and field

Thirteen Miners will gear up to compete on May 23-25 at the 2019 NCAA West Preliminaries in Sacramento, California.

Kicking off the meet on Thursday will be junior Karol Koncos in the men’s hammer at 1 p.m. MT. The thrower heads into the preliminaries ranked 16 in the west region with a personal-best toss of 65.59m registered at Texas Relays. Koncos posted four top-five finishes this season, including a silver finish at the Conference USA Championships.

Also taking the field for the Miners on Thursday (1 p.m.) will be newcomer Roosa Yloenen in the javelin throw. The freshman competed three times this season and claimed two first-place finishes, including a win at the C-USA Championships.

Yloenen recorded a collegiate-best mark of 50.44m at the Texas A&M Invitational. She heads into the meet ranked 16th in the region.

Closing out the field events on Thursday will be Chantoba Bright in the long jump at 7:45 p.m. The freshman rates 16th with a season-best leap of 6.30m (W: 3.1) set at the UTEP Springtime.

The jumper took bronze at the C-USA Championships with a mark of 6.07m. Bright will also take the field on Saturday in the triple jump at 4 p.m.

On the track, Kimisha Chambers will be the first Miner to compete on Thursday in the 400m hurdles at 5:30 p.m. The transfer claimed the crown at the C-USA Championships, clocking in a time of 59.15. The junior clocked in a personal-best time of 57.82 at the Desert Heat Classic, which earned her the no. 9 spot heading into the regional meet.

Joining her on the track is senior Dreshanae Rolle. The hurdler notched a season-best time of 59.23 at the Desert Heat Classic.

Representing the men’s team in the 400m hurdles (6 p.m.) is Shakeem Smith. The junior continues to improve every time he takes the track. Smith took the crown at the C-USA Championships with a personal-best time of 50.86. He ranks 18th in the west region.

On the sprints side, Sean Bailey is the lone Miner racing in the 400m on Thursday at 8:45 p.m. He heads into the competition as the highest ranked Miner, sitting at third in the west region with a personal best of 45.54 registered at the Desert Heat Classic. The transfer has notched five top-two finishes this season.

Making her last appearance at the NCAA West Preliminaries is senior Lilian Koech. The distance runner has made three appearances at the regional meet and advanced to the NCAA Championships in 2017. The C-USA Champion will take the track in the 800m at 9:10 p.m. Koech will be joined by Carolyne Chepkosgei, who posted a personal-best time of 2:06.45 at the Desert Heat Classic.

Also representing the Miners on the distance side is Winny Koech. The junior missed the 2018 outdoor season, but made an appearance at the NCAA Championships in 2017 in the 10,000m. Koech recorded a personal-best time of 33:35.68 in the 10,000m at the MT. SAC Relays. She also earned two gold medals at the C-USA Championships in the 10,000m and 5,000m. The distance runner will close out the first day of action in the 10,000m at 10 p.m.

Friday’s action will kick off at 1 p.m. with the men’s javelin throw, which will feature Marek Taskar. The freshman notched a season-best mark of 65.24m at C-USA Championships taking silver.

Taking the track on Friday will be Maribel Caicedo in the 100m hurdles (5:30 p.m.). The freshman is making her first appearance at the west preliminaries. Earlier in the year, she clocked in a collegiate-best time of 13.55 at the Desert Heat Classic.

On Saturday, Iason Machairas will take the field in the men’s shot put at 3:45 p.m. The freshman posted six top-five finishes this season and took bronze at the C-USA Championships. He set a collegiate-best throw of 18.45m at the Bryan Clay Invitational.

The top-12 qualifiers of each event will move on to the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships scheduled for June 5-8 in Austin, Texas.

Live streaming of the west preliminaries will be available on flotrack.org. For live results please visit, https://dt8v5llb2dwhs.cloudfront.net/West/index.htm

Schedule
Thursday
Men’s Hammer 1 p.m.
Women’s Javelin 1 p.m.
Women’s 400m Hurdles 5:30 p.m. (First Round)
Men’s 400m Hurdles 6 p.m. (First Round)
Women’s Long Jump 7:45 p.m.
Men’s 400m 8:45 p.m. (First Round)
Women’s 800m 9:10 p.m. (First Round)
Women’s 10,000m 10 p.m.

Friday
Men’s Javelin 1 p.m.
Women’s 100m Hurdles 4:30 p.m. (First Round)
Men’s 400m 6:45 p.m. (Quarterfinals)
Women’s 800m 7:30 p.m. (Quarterfinals)
Women’s 400m Hurdles 8 p.m. (Quarterfinals)

Saturday
Men’s Shot Put 3:45 p.m.
Women’s Triple Jump 4 p.m.
Women’s 100m Hurdles 8:05 p.m. (Quarterfinals)

*The first round (100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, 400m, 800m) will consist of six heats of eight competitors. Twenty-four, the top three from each heat plus the next best six times, after tie breaking, will qualify from the first round to the quarter-final round.

