Tag Archives: utep track and field

UTEP’s Jonah Koech was named Conference USA Athlete of the Week for his performance in the mile run at the Don Kirby Invitational, it was announced by the league office Tuesday morning.

The Kenya native took home gold in the mile running a time of 4:01.06. Running at an elevated altitude, his time converts to 3:55.81, ranking him first in the league and third in the nation.

This marks his first weekly honor of the season.

For each individual event contested, the top 16 qualifying times will compete at the NCAA Indoor Championships held this year in College Station, Texas.

Up next for the Miners will be a trip to Birmingham, Ala., for the C-USA Championships on Feb. 17-18.

The UTEP track and field team will make its final trip to the Land of Enchantment to close out the indoor regular season at the Don Kirby Invitational in Albuquerque on Friday.

The Miners will compete Friday and Saturday at the Albuquerque Downtown Convention Center hosted by the University of New Mexico. 42 teams will be competing including No. 8 Stanford, No. 10 Oregon, No. 17 Colorado St., No. 21 Washington and No. 25 Arizona St.

Friday’s action begins with a slate of field events starting at 4 p.m. MT. Sophomore Cierra Chenault will compete in the weight throw, she tossed a personal best 14.31m (46-11.50) last week at the UNM Classic.

Three Miners will compete in the men’s long jump, Frederic Williams, Devin Mungro and Donivan Ortega at 4 p.m. Ortega leads the pack this season by jumping a career best 7.32m (24-0.25) last week.

Newcomer Benjamin Coronado is coming off his best performance from last week where he threw a career bests in the weight throw (14.24m) and shot put (13.92m). Coronado will compete in both events starting with the weight throw on Friday at 7 p.m.

The running events are slated to start with the men’s unseeded 400m at 5 p.m., with Alejandro Alcazar and Carvellion Horn ready to compete for UTEP. Cornelius Kapel and Antony Kosgei will run in the 3,000m starting at 6:10 p.m.

Finishing the day will be Johna Diggs, Madeline Jones and Rebecca Oshinbanjo competing in the 200m at 7:35 p.m. On the men’s side, Alcazar and Horn will take the track at 2:30 p.m.

Competing on Saturday will be Shakeem Smith in the 60m hurdles starting at 10:30 a.m. Smith clocked the fifth-fastest time in program history at the Commodore Invitational with a time of 8.09. Field events will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and UTEPTRACK on Instagram for live updates and breaking news.

Albuquerque – The UTEP track and field team closed out the New Mexico Classic by recording 23 personal bests over the two-day competition in Albuquerque, N.M.

“The team had a solid performance over this weekend. I saw a lot of improvement from all of our athletes,” head coach Mika Laaksonen said. “We are two weeks out from conference and the biggest thing to get out of this meet was no one suffering any kind of injury.”

The Miners notched 11 personal bests on Friday and racked up 12 more to close out the competition.

Setting new career bests on the women’s side was Tyler Ragin, Rebecca Oshinbanjo and Danielle Trought. Ragin clocked 7.70 in the 60m dash to finish 10th overall. Oshinbanjo (8.52) and Trought (8.76) battled in the 60m hurdles finishing 12th and 17th, respectively.

Newcomer Jordan Thummel notched a career best in the pole vault by climbing over the bar at 3.30m (10-10).

In the mile run, both Andrea Lucero and Sarah Mwangi posted personal bests. Mwangi stopped the clock at 5:18.05, followed by Lucero coming in at 5:44.98 to finish 29th overall.

Two more personal bests were set in the 800m when Carolyne Chepkosgei stopped the clock at 2:15.08 and Linda Cheruiyot finished at 2:12.75.

On the men’s side, senior Asa Guevara set a personal best 400m time of 46.57 garnering a second-place showing. This marks the third consecutive week Guevara has improved his 400m time.

David Rivera clocked a career best 8.36 in the 60m hurdles to finish 14th overall. He trailed teammate Shakeem Smith (8.14) who notched a fifth-place showing.

In the mile run, Jonah Koech notched a second-place finish stopping the clock at 4:04.04. His time ranks him in the top 20 in the nation. He was followed by Boaz Ronoh (4:27.75) and Allan Ortiz (4:59.27), both setting a career best.

The men’s 4x400m relay team of Guevara, Frederic Williams, Donivan Ortega and Michael Saruni combined their efforts to set a season best 3:16.14.

The UTEP track and field team will return to Albuquerque for the regular season finale Feb. 9-10 for the Don Kirby Invitational.

