West Arapahoe News

Four student-athletes from the University of New Mexico track and field team earned All-America status on Friday night at the Albuquerque Convention Center, as they competed in the 2023 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Gracelyn Larkin and Amelia Mazza-Downie each earned their sixth-career All-American accolade, with Larkin placing seventh and Mazza-Downie following in 10th in the women’s 5,000-meters on Friday evening. “It was awesome,” Larkin said. “All my teammates were on the back stretch and I could hear them every time coming around. I have some friends and professors here, and it was awesome to have the home crowd behind me. It helped me push the whole way.”

Both Lobos bided their time near the middle of the pack for the majority of the race, before making a late push over the final five laps. Larkin finished in 16:01.64 minutes (converted from 16:27.76) while Mazza-Downie finished in 16:07.43 minutes (16:33.71). “It was pretty slow for the first 2.5-3k, and there was a lot of moving around and pushing,” said Larkin. “I think there was about 2.3k left and it just went. I tried my best to stay on it and just keep rolling.”

Mazza-Downie placed seventh at last year’s NCAA meet, earning All-America honors in the 5,000-meters, making it two-straight All-America finishes. Larkin was also an All-American at last year’s NCAA Championships, placing eighth in the 5,000-meters. “I am just really excited, and I’m happy with where I finished off this year,” said Larkin. “I’m looking forward to outdoor.”

Ethan Brouw posted a time of 1:53.27 minutes (1:53.90) in the men’s 800-meters, placing 14th in the preliminary round to earn All-America accolades in his first national championship meet.

Jake Burkey’s first national championship at a Lobo came to an abrupt halt, as he suffered an injury on his first long jump attempt and could not continue. He registered a mark of 7.65 meters (25’ 1.25”) however, placing 13th among the field of 16 competitors to earn the All-America nod.

The strong performances by the Lobos signaled the end of the team’s 2023 indoor season. The outdoor campaign kicks off with the Texas Tech Masked Rider on March 24-25 in Lubbock, Texas.

Original source can be found here.