The UTEP track and field team will be represented by 13 entries at next week’s NCAA West Preliminaries as official selections were announced Thursday.

The meet will take place May 23-25 at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California.

The Miners’ 13 entries – eight women, five men – are spread among 12 events. The top 12 finishers in each event will then advance to the 2019 NCAA Championships (June 5-8) in Austin, Texas.

UTEP Entries

Women (8)

800m

Lilian Koech (2:05.42)

Carolyne Chepkosgei (2:06.45)

10,000m

Winny Koech (33:35.68)

100m Hurdles

Maribel Caicedo (13.55)

400m Hurdles

Kimisha Chambers (57.82)

Dreshanae Rolle (59.23)

Long Jump

Chantoba Bright (6.30m)

Triple Jump

Chantoba Bright (13.01m)

Javelin Throw

Roosa Yloenen (50.44m)

Men (5)

400m

Sean Bailey (45.54)

400m Hurdles

Shakeem Smith (50.86)

Shot Put

Iason Machairas (18.45m)

Hammer Throw

Karol Koncos (65.59m)

Javelin Throw

Marek Taskar (65.24m)

Charlotte, N.C. – The women’s UTEP track and field team took second place at the 2019 Conference USA Championships on Sunday afternoon.

It was a close race to the finish and the women’s team fell just shy of claiming the crown at the conference meet. The Miners finished the meet with a total of 102 points, which wasn’t enough to top Charlotte who won the 4x400m relay, securing the 49ers’ team title with 103.5 points.

“Heading into the championship, we had a few individuals that were battling injuries including Linda Cheruiyot (missed championship) which set us back a bit,” said head coach Mika Laaksonen. “Yesterday some individuals didn’t qualify for the finals, but we still came into the final day with a good group that gave us a chance to win. But Charlotte had a really good relay team that registered a meet record (3:34.76), which we couldn’t match and the relay is what it came down to.”

In her last meet of her collegiate career, Lilian Koech dominated the track in the women’s 1,500m and 800m. The senior took the track in the 1,500m first and ran away with the crown with a time of 4:26.85.

Koech went on to run a solid 800m race, earning a silver medal with a time of 2:05.77. The distance runner tallied a total of 18 points for the Miners.

Teammate Carolyne Chepkosgei also posted a stellar showing, clocking in a third-place finish in the 1,500m (4:28.81). In the 800m, the sophomore crossed the finish line fourth with a time of 2:07.44.

In the hurdles, Kimisha Chambers earned a spot on the podium in the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles. In the 100m hurdles, the junior crossed the finish line third with a time of 13.73. She went on to take the crown in the 400m hurdles with a winning time of 58.33. Freshman Carshaylah Harrison took eighth in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:05.39.

In the women’s 5,000m, Winny Koech stormed out early as the front runner, posting a winning time of 16:42.02. The Miner finished the C-USA Championships scoring 20 points.

The women’s 4x100m relay (Maribel Caicedo, Chambers, Aphiniti Crupper and Madison Gibson) battled it out for a fourth-place finish with a time of 46.27.

On the field, Roosa Yloenen became the front runner early in the women’s javelin throw. The freshman notched a mark of 48.45m in her first attempt of the day. She went on to top herself with a toss of 49.86m in her fourth attempt. Yloenen won the javelin throw in her first conference championship appearance.

Freshman Chantoba Bright was the lone Miner in the women’s triple jump. The jumper took bronze in the event with a leap of 12.63m posted in her fourth attempt of the day. Bright was named the C-USA Freshman of the Meet, after claiming two bronze-medal finishes.

“On the men’s side, we came into the final day hoping to finish in the top three, but Sean Bailey strained his hamstring in the 400m and that hurt the team,” said Laaksonen. “I think overall the men’s team performed well with the individuals we had going into the meet.”

On the men’s side, Shakeem Smith not only won the 400m hurdles but posted a personal-best time of 50.86. The junior also took the track in the 110m hurdles and posted a sixth-place finish with a time of 14.40.

Miners Iason Machairas and Benjamin Coronado took the field in the final day of the C-USA Championships in the shot put. Freshman Machairas posted a bronze-medal finish of 17.89m in his third throw of the meet. Coronado finished fifth with a mark of 16.98m registered in his third attempt.

In his first meet of his collegiate career, Marek Taskar registered a silver finish in the javelin. The freshman posted a season-best toss of 65.24m in his final attempt of the day.

In the men’s triple jump, Darius King posted a leap of 14.56m to earn an eighth-place finish.

The men’s team finished sixth with 75 points.

Closing out the action was the women’s 4x400m relay (Gibson, Chambers, Rolle and Bolomboy), as the squad went back and forth sitting between fourth and fifth, and ultimately crossed the finish line fourth with a time of 3:41.18.