Be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and UTEPTRACK on Instagram for live updates and breaking news.

The UTEP track and field team makes its second trip of the season to Albuquerque, N.M. this Friday and Saturday to compete in the New Mexico Classic.

The Miners will compete against some of the top programs in the country, including, Alabama, Arizona, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas and Nevada.

Getting the action started will be newcomer Etamar Bhastekar in the men’s pole vault beginning at 4:00 p.m. MT. Bhastekar marked a season-best 5.29m (15-10) at the MLK Invitational.

Sophomore Austin Ondijo is coming off a personal-best performance in the high jump when he leaped over the bar at 1.97m (6-5.5) at the Texas Tech Classic. He will take the track at 4 p.m. Competing at the same time will be Donivan Ortega, Devin Mungro and Frederic Williams in the long jump.

The running events open with the 400m at 5 p.m. with Asa Guevara leading the charge, followed by Antony Kosgei in the 3,000m at 5:35 p.m.

Alejandro Alcazar and Carvellion Horn will take the track at 7:25 p.m., competing in the 200m.

On the women’s side, Cierra Chenault and Dawn Blazer will compete in the hammer throw set to start at 4 p.m., while at the same time Tyler Ragin will battle in the long jump.

Annettee Bolomboy and Madison Gibson will see action in the 400m at 5:15 p.m., followed by Liian Koech and Winny Koech in the 3,000m at 6:15 p.m.

Rounding out day one will be newcomers Johna Diggs and Madeline Jones in the 200m with the first heat set to start at 8:10 p.m.

Be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and UTEPTRACK on Instagram for live updates and breaking news.

UTEP sophomore Michael Saruni continues to rack up the awards, both on and off the track.

Saruni was named Conference USA Athlete of the Week for the second consecutive week, it was announced by the league office Tuesday morning.

In addition, Saruni added a USTFCCCA (U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association) National Athlete of the Week honor, as it too was announced by the association Tuesday morning.

The Kenya native has made a lasting impression to the 2018 indoor season, breaking several facility, school and world records. Saruni was awarded his third C-USA weekly honor after an astonishing 800m performance at the Texas Tech Classic, stopping the clock at 1:45.19. His time ranks No. 2 in the NCAA All-Time Best list, sitting just behind his coach Paul Ereng (1:44.84, 1989).

Saruni has accomplished more in the first three weeks of the season than most student-athletes in the nation. During the first week of the season, he set a facility record and school record at the Commodore Invitational in the 800m (1:45.92). He followed that performance by setting a new facility record, school record and world record at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational in the 600m (1:14.79). Most recently, he set a new facility record at the Texas Tech Classic and broke his own school record in the 800m (1:45.19).

The Miners will return to action Friday, Feb. 2-3 at the New Mexico Classic in Albuquerque, N.M.

Be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and UTEPTRACK on Instagram for live updates and breaking news.

Lubbock – Sophomore sensation Michael Saruni shocked the world again with an impressive 800m performance when he ran 1:45.19 at the Texas Tech Invitational Saturday afternoon.

“Saruni had another outstanding performance and puts himself in a class of his own,” head coach Mika Laaksonen said. “I would not be surprised if he takes down coach Ereng’s NCAA record.”

Saruni continues his record-breaking season, now setting the No. 2 All-Time Best 800m run just behind his coach Paul Ereng (1:44.84, 1989). The Kenya native opened the season by breaking the school record running a time of 1:45.92 in the 800m at the Commodore Invitational and followed that performance with a world-record time 1:14.79 in the 600m at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational.

The men’s team registered eight personal bests throughout the day, starting with senior Asa Guevara in the 400m with a time of 46.77 taking second place overall. Guevara clocks his personal-best time for the second consecutive week.

Newcomer Benjamin Coronado had himself a day with personal bests in the shot put with a toss of 13.92m (45-8) notching a 13th place finish and in the weight throw garnering 11th overall with a mark of 14.01m (45-11.75).

Shakeem Smith clocked 8.14 in the 60m hurdles to finish sixth overall. He was followed by teammate David Rivera who clocked a personal-best 8.43 to finish 16th overall.

In the triple jump, Devin Mungro leaped a personal-best 13.89m (45-7) to finish 13th in the competition. Austin Ondijo leaped over the high jump bar to mark a career-best 1.97m (6-5.5) to finish 12th overall.

