ALMOSA, TEXAS— Nimrod Lelei (Sr., Eldoret, Kenya/Wayland Baptist) placed first in the 1,500-meter run and Steven Aragon (So., Los Lunas, N.M./Los Lunas HS) won the javelin toss to pace a strong effort by the Eastern New Mexico University men’s track and field team at the 22^nd annual Travis McKinley Open held by Adams State in Almosa, Colo. The Zias were led by Krystal Becenti (Fr., Gallup, N.M./Gallup HS) and Jerri Martin’s (Fr., Gallup, N.M./Gallup HS) second place finishes in the 1,500-meter run and 3,000-meter steeplechase respectively.

Lelei’s time of 4:18.07 was ahead of the closest competitor by more than two seconds, while Aragon’s throw of 173’ 3.53” put him in first place by nearly nine feet. Becenti finished the 1,500-meter run in 5:43.73 while Martin completed the steeplechase in 14:19.16.

Robert Griego’s (So., Bloomfield, N.M./Bloomfield HS) toss of 164’ 7.98” in the javelin was second only to Aragon’s and Josh Browning’s (Fr., Alamogordo, N.M./Alamogordo HS) finish of 22.37 in the 200-meter dash was just .05 seconds behind top finisher Nathan Dorzweiler from Western State. Jacob Jones (So., Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) and Kyle Harris (Sr., Altamonte Springs, Fla./NMMI/Lyman HS) turned in second place finishes in the 400-meter dash and triple jump respectively. Jones completed his sprint with a time of 50.62, while Harris cleared a distance of 47’ 2.54”. Domenic Pacheco (Fr., Santa Fe, N.M./St. Michaels HS) and Tyson Jex (Fr., Morgan, Utah/Morgan HS) placed second and third respectively in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, with Pacheco finishing in 1:23.38 and Jex crossing the finish line at the 13:01.56 mark. Laine Fuller (So., Estancia, N.M./Estancia HS) placed fourth in the 800-meter run at 2:12.05, while Kennedy Baiywo (Sr., Eldoret, Kenya/Samoei HS) earned a fourth place finish in the 1,500-meter run in 4:20.68.

Theresa Chacon (Fr., Tucumcari, N.M./ Tucumcari HS) finished right behind Becenti in the 1,500-meter run, crossing the finish line at 6:16.96. Hannah Rhoten (So., Albuquerque, N.M./St. Pius HS) and Vanessa O'Neal (So., Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) logged back-to-back finishes in the long jump, with Rhoten clearing a season-best distance of 17’ 4.27” for third place and O’Neal notched a jump of 16’ 11.94” for fourth place. Britney Stephens (Fr., Miliani, Hawaii/Miliani HS) placed fourth in the 100-meter dash at 12.53 and fifth in the 200-meter dash in 26.34. Vyanca Vega (Jr., Cloudcroft, N.M./Cloudcroft HS) registered a fourth place finish in the hammer throw, clearing a distance of 121’ 2.72”.

The Greyhounds and Zias will travel to Abilene, Texas, to compete in the Lone Star Conference championships on May 2^nd.