Cowgirls Continue to Demolish Records
The New Mexico Highlands University women warmed up for the RMAC Championship at a cool and windy Don Kirby Memorial Invitational hosted by the University of New Mexico on Saturday. Despite the weather conditions, the NMHU women came away with three new school records and a boost of confidence heading into the conference meet next week.
Headlining the records was the 4x 100 relay. The HU quartet of Quiana Fair, Candace St. Louis, Angella Graham and Sherry-Ann Baggoo ran a best time of 47.42 , just two one-hundredths off the NCAA provisional qualifying mark and a new NMHU record by nearly two seconds. The Cowgirls’ time is now leading the RMAC performance list in the relay and is among the top 20 teams on the national performance list.
“This was the first time we were able to put this group together this season,” said HU coach Bob DeVries, “Coach (Patrick) Johnson shifted around the order and it paid off. We think they can run under 47 at the conference meet.”
HU All-American Graham also showed she is coming into championship form with a big record in the 100H. Graham, who was slowed by illness mid-season, raced to a 14.13 clocking in the hurdles, lowering her record of 14.44 set at the national meet in 2009. The time eclipses the NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 14.55 and ranks Graham among the top 16 nationally in the hurdles. The senior also moved up on the national list in the triple jump with leap of 12.07 on Saturday, which is good enough for a top eight national ranking on the national list.
“Angella is finally recovering from her illness, so we have been bringing her back slowly. Saturday showed she is ready to do some big things again at the conference meet and at nationals at the end of May,” noted DeVries
Saturday’s third record came in the javelin. Senior Erica Smythe, throwing on her birthday and as fireworks from the Isotopes baseball game across the street exploded in the background, hit her career best of 38.77 to move into second place on the RMAC performance list and among the top 40 throwers in the nation heading into the RMAC championships.
The RMAC Championships begin Sunday, May 9 with the heptathlon and continue May 10 – 11 in Pueblo, CO.