On the women’s side, Linda Cheruiyot clocked a career-best 4:58.31 in the mile run taking gold. She was followed by Carolyne Chepkosgei running a time of 5:05.05 to finish fifth overall.

Senior Tyler Ragin competed in the 60m Olympic development race, clocking a personal-best 7.72 to take sixth place.

Rebecca Oshinbanjo registered a season-best 8.65 in the 60m hurdles taking home a ninth-place finish.

Lilian Koech took gold in the 800m with a time of 2:12.26, trailed by freshman Andrea Lucero (2:29.75).

Cierra Chenault competed in both shot put and weight throw competition. She threw for 11.80m (38-8.75) in the shot put garnering eighth overall. Later in the day she placed 19th in the weight throw with a mark of 13.17m (43-2.5)

Freshman Sarah Mwangi earned an 11th place finish in the 3,000m with a time of 10:33.76.

The Miners will return to action on Feb. 2-3 for the New Mexico Classic in Albuquerque, N.M.

Be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and UTEPTRACK on Instagram for live update and breaking news.

Feast your eyes on the No. 2 NCAA All-Time 800m run by Michael Saruni #WeAreMiners pic.twitter.com/4uoxWdLmOS

— UTEP Track & Field (@UTEPTrack) January 27, 2018

The UTEP track and field team continue the 2018 season with a trip to Lubbock, Texas for the Texas Tech Invitational starting Friday, January 25 with multi-events and Saturday with open competition.

FRIDAY

Senior Lucia Mokrasova will be the lone Miner competing on Friday in the indoor pentathlon. The Slovakia native heads into the meet holding plenty of experience, she holds the school record in the pentathlon with 3,950 points set in 2016.

Mokrasova will have the grueling task of competing in five events in one day, starting with the 60m hurdles at 9:20 a.m. MT. The high jump is set for at 10:20 a.m., followed by the shot put at 12:30 p.m. The final two events will be the long jump at 1:45 p.m. and the 800m with a start time of 3:00 p.m.

SATURDAY

The bulk of the Miners will compete on Saturday starting with the men’s and women’s shot put at 8:30 a.m. MT. Cierra Chenault and Benjamin Coronado will kickoff the meet for the Orange and Blue.

Michael Saruni returns to the track coming off a world-record setting performance in the 600m last week. Saruni will compete in the 800m set to start at 1:20 p.m. along with junior Jonah Koech.

Newcomer Etamar Bhastekar and sophomore Connor Graham will take flight in the men’s pole vault at 11:30 a.m. Last week, Bhastekar leaped over the bar at 4.83m (15-10), just narrowly missing a top-10 ranking in program history.

Three Miners will compete in the men’s triple jump competition which include Darius King, Devin Mungro and Donivan Ortega. Ortega has the best mark for the season thus far with a mark of 14.50m (47-7).

The running events begin with the 60m dash at 1:05 p.m. featuring newcomers Kyle Farrell and Frederic Williams. Followed by David Rivera and Shakeem Smith in the 60m hurdles with a start time of 1:30 p.m.

Distance duo, Antony Kosgei and Cornelius Kapel will compete in the mile run approximately at 12:00 p.m.

Senior Asa Guevara will take the track at 12:50 p.m. in the 400m before closing out the day as part of the 4x400m relay team competing at 3:10 p.m.

On the women’s side, senior Tyler Ragin will compete in the 60m dash starting at 11:05 a.m., followed by the long jump at 2:00 p.m.

Rebecca Oshinbanjo and Danielle Trought will compete in the 60m hurdles beginning at 11:30 a.m., followed by Madison Gibson in the 400m at12:50 p.m.

Seinor Lilian Koech will take the track in her first 800m race of the season starting at 1:20 p.m. She currently ranks 15 th in the country in the mile run with a time of 4:45.62.

Be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and UTEPTRACK on Instagram for live updates and breaking news.

UTEP’s Michael Saruni was named the Conference USA Athlete of the Week for the second week in a row the league office announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Saruni followed his stellar week one performance with a world record in the 600m run with a time of 1:14.79 after his performance at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational.

Saruni beat Casimir Loxson’s time of 1:14.92 (2005). The Kenya native also set a facility record held previously by former teammate and 2017 NCAA Champion Emmanuel Korir (1:14.97).

The Miners will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Texas Tech Invitational in Lubbock, Texas.

Be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and UTEPTRACK on Instagram for live updates and breaking news.

Albuquerque, N.M. – Jonah Koech and Shakeem Smith had impressive performances on day two of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational on Saturday afternoon.