The Miners will return to the track on May 23-25 in the 2019 NCAA Outdoor West Preliminaries in Sacramento, Ca.

Charlotte, N.C. – The UTEP track and field team closed out the third day of action at the Conference USA Championships, as seven individuals solidified their spots in the finals tomorrow.

Chantoba Bright took bronze in the women’s long jump on Saturday afternoon. The freshman registered a leap of 6.07m in her first attempt of the day.

In the field, Benjamin Coronado and Iason Machairas represented the Orange in Blue in the discus throw. Coronado notched a bronze-medal finish with a personal-best toss of 48.40m. This is the first conference medal for the El Paso native. Machairas finished sixth with a season-best mark of 45.32m.

First on the track for the Miners was Carolyne Chepkosgei and Lilian Koech in the women’s 1,500m. Chepkosgei finished second in the second heat of the morning, posting a time of 4:35.09. Koech won the first heat of the 1,500m clocking in a time of 4:36.78. The duo heads in to the finals ranked second and third, respectively.

The duo returned to the track quickly after and finished one and two in the 800m prelims. Chepkosgei won the first heat with a qualifying time of 2:10.47, while Koech clocked in a winning time of 2:11.50 in heat two. The pair will take the track tomorrow in the 1,500m (2:15 p.m. MT) and 800m (3:20 p.m.).

Kimisha Chambers was the top Miner in the women’s hurdles, garnering a spot in the finals in both the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles. In the 400m hurdles, she registered the top time of 59.15. The hurdler heads into tomorrow’s 400m hurdles finals (3:35 p.m.) as the favorite. In the 100m hurdles, Chambers ran in the fastest heat and clocked in a qualifying time of 13.85. The junior finished third overall and will take the track tomorrow at 2:35 p.m.

Teammate Rebecca Oshinbanjo will also represent the Miners in the 100m hurdles finals, after posting a first-place finish (14.39) in heat two. Freshman Carshaylah Harrison also earned a spot in the finals in the 400m hurdles. Harrison ran in the first heat and notched a personal-best time of 1:01.99, finishing sixth overall.

On the men’s side, Sean Bailey was the lone Miner to advance in the 400m. The transfer won heat one with a winning time of 46.37 and heads into tomorrow’s finals ranked second. He will run in the finals at 2:55 p.m.

Shakeem Smith earned a spot in the 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles finals on Saturday afternoon. The hurdler won the second heat of the 400m hurdles with a time of 52.75. He heads into the finals ranked fourth overall. In the 110m hurdles, Smith finished seventh overall with a time of 14.44. He will take the track tomorrow in the 110m hurdles (2:40 p.m.) and in the 400m hurdles (3:40 p.m.).

Freshman Emilio Rios finished fifth overall in the men’s high jump, notching a personal best of 1.98m.

After only seven events of 21 the men’s team is tied at second place with 37 points. The women’s team is eighth with 18 points.

The Miners will wrap up the C-USA Championships tomorrow starting at 11 a.m. with the women’s shot put. The running events will begin at 2 p.m. with the women’s 4x100m relay.

For live results, schedule and streaming, please visit the CUSA Website

Charlotte, N.C. – Junior Winny Koech won the women’s 10,000m at the 2019 Conference USA Championships on Friday night.

The distance runner was the first Miner to claim a gold medal, clocking in a time of 34:49.58.

On the men’s side, underclassmen Rodgers Korir and Boaz Ronoh earned podium finishes in the 10,000m. Korir crossed the finish line second with a time of 30:29.56. Teammate Ronoh posted a bronze-medal finish with a personal-best time of 30:31.53. Sophomore Cornelius Kapel also ran in the event and notched a personal best of 31.39.67.

In the men’s hammer throw, Karol Koncos registered a silver-medal finish with a toss of 61.62m in his final attempt of the day.

Rebecca Oshinbanjo wrapped up the final day of the heptathlon with a seventh-place finish overall. The senior clocked in a time of 2:25.76 in the 800m, notching sixth place.

Oshinbanjo finished eighth in the long jump with a leap of 5.35m. The multi-event athlete helped the Miners earn two points.

After three events, the men’s team is tied for third with 24 points. The women’s team sits in sixth place with 12 points.

The Miners will return to the field Saturday starting at 7 a.m. MT with the women’s discus throw.

For live results, schedule and streaming, please visit the  C-USA Tournament website

Charlotte, N.C. – Senior Rebecca Oshinbanjo was the lone Miner to take the track in the first day of action at the 2019 Conference USA Outdoor Championships on Thursday.

Oshinbanjo competed in the first four events of the heptathlon at the Irwin Belk Track. She won the first event of the day, claiming the crown in the 100m hurdles with a time of 14.08.

The multi-event athlete went on to finish 11th overall in the high jump with a leap of 1.55m.

The senior posted a mark of 9.01m in the shot put. She finished the day of action with a third-place finish in the 200m (25.47).

