The Eastern New Mexico track and field team broke five ENMU outdoor track and field records and set three NCAA Outdoor Championship provisional qualifying marks at the West Texas A&M Classic and Multi in Canyon, Texas on Friday and Saturday.
On the women’s side, four records fell, two of which in the sprinting events. Kandice Miles topped her own 200-meter record by .03 seconds with a time of 23.95 to place fifth out of 41 runners in the event. The finish nearly set an automatic qualifying mark for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships as it ranks as the sixth-fastest time in NCAA Division II this year.
Maijah Mathis also broke her own ENMU record in the 100-meter dash when she crossed the finish line in 11.90, topping her previous best of 11.99 set during the 2017 season. Setting an NCAA provisional qualifying mark, Mathis’ time ranks as the 26th best in Division II. Mathis also had a strong showing in the 200-meter dash, improving upon her third-best time in program history with a 24.33 to place eighth overall. The mark currently ranks as the 20th best in Division II.
In the women’s heptathlon, Jessica Campbell set a new program record by scoring 4107 points, becoming the first female ENMU athlete to ever eclipse the 4000-point mark. Campbell passed the previous mark of 3895 set by Candace Eckels during the 2015 season. In the heptathlon events, Campbell won the javelin throw with a toss of 35.53-meters (116′ 7″), scoring 582 points and finishing more than nine meters better than the next closest competitor. Campbell’s mark currently sits as the 29th best heptathlon score in Division II.
In just her freshman season with the Greyhounds, Kayla Stephens broke an ENMU record when she notched a 3.35-meter (10′ 11 “) mark in the pole vault event. The vault surpassed the previous program record of 3.28-meters set by Hannah Cabledue last year in the LSC Outdoor Championships.
Competing in her first 5000-meter event of the outdoor season, Mercy Rotich won the race with an 18:05.67, placing nearly 50 seconds better than the next best finisher. Her finish marked the fourth-best time in the 5000-meter event in the history of the ENMU program.
The women’s 4×100-meter relay team of Miles, Mathis, Zhane’ Gurule and Lateria Slaughter took home third with a 46.89, setting the third-best mark in program history.
On the men’s side, Ivar Moinat set an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in his first 800-meter race of the 2019 outdoor season. An All-American in the event during the indoor season, Moinat turned in a 1:51.03 to take second, surpassing his own second-best mark in the ENMU record books while setting the fastest time in Division II.
Moinat was also a part of the men’s 4×400-meter relay team along with Travonne Armstead, Brandon Chavez, and Andrew Villegas that broke their own ENMU record with a 3:15.48, taking second in the event and setting the 30th fastest time in Division II this year.
Chavez also put together a strong showing in the 400-meter final, crossing the finish line in 48.45 to take third out of runners in the event. His mark also set the third-fastest time in the ENMU record books, besting Gus Swanson’s mark by 0.02 seconds. Chavez’s time in the event currently 43rd in Division II.
With the completion of their third meet of the outdoor season, the Hounds will now turn their attention to the Ross Black Invitational hosted by New Mexico Junior College next week. Competing in the meet for the second straight year, the Greyhounds will compete from Apr. 12-13 in Hobbs, N.M.