UTEP track & field set to compete at Conference USA Outdoor Championships

EL PASO, Texas - The UTEP track and field team will head to Murfreesboro, Tenn., to compete at the 2021 Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 13-16 hosted by Middle Tennessee.

Miners will start competition on Friday at Dean A. Hayes Track Stadium.

Heading to the conference championships, the UTEP men’s team is ranked second (138.5) behind favorite Charlotte (177).

“We have experienced a vast amount of challenges and losses in numbers what comes to our roster size this year on the men’s side due to very different set of circumstances,” UTEP Head Coach Mika Laaksonen said. “I still feel like we have plenty of team left to fight for the title. Charlotte has been the king of the conference in our sport long enough so it is the team to beat, and have a target on its back. I believe our men’s team is up for the challenge!”

The UTEP women are ranked sixth (63), behind UAB (71), Charlotte (98.5), UTSA (105.5), Rice (109) and Middle Tennessee (144).

“I see us in the middle of the back what comes to our women’s chances at the conference,” Laaksonen said. “We are still in the rebuilding process and paying a high price for a very bad recruiting year two years ago. We were also not able to add all our commitments to the team mid-year due to COVID related challenges. I know the ladies will fight hard to move up in the rankings when it counts and I think a final finish in the top 1/3 of the conference is a challenging yet realistic goal for this group of young ladies.”

Making the trip for the women are Chinique Brown (200m, 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m), Oghenekaro Brume (200m, 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m), Maribel Caicedo (100m hurdles, 4x100m), Carolyne Chepkosgei (800m, 1500m, 4x400m), Samantha Cordier (shot put, discus, hammer throw), Carshaylah Harrison (400m hurdles, high jump, 4x400m), Ruth Jerubet (1500m, 5000m), Madeline Jones (100m), Joan Kimaiyo (5000m, 10,000m), Kayla Larry (shot put, discus, hammer throw), Andrea Lucero (800m), Denae McFarlane (100m, 200m, 4x100m), Natalia Roberts (400m), Sah-Jay Stevens (shot put, hammer, javelin), and Roosa Yloenen (javelin).

Traveling for the men are Ned Azemia (400m hurdles), Sean Bailey (200m, 400m), Paulo Benavides (pole vault), Titus Cheruiyot (1500m, 5000m), Arturo Ciriza (pole vault), Benjamin Coronado (shot put, discus, hammer), Ronaldo Griffiths (400m hurdles), Chevannie Hanson (100m, 200m, 4x100m, 4x400m), Kevin Hewitt (400m, 4x400m), Joshua Hill (400m, 4x400m), Aleks Hristov (shot put, discus, hammer), Dennis Johnson (100m, 4x100m), Maxwell Kipkosgei (5000m, 10,000m), Karol Koncos (hammer), Rodgers Korir (5000m, 10,000m), Yusuf Mohamud (800m), Devin Mungro (long jump, triple jump), Misael Ortiz (shot put, discus, hammer), Jevaughn Powell (200m, 400m, 4x100m), Emilio Rios (high jump), Michael Sims (1500m), Shakeem Smith (110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, 4x100m, 4x400m), Kenneth Talavera (800m, 1500m), Ishmel Williams (high jump, long jump), and Osaze Williams (800m).

The women’s hammer throw will kick off Friday’s events at 1 p.m. MT.

On Saturday, the field events will begin at noon MT with the women’s discus, while the preliminary running events will start at 2:30 p.m. MT with the women’s 1500m.

On the final day, field events will commence at noon MT with the women’s shot put, while the finals for the running events will shoot off at 3 p.m. MT with the women’s 4x100m relay.

The men’s 4x400m relay will be cap the weekend at 6 p.m. MT.

The men’s squad is looking for its first C-USA title since 2013 at the University of Houston, while the women’s side is looking for their first league championship since winning it for the first time in program history in 2017 at Kidd Field.