Tag Archives: utep track and field

AUSTIN  – Lucia Mokrasova set the school record with 5,671 points in the heptathlon while freshman All-American Michael Saruni broke a meet standard to win the 800m at the 90th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, presented by Spectrum on Thursday afternoon at Mike A. Myers Stadium.

“Lucy didn’t have the start that we wanted today, but I think she recovered well and finished strong to break her record from last year,” UTEP head coach Mika Laaksonen said. “She competed well and looks like she has a lot more left in the tank.”

Heading into day two of competition with 3,517 points, Mokrasova opened the day by leaping out to 5.30m (17-4.75) in the long jump, where she earned 643 points. She tallied 666 points after throwing for 39.94m (131-0).

After two events the junior notched 4,942 points and needed to run her time from a year ago (2:22.59) to tie her previous record of 5,615 points. The junior ran a 2:18.44 in the 800m to earn 845 points, breaking her previous record by 56 points.

Mokrasova finished in eighth place in a field of 23 and her total score ranks first in Conference USA.

The other big highlight of day two at the Texas Relays for UTEP Saruni’s star-studded performance. The Kenyan competed in the Invitational (including professionals) 800m run and finished by setting a Texas Relays meet record with the fastest time in the nation (1:48.82). In his heat was the 2012 Olympic silver medialist (Leonel Manzano) and the collegiate record holder (Donavan Brazier). Saruni will participate in the mile run scheduled for Saturday at 2:45 p.m. MT.

“Michael, what can you say a freshman running that times, considering the competition he faced,” Laaksonen said. “For him to come in and break the record is impressive.”

In the women’s Invitational 800m run, Lilian Koech finished in eighth place with a time of 2:11.42. She was the fourth collegiate athlete to finish.

Yanique Bennett clocked a time of 59.92 in the 400m hurdles on her way to a 20th-place finish in a field of 73. Teammate Dreshanae Rolle followed with a time of 1:00.23 to a 24th-place finish.

Cosmas Boit garnered a silver medal in the 1,500m run with a time of 3:49.90 and Daniel Cheruiyot clocked a 9:18.57 to finish in fifth place in the 3,000m steeplechase.

Winny Koech, Gladys Jerotich, Linda Cheruiyot and Antony Kosgei closed out the night in the 5,000m run. Koech (16:22.26) led the way to a gold-place finish with the fifth-fastest time in the nation, Cheruiyot (16:44.76) finished fourth and Jerotich (17:34.28) finished 17th overall. In the men’s race, Kosgei paced to a bronze showing with a time of 14:16.60.

Austin – Lucia Mokrasova sits in seventh place with 3,517 points after four events of the heptathlon at the 90th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, presented by Spectrum on Wednesday.

The junior started the day by clocking in a time of 14.06 in the 100m hurdles earning her 970 points. In the high jump, Mokrasova cleared 1.67m (5-5.75) for an additional 818 points.

Her best performance of the day came in the shot put where she registered a toss of 14.10m (46-3.25) finishing in first. Closing out the day, Mokrasova sprinted to a 24.56 finish in the 200m.

Mokrasova set the heptathlon school record last year in Austin when she scored 5,615 points. Her score at the end of day one is 103 points better than it was last year (3,414) after day one.

She will conclude the heptathlon tomorrow with the long jump, javelin throw and 800m run starting at 10 a.m. MT.

A tape delay of all the action will air tonight (Wednesday) on the Longhorn Network at 5:00 p.m. MT. A tape delay of the final portion of the heptathlon will air Thursday on the LHN at 3:30 p.m. MT. Following will be live action of the track events at 5:00 p.m. MT.

Athletes competing Thursday to be aired on LHN starting at 5 p.m.

Dreshannae Rolle and Yanique Bennett – 400m hurdle prelims

Michael Saruni – 800m Invitational (including professionals)

Lilian Koech

Cosmas Boit – 1500m run

Daniel Cheruiyot – 3,000m steeplechase

Linda Cheruiyot, Gladys Jerotich and Winny Koech – 5,000m run

Antony Kosgei

Fayon Gonzales – Hammer Throw

Karol Koncos

The UTEP track and field team will head to Austin, Texas, for the 90th edition of the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays held at the Mike A. Myers Stadium.

More than 7,700 athletes from around the world will compete in the four-day meet that begins Wednesday and concludes Saturday. The meet will have 14 hours of coverage on the Longhorn Network (schedule listed below).

Junior Lucia Mokrasova returns to the state capital where she scored 5,615 points last year to set the school record, previously held by Jallycia Pearson (2014). She will be in action Wednesday and Thursday.