Koech competed in the mile running a time of 4:05.69 to secure a first-place finish. His time ranks third in the nation, ninth in the world this season and sixth in UTEP program history.

In the 60m hurdles, talented newcomer Smith worked his way into a highly competitive final featuring Devon Allen (NIKE), who finished fifth at the 2016 Rio Olympic games in the 110m hurdles. Smith clocked in a time of 8.20 in the semifinal advancing to the finals. He then notched a time of 8.09 taking third overall. Smith time ranks fifth in school history.

Asa Guevara clocked a personal-best 46.79 in the 400m final garnering a second-place finish. The senior’s time ranks 10th in the nation and takes the top spot in Conference USA.

He was followed by Alejandro Alcazar (51.01) and Carvellion Horn (51.46).

In the field events, Donivan Ortega notched a third-place finish in the triple jump leaping out to a mark of 14.50m (47-7). Darius King made his debut for the Miners in the triple jump, landing a mark of 13.53m (44-4.25) taking 12th overall.

The men’s 4x400m relay team comprised of Smith, Ortega, Guevara and Michael Saruni clocked a time of 3:19.56 to claim fifth.

On the women’s side, Lilian Koech notched the top performance for the Miners. The senior clocked a time of 4:47.29 in the mile run to finish third overall. Following closely behind was Linda Cheruiyot garnering a sixth-place showing with a time of 5:03.81.

Junior Rebecca Oshinbanjo improved her time from last week in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.63.

In the 400m, Dreshannae Rolle clocked a personal-best time of 57.46 to finish 14th overall.

In the field events, Mokrasova notched a 15th-place showing in the shot put, tossing the iron ball out to 12.62m (41-5). Cierra Chenault landed a mark of 10.82m (35-6).

In her second collegiate competition, Jordan Thummel competed in the pole vault climbing over the bar at a mark of 3.17m (10-4.75) garnering 17th overall.

The women’s 4x400m relay team of Annette Bolomboy, Gibson, Adams and Rolle combined to run a time of 3:15.72 to finish in fourth place.

The Miners will return to action on Friday, Jan. 19-20 when the team travels to Lubbock, Texas for the Texas Tech Invitational.

Be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and UTEPTRACK on Instagram for breaking news and live updates.

Nashville, Tn. – UTEP’s sophomore Michael Saruni claimed the fastest time in program history when he clocked a nation-leading time of 1:45.92 on Saturday afternoon.

“Saruni’s performance stands out, a school record is always special,” said head coach Mika Laaksonen. “We had a hand full of other good performances, but as a team we still have a long way to go before we are ready for the conference meet.”

Saruni earned 2017 All-American honors in the 800m and competed at both NCAA Indoor and Outdoor championships. The sophomore now holds the facility record at the Vanderbilt Commodore Invitational previously set by his former teammate Emmanuel Korir (1:46.50). Junior Jonah Koech finished third overall with a time of 1:50.31.

Three Miners competed in the men’s 400m, Asa Guevara lead the pack with a time of 47.87 notching a third-place finish. Alejandro Alcazar (50.76) and Carvellion Horn (51.50) finishing 12th and 14th overall, respectively.

Frederic Williams earned a fourth-place showing in the 60m, running a qualifying time of 6.99 before lowering that down to 6.95 in the final. Shakeem Smith garnered a third-place showing in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.09, followed by David Rivera (8.47) in ninth-place.

In the mile run, Cornelius Kapel made his debut for the Miners running a time of 4:17.51 to earn ninth overall. Antony Kosgei (8:30.17) and newcomer Boaz Ronoh (8:38.06) competed in the 3,000m finishing 10th and 20th, respectively.

In the field events, Donivan Ortega landed a mark of 13.70m (44-11.50) in the triple jump to finish in fourth-place. Freshman Benjamin Coronado finished 10th place in men’s shot put.

The men’s 4x400m relay team of Guevara (48.0), Ortega (48.9), Williams (49.7) and Horn (49.9) notched a third-place finish with a time of 3:16.88.

On the women’s side, Lilian Koech lead the team in her performance in the mile run clocking a winning time of 4:45.62 marking the fifth-fastest colligate time in the nation this year. The senior was trailed by newcomer Carolyne Chepkosgei running a time of 5:04.26 to finish ninth overall.

In the 3,000m Winny Koech took home the win with a time of 9:47.23, putting her in the top-15 in the nation. The junior was followed by teammates Linda Cheruiyot (9:57.41) and Sarah Mwangi (10:10.88) finishing third and ninth overall, respectively.