Oshinbanjo sits in eighth place after the first day of the heptathlon. She will return to the field tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. MT in the long jump (heptathlon).

For live results, please visit the meet’s website

The UTEP track and field team heads to Charlotte, N.C., for the 2019 Air Force Reserve Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 9-12 at the Irwin Belk Track and Field Center.

The women’s team goes into the competition as favorites, after claiming the 2018 Conference USA cross country title and 2019 Conference USA indoor title.

Kicking off the meet will be Rebecca Oshinbanjo with the heptathlon on Thursday scheduled to start at 12:45 p.m. MT. The senior closed out the indoor season with a seventh-place finish in the pentathlon at the C-USA Championships. During the outdoor season, Oshinbanjo has shown continuous improvements clocking in a season-best time of 13.90 (W: 3.3), which rates fourth in C-USA.

Friday’s action will begin with the women’s hammer throw set for 12 p.m. Representing the Miners in the hammer are underclassmen Cierra Chenault, Samantha Cordier and Kayla Larry.

The men’s hammer will follow at approximately 2:30 p.m. Leading the throwers is Karol Koncos, who ranks first in C-USA in the event. The junior also rates 33rd in the nation with a personal-best mark of 65.59m posted at Texas Relays.

Koncos will also take the field in the discus throw on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. alongside teammate Benjamin Coronado.

On the track, Winny Koech is the top seed in the women’s 10,000m with a time of 33:35.68 posted at MT. SAC Relays. The junior also ranks 27th in the country in the event. Koech will take the track on Friday at 6 p.m. in the 10,000m and Sunday in the 5,000m at 4:05 p.m.

Wrapping up Friday’s action is the men’s 10,000m (7 p.m.), which will feature Rodgers Korir, Antony Kosgei, Boaz Ronoh and Cornelius Kapel. Korir leads the group, ranking fourth in the league with a time of 30:10.60 notched at MT. SAC Relays.

The women’s 1,500m prelims will kick off the running events on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Lilian Koech is the top seed in the event with a time of 4:16.44 recorded at the Bryan Clay Invitational. The senior’s time also earned her the no. 2 spot in the UTEP record book.

Teammate Carolyne Chepkosgei will also compete in the 1,500m and heads into the meet as a no. 3 seed. The sophomore also posted a stellar showing at the Bryan Clay Invitational, clocking in a personal-best time of 4:23.52. Both Miners will take the track again at 3:30 p.m. in the women’s 800m.

UTEP will be well represented in the hurdles with Maribel Caicedo, Oshinbanjo and Kimisha Chambers in the women’s 100m hurdles prelims at 2 p.m. Caicedo ranks third in C-USA with a collegiate-best time of 13.55 recorded at the Desert Heat Classic.

Chambers will also compete in the 400m hurdles prelims on Saturday (4 p.m.) as the leagues top seed. The transfer was named the C-USA Athlete of the Week, after posting a stellar showing at the Desert Heat Classic of 57.82 in the 400m hurdles.

The junior currently ranks 14th in the country in the event. Joining her on the track in the 400m hurdles will be teammates Dreshanae Rolle and Carshaylah Harrison. Rolle heads into the competition as the no. 2 seed.

On the men’s side, Shakeem Smith will take the track in the 110m hurdles prelims at 2:15 p.m. and in the 400m hurdles at 4:10 p.m. The junior ranks fourth and fifth in the 110m hurdles (14.14) and 400m hurdles (52.91), respectively.

Also highlighting the men’s team is sprinter Sean Bailey. The junior holds the top seedtime in the 400m. Bailey earned C-USA Track Male Athlete of the Week honors after storming out of the blocks at the Desert Heat Classic notching a season-best time of 45.54.

The sprinter currently ranks seventh nationally in the event. Bailey will also run in the 200m prelims at 4:40 p.m.

On Sunday, the women’s shot put (Chenault, Cordier and Larry) and men’s triple jump (Darius King) will open the last day of action at 11 a.m

The women’s javelin will follow at 12:30 p.m. and will feature freshman Roosa Yloenen and Kaylah Shepherd. Yloenen is the conference top seed in the event with a collegiate-best throw of 50.44m registered at the Texas A&M Invitational. The Miner rates 28th in the country in the javelin throw.

Also taking the field on Sunday is freshman standout Chantoba Bright. The jumper will compete in the triple jump at 1:30 p.m. and the long jump on Saturday at approximately 1:30 p.m.

Bright ranks second in the long jump (6.30m) and third in the triple jump (13.01m) in C-USA. The freshman also rates 29th in the country in the long jump.

Highlighting the men’s throwers is freshman Iason Machairas. The thrower will take the field on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in the shot put. Machairas is the conference top seed with a collegiate-best toss of 18.45m posted at Bryan Clay Invitational.