Tobi Amusan will compete in the 100m hurdles and the 4x100m relay. Amusan set the nation’s fastest time (12.63) this year and ninth best in NCAA history at the UTEP Springtime on March 25. The two time All-American will take to the track on Friday for the 100m hurdles at 8:35 a.m. MT and again in the 4x100m relay shortly after. Israel Ramsay, Florence Uwakwe, and Madison Gibson complete the relay team.

Yanique Bennett will also run in two events, the 400m Friday (6 p.m. MT Friday) and the mile relay Saturday at 3:05 p.m. MT. Completing the 4x400m relay will be Uwakwe, Gibson and Ada Benjamin.

The distance contingent of Linda Cheruiyot, Gladys Jerotich and Winny Koech will compete Thursday evening in the 5,000m run. Lilian Koech will race in the 1,500m run.

Fayon Gonzales will take the field Thursday in the hammer throw starting at 10 a.m. MT. Samantha Hall will throw the discus on Saturday at 12:10 p.m. MT.

On the men’s side, All-American Michael Saruni will compete in the 800m Thursday evening at 6 p.m. MT. That will be followed by Cosmas Boit (1,500m), Jonah Koech (mile), Daniel Cheruiyot (3,000m steeplechase) and Antony Kosgei (5,000m).

Freshman Karol Koncos will compete in the hammer throw set to start at 1 p.m. MT Thursday.

For live updates, follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter. This year’s meet will be available online at espn3.com and via the WatchESPN app for smartphones and tablets.

T.V. Schedule

Wednesday March 29: 5-6:30 p.m. MT (tape delay of heptathlon)
Thursday March 30: 3:30 – 5 p.m. MT (tape delay of multi-events) 5-7 p.m. MT (LIVE)
Friday March 31: 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. MT (LIVE); 6-8 p.m. MT (LIVE)
Saturday April 1: 12:30- 4:30 p.m. MT (LIVE)

UTEP sophomore hurdler Tobi Amusan clocked the fastest 100m hurdle time (12.63) in the world for 2017 on Saturday afternoon at Kidd Field in the UTEP Springtime.

Amusan exploded out of the blocks and dashed to a first-place finish, setting a school record in the process. The previous standard was held by Kim Turner (12.95, 1983) and had stood for 34 years.

Getting the day started was Fayon Gonzales in the hammer throw. The senior notched a fourth-place finish with a throw of 50.16m (164-7), followed by Adebola Akomolafe (157-1.25) in fifth place. Gonzales also captured silver in the javelin with a toss of 39.37m (129-2.25).

The Miners swept the 1,500m run with Linda Cheruiyot (4:31.81), Winny Koech (4:34.41) and Gladys Jerotich (4:51.60).  Melanie Crittenden notched fourth place in the high jump with a mark of 1.53m (5-0.25).

Senior Ada Benjamin clocked the clocked the fourth-fastest time (53.16) in the nation in the 400m. She also took silver in the 200m (24.02). Lucia Mokrasova tied for second (14.00) in the 100m hurdles and secured a fourth-place finish in the 200m with a time of 24.52.

Lilian Koech notched the seventh-fastest time nationally (2:08.98) in the 800m. Samantha Hall took home gold in the discus by throwing for 52.61m (172-7.50). Israel Ramsay (5.88m, 19-3.50) and Tyler Ragin (5.79m, 19-0) took second and fourth overall in the long jump.

On the men’s side, freshman Karol Koncos won gold in the hammer throw by tossing for 61.84m (202-11), followed by Kevin Rincon with a toss of 49.70m (163-1) to finish third overall. Rincon returned in the javelin to take silver, launching for 59.31m (194-7.25).

Austin Ondijo took second in the high jump leaping over 1.97m (6-5.50). The 1,500m run featured the most Miners in one event. Cosmas Boit (3:49.46) took home silver, Antony Kosgei (3:56.28) finished fifth, Daniel Cheruiyot (3:57.44) finished sixth and Evans Kiprono (3:59.90) finished seventh overall.

In the 200m Asa Guevara took the number one spot running 21.06, followed by James Bias (21.50) to finish fourth overall.

UTEP has a short rest before returning to the track, this time in Austin, Texas, for the Texas Relays March 28-April 1. Be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter for live updates.

The UTEP track and field team will open the outdoor campaign at the first of three meets at Kidd Field this Saturday.

UTEP will host the UTEP Invitational (April 22) and the Conference-USA Championships (May 11-14). The Miners will compete at the Texas Relays (March 28-April1), Mr. SAC Distance/UCLA Invitational (April 13-15),  the Brutus Hamilton Open & Challenge (28-29).

