FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – After a stormy, weather-delayed
Wednesday the skies cleared and the University of New
Mexico shined this evening at the NCAA Outdoor Track and
Field Championships at Arkansas’ John McDonnell Field.
Juniors Michelle Corrigan and Chris Barnicle shocked the
fields of the women’s and men’s 10,000 meters in a pair of
All-America performances in their NCAA Outdoor debuts.
 Corrigan placed eighth – 12 spots above her seed – to
become the first UNM woman to earn All-America honors on
the track since 1996. Barnicle (Newton, Mass.) finished
13th – seven spots above his seed – to earn All-America
laurels as one of the top-eight finishing United States
citizens in the race.
He became the fourth Lobo to earn All-America honors in
the event and third (five times) since 2003. Barncile and
former Lobo Jeremy Johnson combined to give UNM an
All-American in the event each of the past three seasons.
Corrigan, meanwhile, joined Tangi Galloway (fourth in the
10K in ’96) as the Lobos’ only women’s All-Americans on
the track at the NCAA Championships. Women competed at the
old AIAW Championships until 1983.
The Green Bay, Wisc. product clocked a time of 34:20.24 –
37 seconds ahead of junior teammate Nicky Archer, who was
14th (34:57.83).
Barnicle crossed the line in 29:21.33 – 21 seconds and
three spots ahead of senior teammate Mat Ashton (16th,
29:42.60). Ashton capped his Lobo career as one of just
three UNM men to advance to the NCAA Championships in
consecutive seasons.
In earlier action, senior Lee Emanuel (Hastings, England)
qualified for Saturday's 1,500-meter finals by finishing
third (3:39.91) to finish in heat one to automatically
advance to the finals, which will be televised live on CBS
on Saturday at 12:21 p.m. (Mountain).
Emanuel, who won the mile at the 2009 NCAA Indoor
Championships in March, owns the fastest time among the
finalists. Top-seeded Matthew Centrowitz of Oregon
finished a distant 24th with a time of 3:53.19.
Emanuel is the first Lobo to advance to the NCAA 1,500
finals since All-American Kip Koskei in 1979 (third).
Junior tranfer Ashley Gibson opened the Thursday action by
finishing 22nd in the women’s 1,500 semifinals with a time
of 4:23.99. Gibson was the first UNM woman to compete in
the event at the NCAA Championships.