Three Miners competed in the 400m, Dreshanae Rolle lead the group with a time of 57.05 taking home ninth overall. She was followed teammates Annette Bolomboy (58.44) and Imani Adams (59.10) finishing ninth and 14th overall, respectively.

Rebecca Oshinbanjo earned a spot in the 60m hurdles final clocking a time of 8.70 taking home fifth-place. Trailing Oshinbanjo was Danielle Trought (8.91) finishing ninth overall. Johna Diggs (8.17) and Madeline Jones (8.24) competed in the 60m, both making their UTEP debut.

In the field events, Cierra Chenault tossed the shot put a distance of 12.23m (40-1.50) to finish in seventh-place.

The women’s 4x400m relay team comprised of Madison Gibson (57.5), Lucia Mokrasova (55.9), Bolomboy (57.5), and Rolle (56.5) clocked a time of 3:47.50 to take fourth place overall.

The Miners will return to action on Jan. 19-20 for the New Mexico Chery & Silver. Be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and UTEPTRACK on Instagram for live updates and breaking news.

Nashville, Tn. – The UTEP track and Field team opened its 2018 indoor campaign by competing at the Commodore Invitational hosted by Vanderbilt Friday.

Getting the day started on the women’s side, Lucia Mokrasova notched a fifth-place showing in the high jump needing one attempt to leap over 1.58m (5-4.25). Duo throwers, Cierra Chenault and Dawn Blazer saw action in the weight throw. Chenault tossed 13.11m (43-0.25) and Blazer threw for 10.45m (34-3.50) finishing seventh and 10th overall, respectively.

Leading the women’s side in the 200m was junior Rebecca Oshinbanjo who clocked 25.80, followed by Mokrasova (25.94) and Annette Bolomboy (26.00) finishing 20th and 21st, respectively.

On the men’s side, senior Asa Guevara clocked a blazing time of 21.73 in the 200m claiming the top spot of the night. Shakeem Smith followed with a time of 22.98 taking 16th overall and Alejandro Alcazar ran a personal-best 23.02 to finish 19th overall.

Newcomer Etamar Bhastekar made his debut for the Miners in the high jump with a mark of 2.00m (6-6.75) good for second-place. Austin Ondijo followed Bhastekar with a leap over 1.90m (6-2.75) finishing fifth overall.

Donivan Ortega took home a fifth-place showing in the long jump with a mark of 6.93m (22-9). Devin Mungro followed Ortega placing seventh overall leaping out to 6.63m (21-9), while Benjamin Coronado finished 11th overall in the weight throw tossing 12.09m (39-8).

The Orange and Blue will return to action tomorrow Saturday, Jan. 13 with the running events starting at 9:00 a.m. MT and field events beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Miners to look out for include 800m duo Jonah Koech and Michael Saruni, take the track at 2:55 p.m. Winny Koech will compete in the 3,000m starting at 3:25 p.m.

Be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and UTEPTRACK on Instagram for live updates.

The UTEP track and field team will open the 2018 indoor campaign at the highly-competitive Commodore Invitational hosted by Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn. on Friday and Saturday, January 12-13.

The Miners will take on Auburn, Belmont, Florida, Georgia Tech, Middle Tennessee, Miami and Western Kentucky. The two-day meet will open up on Friday at 3:00 p.m. MT with field events and at 6:00 p.m. for the running events.

Getting the action started on the women’s side is senior Lucia Mokrasova in the high jump. The 2017 C-USA pentathlon champion will also compete in the 200m and the 4x400m relay. Mokrasova holds the school record in the pentathlon with 3,919 points.

Last season, junior Winny Koech clocked a meet record 16:34.98 in the 5,000m and will return to compete in the 3,000m Saturday morning. Lilian Koech will compete in the mile run on Saturday at 9:15 a.m., where she holds a personal best time of 4:44.71.

The women’s team will see seven athletes make their debut for the Orange and Blue.

On the men’s side, Michael Saruni and Jonah Koech will lead the Miners where they found early success last season. Saruni clocked the second-fastest time in meet history with a time of 1:46.50 in the 800m. The All-American will take the track on Saturday at 2:55 p.m. Koech also holds the second-fastest time in meet history with a time of 4:02.14 in the mile run and will compete Saturday at 1:35 p.m.