For streaming, tickets, live results, full schedule and updates, please visit the championship central page

DALLAS – Miners Sean Bailey and Kimisha Chambers received Conference USA Track Athlete of the Week honors, the league announced on Tuesday.

Bailey earned C-USA Track Male Athlete of the Week honors after storming out of the blocks at the Desert Heat Classic. The junior posted a first-place finish in the 400m with a season-best time of 45.54.

The sprinter moved into the top spot in the conference and rates sixth nationally. The Spanish Town, Jamaica, product now rates eighth all-time in the Miners’ record book.

Chambers was named the C-USA Track Female Athlete of the Week, after posting a stellar showing at the Desert Heat Classic on Saturday. The transfer clocked in a season-best time of 57.82 in the 400m hurdles.

Her time ranks 14th in the country and first in the league. Chambers also checks in at second all-time in program history in the event.

The Miners will return to the track on May 9-12 in Charlotte, N.C. for the 2019 C-USA Outdoor Championships.

Tucson – The UTEP track and field team closed out the regular season at the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson, Ariz. on Saturday night.

Sean Bailey stormed out of the blocks and into the national leaderboard. The junior won the 400m with a season-best time of 45.54, which ranks him sixth nationally.

Carolyne Chepkosgei crosses the finish line first in the women’s 800m with a personal-best time of 2:06.45. The sophomore currently rates third in Conference USA.

In the hurdles, Kimisha Chambers led the Miners with a second-place finish with a time of 57.82 in the 400m hurdles. Her time currently ranks 10th nationally and first in C-USA. Teammate Dreshanae Rolle finished fifth with a season-bet time of 59.23, which is the second-best time in the league this season.

Freshman Maribel Caicedo clocked in a collegiate-best time of 13.55 in the women’s 100m hurdles. The hurdler finished sixth overall and fourth collegiately in a field of 22. Teammate Rebecca Oshinbanjo notched a 12th-place finish with a time of 13.90.

Junior Shakeem Smith crossed the finish line with a season-best time of 14.14 in the 110m hurdles, finishing fifth overall. Smith went on to compete in the 400m hurdles and crossed the finish line fourth with a time of 52.91.

Junior Madison Gibson also notched a season-best time of 55.01 in the 400m. She finished ninth overall in a field of 28 competitors.

Iason Machairas finished fifth overall and third collegiately in the men’s shot put. The freshman notched a mark of 17.74m in his final attempt of the night.

Highlighting the jumpers was Chantoba Bright in the long jump. The freshman finished fourth overall in a field of 20 competitors. Her best attempt was her first jump of 5.94m.

On the men’s side, Darius King won the triple jump with a personal-best mark of 14.95m. He also finished eighth with a personal-best leap of 6.93m in the long jump on his first attempt of the day.

The Miners will return to the track on May 9-12 in Charlotte, N.C. for the 2019 C-USA Outdoor Championships.

The UTEP track and field team heads into the final regular season meet of the year on Saturday at the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson, Arizona.

The Miners will face some tough competition, going head-to-head against Arizona, Arizona State, Grand Canyon, NM State, Northern Arizona, San Diego State, Oregon, Utah and Cal State Northridge.

The meet will kick off on the field with the men’s hammer at 2:30 p.m. MT, which will feature Benjamin Coronado. Earlier in the year, the sophomore posted a personal-best mark of 49.11m in the hammer throw at the UTEP Springtime. The El Paso native will be in the first flight of the competition.

Coronado will also take the field in the discus (5 p.m.) and shot put (9 p.m.).

Teammate Iason Machairas will look to continue his success in the shot put. The freshman registered a collegiate-best mark of 18.45m last week at the Bryan Clay Invitational. He currently ranks 41st nationally and first in C-USA.

Also highlighting the field events is freshman Chantoba Bright. The jumper will take the runway in the long jump at 5 p.m. Bright heads into the meet ranked 22nd nationally and second in conference with a leap of 6.30m that was posted in the Miners’ home opener.

The running events will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the women’s 100m hurdles, which feature Miners Maribel Caicedo, Rebecca Oshinbanjo and Carshaylah Harrison. The men’s 110m hurdles will follow at 6:45 p.m. and will include Shakeem Smith and David Rivera.

Smith currently rates ninth in C-USA with a season-best time of 14.45 that was notched at the Texas A&M Invitational.

Also taking the track for the men is Sean Bailey in the 400m, which is set to start at 8:25 p.m. The junior has made his presence known on the track this season, posting four top-two finishes. Last week, Bailey set the bar higher by clocking in a personal-best time of 46.04 in the 400m.

The sprinter is ranked 23rd nationally and first in C-USA in the event.

On the mid-distance side, Carolyne Chepkosgei, Andrea Lucero and Destiny White will take the track in the 800m at 9 p.m. Chepkosgei leads the group, ranking fourth in C-USA with a personal-best time of 2:09.19 that was recorded at Texas Relays.