The women’s team will head into the outdoor season after celebrating it’s third consecutive C-USA championship title. The Miners will look to start the outdoor season on the right foot after a fourth-place finish last year.

On the women’s side, All-American Tobi Amusan returns to her prime event in the 100m hurdles. Amusan competed at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics placing 11th in the world. The sophomore will take the track at 2:35 p.m. MT.

Florence Uwakwe will run the 400m set for a 4:30 p.m. start. The senior holds the school second fastest time in that event.

Michael Saruni will compete in the 400m set to start at 4:55 p.m. Saruni won gold at the C-USA championships in both the 800m and the mile run.  The freshman was named C-USA athlete of the week during the indoor season and was named an All-American during the indoor season.

 Live results will be available at www.spato.us and follow UTEPTrack on twitter.

The “Mining Minds” pickaxe sculpture at UTEP’s University Avenue roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange Friday evening, March 17, 2017 and Sunday, March 19, to celebrate current and historic UTEP national championships.

Friday’s lighting will honor Emmanuel Korir, a track and field athlete who earned the NCAA track and field indoor title in the 800-meter run on March 11. He crossed the finish line first with a time of 1:47.48. The freshman became the 40th national champion for the UTEP track and field program.

On Sunday, the special lighting will recognize the 51st anniversary of the UTEP men’s basketball NCAA championship victory on March 19, 1966. On that historic day, the Texas Western (now UTEP) Miners beat top-ranked Kentucky 72-65 in the title game — a game that forever changed college athletics.

Legendary Coach Don Haskins made history by staring five African-American players, the first time that had been done in an NCAA basketball championship game. After the 1966 championship, college teams throughout the South began aggressively recruiting African-American athletes, ending years of segregation.

“Mining Minds” is an iconic piece of public art installed in 2010 to enhance the UTEP campus. At night, orange lights illuminate the steel structure while light from LEDs emanate from the perforated “ones” and “zeroes” at each end of the pick.

On special occasions, including historic dates, major annual milestones and to celebrate special accomplishments, the pick is illuminated in blue and orange. Learn more about the statue and its artist at miningminds.utep.edu.

College Station, Texas – Emmanuel Korir garnered his first NCAA title on Saturday afternoon at the Gilliam Indoor Track and Field Stadium.

“Everyone competed at their highest level on the biggest stage and that’s all you can ask for,” head coach Mika Laaksonen said. “Tobi, Michael and Emmanuel are very special and will continue to do great things. I can’t wait to see what they will do in the outdoor season.”

Competing in the 800m final, Michael Saruni and Korir both started the race with a blazing pace. Saruni set the tone early leading the pack for two laps. Korir was closely behind and found his opportunity with a last minute kick to cross the finish line first with a time of 1:47.48. The freshman becomes the 40th national champion for the UTEP track and field program.

Teammate Saruni was disqualified after officials reviewed some jostling between Saruni and Drew Piazza from Virginia Tech.

In the women’s 60m hurdles Tobi Amusan competed to her fullest extent, but ultimately finished sixth overall with a time of 8.03.

The UTEP track and field program closed the book on a successful indoor season and will look to carry their moment into the outdoor season. The Miners return to action on March 25 for their first of three home meets.

UTEP will host the Conference USA outdoor championships May 11-14 at Kidd Field.

College Station, Texas – UTEP’s Tobi Amusan, Emmanuel Korir and Michael Saruni all qualified for the finals in their respective events, Friday night at the NCAA Indoor Championships at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium.

“Tobi, Emmanuel and Michael looked very solid and composed in their races,” head coach Mika Laaksonen said. “I feel very confident for them heading into tomorrow’s finals. They put themselves in great positions and anything is possible.”

Amusan qualified in the 60m hurdles running a time of 8.00 notching the fourth fastest qualifying time. The sophomore will run in Saturday’s final set to start at 5:00 p.m. CT.

In the men’s 800m Saruni and Korir both qualified while running in separate heats. Saruni set an easy pace moving his way through the field in the final stretch to finish second in his heat with a time of 1:48.44. Korir clocked in at 1:47.62 to win the second heat and ran the fastest qualifying time. Both Miners will take the track tomorrow at 5:30 p.m.

Jonah Koech just missed out on the mile run final. The sophomore ran in the first heat which was the fastest of the two, ran a time of 4:01.019 and tied with Thomas Joyce from California who ran 4:01.012 to seal the final qualifying spot.

The distance medley relay team of Asa Guevara, Cosmas Boit, Saruni and Koech finished 11th overall with a time of 9:56.03.

Saturday’s action can be seen on WatchESPN.com or follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter for live updates.