In action on Friday for the men’s team will be senior Asa Guevara in the 200m starting at 6:30 p.m. Sophomore Austin Ondijo and newcomer Etamar Bhastekar will compete in the high jump set to start at 3:00 p.m.

Devin Mungro and Donivan Ortega will see action in the long jump starting at 4:00 p.m. Benjamin Coronado will make his debut for the Miners in the weight throw beginning at 5:30 p.m.

For live updates and breaking news be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and UTEPTRACK on Instagram.

Twenty-three past and present UTEP student-athletes will walk across the graduation stage on Saturday and receive their diplomas from the university.

The list includes 11 representatives from the football program, four from men’s track & field, three from women’s track & field, two from softball, and one apiece from men’s basketball, soccer and tennis.

Graduating this weekend will be All-Americans Samantha Hall (track & field) and Will Hernandez (football).

Seventeen graduates hail from the United States, while two come from Jamaica, one from American Samoa, one from Australia, one from Kenya and one from Nigeria.

Ten of the graduates (Adebola Akomolafe, Christian Buckingham, David Jackson, Johnny Jones, Alan Luna, Ademiju Oyebanjo-Odofin, Orion Prescott, Israel Ramsay, Matilda Tench, Trey Touchet) earned placement on the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Roll during their careers for posting grade point averages of 3.0 or better.

Touchet was a three-time recipient of a Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal for achieving a GPA of 3.75 or higher.

Adebola Akomolafe (Women’s Track & Field)

Part of the team that won the first indoor and outdoor conference championship in school history … helped the Miners to three consecutive indoor conference titles … registered the eighth-best mark in program history in the hammer throw with 52.22m (171-04) … captain of the women’s team for two seasons … finished her college career with bests of 46.13m (151-4) in the discus, 17.66m (47-11.25) in the weight throw and 52.22m (171-04) in the hammer throw … earned a spot on the 2017 C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Biological Sciences major.

 

James Bias (Men’s Track & Field)

Part of the team that won the 2014 Conference USA Indoor Championship … ran the anchor leg on the 4x400m relay that took second at the 2014 C-USA Indoor  Championships … part of the 4x400m relay that qualified for the 2017 NCAA Championships, clocking in with a time of 3:03.15 which ranks second in school history … finished his career with personal bests in the 60 (6.87), 100 (10.51), 200 (21.06) and the 400m (47.24) … two-year team captain … Computer Science major.

 

Christian Buckingham (Football)

The transfer from El Paso Community College played for the Orange and Blue during the 2017 campaign … defensive lineman saw action in the first four games before suffering a season-ending injury … notched four tackles and one quarterback hurry … member of the 2017 Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll …Biology major.

 

Kristopher Christian (Football)

Member of the Miner football team for three seasons … saw action in eight games during the 2015 season … recorded a tackle on special teams versus UTSA …Criminal Justice major.

 

Devin Cockrell (Football)

Played and started in 47 games for the Miners … tallied 247 tackles during his career … also totaled 15.5 tackles for loss, 11 pass breakups, eight quarterback hurries, three sacks, three interceptions and one fumble recovery … led all UTEP defensive backs in tackles during the 2016 and 2017 seasons … was named the 2016 Top Gun Player of the Year, awarded to the best special teams performer … as a true freshman, led the team in tackles with 76 … Multidisciplinary Studies major.

 

Zack Greenlee (Football)

Played two seasons for the Miners after transferring from Fresno State … saw action in 17 games, making 11 starts at quarterback … threw for a total of 1,513 yards on 124-of-254 passing with nine touchdowns … during senior campaign, rushed for 114 yards and a pair of scores … threw for over 100 yards in eight contests … opened his UTEP career by throwing for three touchdowns on 15-of-27 passing, with 229 yards and no interceptions during a start and victory over rival NM State … Leadership Studies major.

 

Miranda Gutierrez (Softball)

Played in 22 games for the Miners … made six starts during her senior season … scored five runs … went 2-for-2 and scored a run during game one against Florida Atlantic … drew a walk and crossed the dish during UTEP’s victory over FAU … scored three runs and connected on three hits against the Owls on Senior Weekend … Multidisciplinary Studies major.

 

Samantha Hall (Women’s Track & Field)

Part of the team that won the first indoor and outdoor conference championship in school history … helped the Miners to three consecutive indoor conference titles … competed at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2015 and 2017 … won the discus throw at the C-USA Outdoor Championships in 2015 and 2017 … set a school record in the discus throw in 2015 with a mark of 58.50m (191-11) … completed her college career with bests of 14.90m (48-10.5) in the shot put and 34.38m (112-9.5) in the javelin … earned All-C-USA First Team honors for the 2015 season … garnered second team All-American accolades during her final season … Economics major.