The women’s 4x400m relay will wrap up the one-day meet at approximately 10:32 p.m.

For live results please visit this webpage.

Golf’s Aaron Terrazas and cross country/track & field’s Lilian Koech were named the UTEP Male and Female Athlete of the Year, and women’s cross country was appointed the UTEP Team of the Year at the inaugural Golden Pick Axe Awards in the Don Haskins Center Thursday evening.

Men’s Basketball’s Efe Odigie and softball’s Kasey Flores were named the Male and Female Underclassmen of the Year. Terrazas and Koech were chosen the Male and Female Upperclassmen of the Year.

Other awards presented included Best Comeback (track & field’s Sean Bailey), Unsung Hero (softball’s Ariel Blair) and the Thomas Howard Academics & Athletics Achievement Awards (volleyball’s Briana Bustillos & men’s basketball’s Ountae Campbell).

The Moment of the Year was the buzzer beater by men’s basketball’s Jordan Lathon to beat Rice, and the Community Service Award went to the softball program.

Team MVP Awards were presented to Boaz Ronoh (men’s cross country), Linda Cheruiyot (women’s cross country), Lathon (men’s basketball), Jordan Alexander (women’s basketball), Steffen Gregory and Jasmine Romo (cheerleading), A.J. Hotchkins (football), Terrazas (men’s golf), Lily Downs and Valeria Mendizabal (women’s golf), Jessica Boyce (rifle), Carleigh Simmons (soccer), Kacey Duffield (softball), Blair and Justin Garrett (strength & conditioning), Kirsten Prelle (tennis), Bailey (men’s indoor track & field), Koech (women’s indoor & outdoor track and field), Michael Saruni (men’s outdoor track & field) and Macey Austin (volleyball).

The Golden Pick Awards are organized and presented by the UTEP Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Male Athlete of the Year & Male Upperclassman of the Year – Aaron Terrazas (Men’s Golf)
Terrazas was the Miners’ top finisher at seven tournaments, and also led the team with six top-10 placements. His scoring average of 71.5 rated first on the squad. He earned his first collegiate victory at the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate in October, where he tied for first place. He followed that up with his second collegiate victory, winning the Pepsi-Cola Classic outright. His 15-under par score of 201 led the Miners to the tournament title. He was named the Conference USA co-Golfer of the Week after firing a career-low score in Las Cruces. Terrazas tied for fourth place at the John Burns Intercollegiate in Hawai’i, firing a seven-under par 209 to garner C-USA Golfer of the Week honors. He began his final season at UTEP by tying for fifth place at the Golfweek Conference Challenge with a four-under-par 140.

Female Athlete of the Year & Female Upperclassman of the Year – Lilian Koech (Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field)
Koech is closing out her collegiate career in stellar fashion, having been a member of two conference championship teams during the 2018-19 athletic year. She garnered first-team All-Conference honors as the women’s cross country team captured its first league title. She was named C-USA Outstanding Senior after crossing the finish line in fifth place overall. Koech went on to lead the UTEP women’s track and field team to the title at the 2019 Conference USA Indoor Championship. Koech secured a gold and silver medal in the mile and 800 meters, respectively. Earlier in the year, she posted a personal-best time of 2:06.29 in the 800 meters, which rates fourth in program history. During the 2018 outdoor season, Koech notched a gold and silver medal at the C-USA Championships in the 1,500 meters and 800 meters, respectively. She’s putting the finishing touches on an illustrious UTEP career during the 2019 outdoor season, as she ranks in the top-25 nationally in the 800 meters and 1,500 meters.

Team of the Year – Women’s Cross Country
The Miners enjoyed a storybook 2018 season, winning their first conference championship. They took four of the top-six spots at the Conference USA Meet as Linda Cheruiyot and Winny Koech finished first and second, respectively. Carolyn Chepkosgei and Lilian Koech also merited first-team All-Conference USA honors as they took fifth and sixth place in the individual standings. Lilian Koech was appointed the Senior of the Meet and Paul Ereng was named the league’s Coach of the Year. UTEP sent Cheruiyot and Koech to the NCAA Championships. Cheruiyot was chosen the C-USA Cross Country Athlete of the Year. She finished in the top three at five meets, with a pair of first-place showings. Overall the Miners won four meets over the course of their record-breaking campaign.

Male Underclassman of the Year – Efe Odigie (Men’s Basketball)
Odigie was a member of the C-USA All-Freshman team after becoming the first Miner to average a double-double (12.7 ppg, 10.1 rpg) since the 1982 season. The 10.1 rebounds per game was a UTEP freshman record while also pacing C-USA and rating 16th in the nation. He also led the league in defensive boards per game (7.4). He produced a UTEP freshman record 11 double-doubles (second in C-USA), which was fifth among DI freshmen. He started 21 of 25 games played before missing the final four contests of the year with an injury.