UTEP’s Michael Saruni was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Mountain Region Men’s Track Athlete of the Year on Monday morning.

Saruni has established himself as one of the top runners in the country. The freshman is currently ranked third in the nation in the 800m with a time of 1:46.90. His time is also the second fastest-time in school history.

The freshman was named a Conference USA Athlete of the Week during the 2017 indoor season. At the C-USA indoor championships held in Birmingham Ala. the mid distance runner captured two gold medals in the 800m and the mile run (4:03.32). Saruni scored a total of 20 team points at the conference meet.

Along with four other Miners, Saruni will compete at the 2017 NCAA Championships held March 10-11 at College Station, Texas. In his best event, Saruni will look to qualify for the 800m final on Friday at 7:20 p.m. CT and will run the distance medley relay on Friday set for 8:55 p.m.

The NCAA Championships will be stream on live on ESPN3.com and you can follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter for live updates.

Tobi Amusan, Michael Saruni, Emmanuel Korir, Asa Guevara and Jonah Koech all qualified to compete at the NCAA Championships in College Station, Texas, March 10-11, in their respective events.

Amusan will be the lone Miner from the women’s team that just captured their third consecutive Conference USA championship. The sophomore will compete in the 60m hurdles set for 6:50 p.m. CT Friday March 10.

Amusan ranks fifth in the nation posting a time of 8.00. At the Don Kirby Invitational held in Albuquerque, N.M. Amusan faced off against Sasha Wallace from Oregon, who ranks No. 1 in the nation and tied for first in a fantastic photo finish.

In the mile, run Koech will take the track at 5:45 p.m. Friday. The long distance runner ranks seventh in the nation with a time of 3:57.30. The top 8 qualifiers will race in Saturday’s final at 4:10 p.m.

Mid distance duo Korir and Saruni will compete in the 800m Friday at 7:20 p.m. Korir ranks first in the nation with Saruni close behind at the number three spot. Korir had set the nation’s fastest time (1:46.15) in his indoor season debut at the Commodore invitational in Nashville, Tenn.

Saruni took gold at the C-USA indoor championships and looks to carry that momentum to College Station.

The distance medley relay team of Asa Guevara, Saruni, Korir and Koech qualified with the nation’s tenth best time running 9:31.13. The final race will be Friday at 8:55 p.m. with 12 schools competing in two heats.

Follow @UTEPTrack for live updates of the races and action on twitter.

The Miners are ready to take on the competition at the Conference USA Championship held at the Birmingham CrossPlex starting on Saturday.

The women’s team will look to repeat as champions for the third-consecutive year. Last year the team tallied 120 points to secure their second conference title over second-place WKU.

Tobi Amusan will lead the charge for the women, competing in two races and one field event. The sophomore will first take the track in the 60m hurdles (8.00) set for 4:30 p.m. MT. She will then run in the 200m (23.45) where she rates first in the league on Saturday at 6:00 p.m.Amusan will compete in the long jump (20-2.25) 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Florence Uwakwe, who will also compete in three events, will look to cap off her indoor career by scoring points in the 60m (ranks fourth in C-USA), 200m (third) and 400m (fourth) on Saturday at 5:50 pm. Teammate Ada Benjamin heads into this weekend ranked No. 1 in the league in the 400m (54.26) and will look to defend her title from a year ago.

Distance duo Winny Koech and Linda Cheruiyot will look to earn big points for the Miners in the mile run on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Koech (4:52.41) and Ceruiyot (5:53.23) rate two and three in C-USA.

In the throws, Fayon Gonzales (fifth in C-USA) will be competing on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. in the weight throw. Samantha Hall (10th in C-USA) will look to improve from last year’s third-place finish in the shot put Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

Defending her crown in the pentathlon, Lucia Mokrasova heads into this weekend ranked No. 1 with 3,808 points. Mokrasova scored 3,896 points a year ago to claim the title.

The men’s team head into this weekend’s meet ranked No. 9 in the country.

James Bias and Asa Guevara will look to earn a spot in the 200m and 400m final on Sunday.  Guevara (21.50) ranks seventh in conference and Bias (21.66) ranks ninth in the 200m. In the 400m Guevara (47.47) ranks second in C-USA.  The 400m will run at 6:10 p.m. and the 200m is set for 7:15 p.m.

In the 800m on Saturday at 6:45 p.m., Michael Saruni will look to score big points for the Miners. The mid-distance runner ranks second in C-USA and sixth in the nation with a time of 1:46.90.

Jonah Koech will look to defend his title in the mile run as he ranks No. 1 in the conference this year with a time of 3.57.30.