 

Will Hernandez (Football)

Started at left guard in every game played (49) since his freshman season in 2014 …

the first Miner offensive lineman to receive Associated Press, CBS Sports and FOX Sports All-American honors … two-time Pro Football Focus First Team All-American … also the first UTEP offensive lineman since 2009 to earn All-Conference USA first team recognition … one of 11 Miners ever to be invited to the prestigious Senior Bowl … appointed the 2016 Pro Football Focus Pass Protector of the Year … named to the 2017 Outland Trophy Watch List … Kinesiology major.

 

David Jackson (Football)

Member of the Miner football team for three seasons … saw action in 10 games on special teams in 2016 … played in the Miners’ last home game versus LA Tech in 2017 … listed on the 2016 C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll …Multidisciplinary Studies major.

 

Johnny Jones (Football)

Played in 22 games for UTEP … saw action on defense and special teams … notched a total of 26 tackles, three tackles for loss and one forced fumble … during junior campaign recorded a season-high four stops against Army … two-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Multidisciplinary Studies major.

 

Evans Kiprono (Men’s Track & Field)

Competed in both cross country and track and field for UTEP … part of the team that won the 2014 Conference USA Indoor Championship … helped the Miners capture back-to-back conference cross country titles (2015, 2016) … garnered All- Conference USA third team honors in the 10,000m in 2014 … notched an All-C-USA second team honor in the 10,000m in 2015 … finished his career running a personal best 10,000m time of 31:09.16 … helped the Miners finish 11th in the nation at the 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championships … Biological Sciences major.

 

Alan Luna (Football)

The former walk-on played in 36 games for the Miners … finished collegiate career ranked third on the program’s all-time list for career punts (206) and punt yards (8,910) … 79 punts in 2017 rank tied for fifth on the program’s single-season list, while his 3,483 yards rank fifth on the school’s single-season list … a two-time member of the Ray Guy Award Watch List … during senior season ranked second in Conference USA and fifth in the FBS in punt yards (3,483) … two-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … International Business major.

 

Brian Madunezim (Football)

Was a two-year football letterwinner, seeing action in 20 games … notched a total of

36 tackles, four quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, one tackle for loss and two

assisted sacks … during the 2016 season played in all 12 games, making six starts

and totaling a career-best 32 tackles … registered a career-high eight tackles against

Army … Computer Science major.

 

Tommy McCoy (Men’s Track & Field)

Captain of the track and field squad for two seasons (2015, 2016) … helped the men

finish second at the 2014 and 2015 C-USA Outdoor Championships … registered six

top-10 finishes during the 2015 outdoor season … finished his college career with

bests of 53.38 in the 400m hurdles and 51.14 in the 400m … History major.

 

Ademiju Oyebanjo-Odofin (Men’s Track & Field)

Notched 11 top-10 finishes in the 400m hurdles in his career at UTEP … helped the

Miners to a second place finish at the 2015 C-USA Outdoor Championships … clocked

in with a personal-best time in the 400m hurdles at the Brutus Hamilton Challenge

during his final season, with an effort of 55.39 seconds … finished his career with

personal bests in the 200m (22.71), 400m (51.03) and the 600m (1:26.08) … three-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Construction Management major.

 

Kiki Pepi (Softball)

Played in 155 games, making 153 starts in three seasons with the Miners … became

the seventh Miner to reach the 100-RBI mark with 103 … ranks second on the

program’s all-time list with 331 career assists … 134 assists in 2016 set a school

record, while her nine assists at FIU in 2016 is a single-game standard … led the

Miners in RBI her last two seasons … Organizational & Corporate Communication

major.

 

Orion Prescott (Football)

Saw action in all 12 games during the 2016 season … rushed for 14 yards on three

carries … ran for 11 yards on two attempts with a long rush of 10 yards during a

victory over Houston Baptist … tallied a three-yard run during a season-finale win

versus North Texas … two-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic

Honor Roll … Multidisciplinary Studies major.