Female Underclassman of the Year – Kasey Flores (Softball)
Flores burst onto the scene with two homers and a UTEP-debut record seven RBIs in the season-opening win against Creighton. She was named the C-USA Player of the Week and was an NFCA top performer for her efforts that weekend. The freshman has continued to thrive, pacing the team in RBIs (36-tied fourth in C-USA), doubles (nine) and runs scored (29). She also checks in second on the team in batting average (.358-ninth C-USA), total bases (77-10th C-USA) and slugging percentage (.626-seventh C-USA), and third in home runs (eight-tied 10th C-USA).

Best Comeback – Sean Bailey (Track & Field)
Bailey’s performance in the 400 meters at the 2019 Conference USA Indoor Championships earned him the Best Comeback Award. The transfer from Western Texas College was back in the pack during the first lap of the finals before finding his second gear and surging to victory in his heat. He claimed third place overall on the way to securing All-Conference honors after the photo finish.

Unsung Hero – Ariel Blair (Softball)
Blair has been an inspirational leader for UTEP softball the past four years. She has fulfilled her dream of playing for her hometown Miners, one she refused to give up on even after being paralyzed and in a wheelchair as a result of contracting a rare disease at the age of 14. She frequently makes highlight-reel catches in the outfield and throws out runners at the plate. She is on track to become the first Miner in program history to lead the team in steals for four consecutive seasons.

Thomas Howard Academics & Athletics Achievement Awards – Briana Bustillos (Volleyball) & Ountae Campbell (Men’s Basketball)
The Thomas Howard Academic & Athletics Achievement Awards are presented to UTEP walk-on student athletes who have excelled academically and athletically. They are presented by the Thomas Howard Foundation in honor of former UTEP football player Thomas Howard, who passed away in a car accident at the age of 30 in 2013. Bustillos played in all 99 sets and started every match for the Miners at the libero position. She ranked seventh in C-USA in digs with a team-leading 388. Campbell played in 24 games for the men’s basketball team with 10 starts. He was a recipient of a C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal (minimum 3.75 GPA).

Moment of the Year – Jordan Lathon (Men’s Basketball) Buzzer-Beater vs. Rice
There were many exciting moments during the 2018-19 UTEP Athletics year, but Lathon’s buzzer beater in a 65-64 win vs. Rice (Jan. 12) surpassed them all. The Owls led 64-63 after Trey Murphy III grabbed an offensive board and connected on a three-pointer with 1.6 seconds left. Ountae Campbell’s first pass attempt was deflected out of bounds in the corner, taking time off the clock. Campbell, from the bottom corner and with 0.5 seconds remaining, threw the ball to an open Lathon. The ball took one bounce, Lathon grabbed it and nailed the jumper from the baseline just inside the three-point line. Lathon was mobbed by his teammates, coaches and fans while the referees looked at the play on the monitor. The refs declared the shot good, electrifying the Haskins Center and giving Rodney Terry his first league win as UTEP’s head coach.

Community Service Award – Softball
The UTEP softball team has gone above and beyond to achieve its goal of engaging the community. From helping with Special Olympics sporting events to volunteering at the children’s hospital, the squad has racked up 658 community service hours since the beginning of the school year. The efforts have set the standard for service for all UTEP sports.

Junior Winny Koech garnered Conference USA Female Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week honors, the league announced on Tuesday.

The distance runner registered a personal-best time of 33:35.68 in the 10K at the highly-competitive MT. SAC Relays. Koech currently ranks 26th nationally and first in C-USA in the 10K. The junior also checks in fourth all-time in program history.

This is Koech’s first athlete of the week honor this season.

The Miners will be back in action on Saturday at the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson, Az.

Torrance, Ca.-The UTEP track and Field team closed out the first day of action at MT. SAC Relays on Thursday night.

Rodgers Korir took the track in the 10,000m for the first time. The freshman won with a collegiate-best time of 30:10.60. Korir’s time currently ranks fourth in Conference USA.

Teammate Antony Kosgei also ran in the 10,000m and finished eighth overall with a time of 31:06.64.

Junior Karol Koncos finished fifth in the men’s hammer throw in a field of 22 throwers. In his fourth attempt of the night, the thrower posted his best attempt of 62.67m.

Bryan Clay Invitational

Boaz Ronoh took 12th place in the men’s 5,000m in heat five with a collegiate-best time of 14:38.58.

Tomorrow will be a full day of action for the Miner at the Bryan Clay Invitational. The men’s 4x100m relay will kick off the meet at 10 a.m. MT

For live results, click here.

The UTEP track and field team heads to Azusa, California, for the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 18-19.

On Thursday, Cornelius Kapel and Boaz Ronoh will represent the Orange and Blue in the men’s 5,000m. Kapel will be in heat seven, which is set to begin at 6:40 p.m. Ronoh heads into the meet with a season-best time of 15:00.39 posted at Texas Relays. This is the third time this season that he races in the 5,000m. He will run at 8 p.m. in heat five.