The men’s 5,000m (Saturday at 8:00 p.m.) and 3,000m  (Sunday at 3:40 p.m.) will feature three runners. Antony Kosgei, Cosmas Boit and Evans Kiprono. Kosgei sits first in the 5,000m (13:50.74) and second in the 3,000m (8:04.19).

The distance medley relay (9:31.13) has the fastest time in C-USA and the second-fastest time in the nation. The mile relay ranks second in the league with a time of 3:10.89.

The men’s weight throw will be on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. with Kevin Rincon and Karol Koncos competing. Koncos currently has the fourth best throw in conference with a toss of 19.19m (62-11.25).

Brandon Moss and Donivan Ortega will compete in the long jump on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., Ortega will also compete in the triple jump on Sunday at 11:00 a.m.

Follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter for live updates.

The UTEP men’s indoor track and field team garnered the No. 9 spot in the country announced by the U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) on Monday afternoon.

The Miners crack the top 25 for the second time this season after moving up 10 spots from last weeks rankings.

UTEP is the only school from Conference USA to be ranked inside the top 15. The Miners have a calculated team score of 74.42 points.

Freshman Emmanuel Korir leads the squad. Notching the third-fastest time in the country of 1:46.50, registered at the Vanderbilt Commodore Invitational. Korir holds the fastest-time in school history in the 800 meters.

The distance runner also set a world best in the 600 meters at the Cherry and Silver with a time of 1:14.97.

Fellow freshman, Michael Saruni claims the sixth-fastest time in the 800m finishing closely behind Korir at the New Mexico Classic with a time of 1:46.90.

Sophomore duo, Antony Kosgei and Jonah Koech hold top-50 marks in the country. Koech’s mile run of 4:02.14 ranks No. 41 in the country, while Kosgei’s 3,000m time of 8:04.19 rates 44th.

In the 5,000m, Kosgei set a personal-best 13:50.74 to earn him the 19th best time in the country.

 The 4×400 meter relay ranks No. 33 in the nation with a time of 3:10.45 posted at the New Mexico Cherry & Silver Invitational. Running the relay were James Bias, Asa Guevara, Jonah Koech and Emmanuel Korir.

The Distance Medley relay team of Michael Saruni (1,200m), Asa Guevara (400m), Emmanuel Korir (800m) and Jonah Koech (1,600m) set the nation’s second-fastest time of 9:31.13. The team notched gold at the Music City Challenge barely nudging out Virginia Tech (19:31.15). Oregon holds the number one spot with a time of 9.30.86.

The UTEP track and field team will head to C-USA Indoor Championship this weekend in Birmingham, Ala.

ALBURQUERQUE, N.M. – The UTEP track and field team finish the regular season with a bang at the Don Kirby Invitational on Saturday.

“I was really pleased with the performance of our distance medley relay team, setting a school record and Antony Kosgei and Winny Koech in their performance in Washington,” head coach Mika Laaksonen said. “Tobi looked impressive and now we need to prepare for the biggest team meet at the conference championships next week.”

Tobi Amusan was the highlight of the day, running a personal best 7.98 in the 60 hurdle semifinals. In the final, Amusan trailed early in the race, but closed the gap to Oregon’s Sasha Wallace for a photo finish.

Both hurdlers achieved the same final time of 7.99 Wallace beating Amusan by one-one thousand of a second (7.986 to 7.987). Amusan now holds the third-fastest time in the nation in the event and shares the school record with Janice Jackson (2014).

In the only field event of the day, Samantha Hall earned 14th overall in the shot put with a toss of 13.51m (44-4.00).

Gladys Jerotich (5:11.75) notched a 15th place showing in the mile run. Kayla Pallares set her personal best with a time of 5:27.33.

Florence Uwakwe placed 14th overall in the 60 meters with a time of 7.59.

Dreshanae Rolle (55.85) set a personal best in the 400 meters, followed by Madison Gibson with a time of 57.27. In the 800 meters, Linda Cheruiyot notched an 11th-place showing with a time of 2:15.42 and Truphena Sum ran 2:21.16 to finish 24th overall.

Daniel Cheruiyot set a personal best in the mile run with a time of 4:18.95 earning 13th overall, teammate Evans Kiprono followed with a time of 4:31.30.

In the 400 meters, Alejandro Alcazar ran his personal-best 50.66, while teammate Yinka Oyebanjo-Odofin ran a season best 51.60.

Friday night held the men’s weight throw with Karol Koncos earning a sixth place finish with a toss of 18.58m (60-11.50). Teammate Kevin Rincon notched 16th overall throwing for 16.01m (52-6.50).

The UTEP track and field team now has their eyes set on the C-USA Indoor Championships held in Birmingham Ala. on Feb. 18-19.