 

Israel Ramsay (Women’s Track)

Part of the team that won the first indoor and outdoor conference championship in

school history … helped the Miners to three consecutive indoor conference titles …

team captain for two seasons … competed at the 2015 NCAA West Preliminary

Round in the high jump, long jump and 4x100m relay … competed at the 2017 NCAA

West Preliminary Round in the 4x100m relay … part of the C-USA champion

4x100m relay teams in 2015 and 2017 … finished her college career with bests of

1.76m (5-9.25) in the high jump and 5.95m (19-6.25) in the long jump … earned a

spot on the 2017 C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … Multimedia

Journalism major.

 

Matilda Tench (Tennis)

Appeared in 111 singles and 103 doubles matches for the Miners, tallying 94 wins …

ranks sixth in UTEP’s all-time record book for career singles wins with 46 … had a

career-high 14 singles wins and 15 doubles victories during the 2014-15 season …

two-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll …

Kinesiology major.

 

Bri Thomas (Soccer)

Evolved into one of the top scoring threats in Conference USA while starring for her

hometown Miners … a three-year starter who was used as a defender, midfielder

and forward, she recorded 13 goals and eight assists for 34 points in more than

4,500 minutes of playing time … saved her best for last with eight goals and four

assists for a 20-point senior season in 2016 … Multidisciplinary Studies major.

 

Trey Touchet (Men’s Basketball)

Has appeared in 69 games for the Miners, making five starts … has collected 224

points, 84 rebounds, 66 assists and 23 steals … scored in double figures five times

during his sophomore season (2016-17) … three-time recipient of a Conference USA

Commissioner’s Academic Medal … three-time member of the C-USA

Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll … on a Presidential Scholarship at UTEP …

Kinesiology major.

 

Augie Touris (Football)

Played for the Miners for three seasons as a blocking tight end … saw action in 16

games, making five starts … played in all 12 games during the 2017 season, seeing

the field on offense and special teams … recorded his first career catch, a five-yard

snag during the first quarter against WKU … Creative Writing major.

UTEP’s Lilian Koech captured the first Conference USA Athlete of the Week award of 2017 for her performance at the Lobo Invitational the league office announced Tuesday morning. 

Koech marked a 5K time of 17:32.2 on Saturday at the Lobo Invitational to become the first female and second overall athlete to cross the finish line. Her time improved drastically from last season, which saw her run a 19:07.6 in that race.

The performance followed a stellar 2016 slate in which the junior earned NCAA Division I Cross Country All-Region and All-C-USA first team honors. The weekly award is the fourth of her career.

The Miners will return to action on Friday, September 8, for the Lori Fitzgerald held at the Chamizal Memorial National Park. The men’s race starts at 5:30 p.m. M.T. followed by the women’s race at 6:15 p.m.

For live updates be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and Instagram.

The now former UTEP track and field star Emmanuel Korir has decided to forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility and start competing professionally after signing a pro contract with Nike.

“Emmanuel started running well at the start of the indoor season, that’s when talks of turning pro came up”, said associate head coach Paul Ereng. “He’s ranked number one in the world in the 800m and top 10 in the 400m so he has the tools to become another house hold name for Kenya.”

Korir made his debut for the Miners at the Vanderbilt Commodore Invitational. The native of Kenya competed indoor for the first time in his career and claimed gold in the 800m with an impressive 1:46.50 time. The mid-distance runner went undefeated in each race he took part in including setting a world record 600m time of 1:14.97 at the New Mexico Cherry and Silver.

Wrapping up the indoor season, Korir became the first Miner to win the NCAA National Indoor title in the 800m clocking a time of 1:47.48.

“The decision for him to turn pro not only benefits him but also the program”, stated Ereng. “We want the best for our athletes and if we can help them achieve the goals they want and help further their education we will do everything we can to help them.”

During the outdoor season, Korir broke the school record in the 400m at the UTEP Invitational setting a time of 44.67 previously held by Bert Cameron (1981). The All-American is just one of three athletes in the world to run a sub-45 second 400m (UTEP Invitational) and a sub-1:44 in the 800m (1:43.75; Brutus Hamilton Challenge). He captured his second national title in the 800m (1:45.03) at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., the Mecca of track and field.

Making his professional debut back on July 21, Korir demolished a quality field with a world-leading 1:43.10 at the Herculis Monaco Diamond League in France. He captured the gold at the Kenyan trials running 1:43.86 in Nairobi to solidify his spot on the Kenya national team and a spot in the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation) World Championships. Korir made the trip to London, England, where he reached the semifinal round of the 800m before narrowly missing out of the final.

Korir will return to the Sun City to continue his studies and train with Ereng.

Be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and uteptrack on Instagram for breaking news and live updates.