Linda Cheruiyot will be the lone Miner to take the track in the women’s 5,000m at 9:20 p.m.

Friday is an action packed day, starting with the men’s 4x100m relay (Kyle Farrell, Sean Bailey, Luis Baca and Shakeem Smith) scheduled at 10 a.m.

Smith will return to the track in the men’s 110m hurdles at 10:40 a.m. The junior notched a second-place finish in the 110m hurdles last week at the Texas A&M Invitational with a time of 14.45. He will also compete in the men’s 400m hurdles for the first time this season at 4:40 p.m.

Bailey will be the only Miner racing in the men’s 400m at 11:55 a.m. The transfer clocked in a season-best time of 47.31 in the 400m last week. He currently ranks eighth in Conference USA. Bailey will also take the track in the men’s 200m at 5:45 p.m.

On the field, Darius King will take the track in the men’s long jump at approximately 10 a.m. He will go on to jump in the men’s triple jump at 4 p.m. with teammate Devin Mungro.

Representing the Miners in the shot put is Benjamin Coronado and Iason Machairas who are set to begin at noon. Machairas is ranked third in the shot put in C-USA with a mark of 17.52m. Coronado rates fifth in the shot put in the league with a toss of 16.33m. Coronado will return to the field at 2 p.m. in the men’s discus.

On the women’s side, Kaylah Shepherd and Roosa Yloenen will take the field first in the women’s javelin throw at 11 a.m. Yloenen notched a collegiate-best toss in the javelin of 50.44m at the Texas A&M Invitational. She ranks first in C-USA and 23rd nationally. Shepherd is ranked fifth in the league with a mark of 42.66m recorded at the Texas State Bobcat Invitational.

On the track, Rebecca Oshinbanjo and Maribel Caicedo will compete in the 100m hurdles at 11:15 a.m. Oshinbanjo comes into the meet ranked third in C-USA with a season-best time of 13.99 posted at Texas Relays. Caicedo rates fourth in the league with an altitude time of 14.05 set at the UTEP Springtime. Both individuals will also race in the 100m, alongside Geraldy Barron, Aphiniti Crupper and Johna Diggs at 2:05 p.m.

Closing out the meet will be senior Lilian Koech in the women’s 1,500m at approximately 9:35 p.m. She currently ranks first in the league and 49th nationally in the event with a time of 4:21.84.

For live results visit, the meet’s website

SAC Relays

Miners Antony Kosgei and Rodgers Korir will kick off the meet on Thursday in the men’s 10,000m at 8 p.m. This is the first time this season that both individuals will compete in the 10,000m.

Winny Koech will be the lone Miner on the women’s side competing at MT. SAC on Thursday. She will take the track in the 10,000m at 9:15 p.m.

Karol Koncos will take the field in the men’s hammer at 11 a.m. The junior heads into the meet ranked 27th nationally with a personal-best toss of 65.59m posted at Texas Relays.

For live results please visit the Mt. SAC website.

College Station, Texas – The UTEP track and field team closed out the Texas A&M Invitational, posting top finishes on Saturday night.

Winny Koech closed out the meet for the Miners, running in the 5,000m for the second time this season. The junior recorded a winning time of 17:23.73.

On the men’s side, Rodgers Korir notched a second-place finish in the 5,000m. The freshman clocked in a time of 15:00.53. Sophomore Boaz Ronoh followed closely behind, crossing the finish line third overall with a time of 15:05.69. Senior Antony Kosgei also took the track in the 5,000m and took fifth.

Junior Sean Bailey returned to the track for the first time since the Miners season opener. The sprinter wasted no time, registering a season-best time of 47.31 taking second place overall.

In the men’s 110m hurdles, Junior Shakeem Smith also posted a silver-medal finish. The hurdler clocked in a season-best time of 14.45 (W: 2.1). His time currently ranks sixth in Conference USA.

On the field, underclassmen Iason Machairas and Benjamin Coronado took the field in the men’s shot put. Machairas claimed a third-place finish with a toss of 17.50m, while Coronado registered a fourth-place finish with a personal best of 16.33m. Coronado moved up the Conference USA rankings, checking in at fifth in the league.

On the women’s side, Carolyne Chepkosgei crossed the finish line fourth in a field of 21 competitors. The sophomore notched a time of 2:13.77 in the 800m.

In the hurdles, Dreshanae Rolle registered a fourth-place finish with a time of 1:05.05 in the 400m hurdles. Carshaylah Harrison and Breona Pinkney also represented the Miners in the field and finished 11th and 12th, respectively.

Rebecca Oshinbanjo notched a seventh-place finish (14.02 W: 5.0) in the women’s 100m hurdles. Teammate Maribel Caicedo also took the track in the 100m hurdles and finished 12th overall.

UTEP will return to the track on April 18-20 at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California. and Mt. SAC Relays in Torrance, California.