Burgher Wins the 60 as Miners Wrap Up Final Day at New Mexico Team Open Saturday Afternoon

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KVIA) -- UTEP senior star Niesha Burgher chalked up another victory on the final day at the New Mexico Team Open in the Albuquerque Convention Center on Saturday afternoon.

Burgher clinched her second victory of the weekend, claiming first place in the women’s 60-meter dash final. Burgher clocked in a personal-best 7.26, beating out Texas A&M’s trio of Camryn Dickson (7.32), Bria Bullard (7.34) and Jasmine Montgomery (7.36). Burgher turned in a 7.33 in the 60 prelims. Burgher took the women’s 200 on Friday night with a school-record 22.79.

“It was a solid second day for us. The sprinters and hurdlers had an excellent day. Niesha [Burgher], Rejoice [Sule], Jordani [Woodley] and Marissa [Simpson] competed well today,” UTEP Director of Track & Field Mika Laaksonen said. “Kenneth [Talavera] and Juan [Leal] ran very promising miles today. I felt like we made a meaningful move forward as a team from our first outing at Lubbock [Corky Classic]. The group that is in shape but struggling with the execution in completions is too large, and we need to get over this injury bug of ours in a hurry if we want to have a chance at the conference as a team.”

Marissa Simpson clocked in an 8.09 in the women’s 60m hurdles to qualify for the championship race. Simpson followed with an 8.03 in the finals with a third-place showing. Former Miner Maribel Caicedo, competing unattached, won the event with a 7.99.

Alla Parnov finished second in the women’s pole vault section A with a 4.01-meter (13-1.75) mark.

Jordani Woodley clocked in a season-best 7.83 in the men’s 60-meter hurdles prelims, while posting a 7.91 in the finals.

Kenneth Talavera clocked in a personal-best 4:06.22 in the men’s mile, placing third out of 28 competitors.

Juan Leal competed in his first collegiate mile, posting a time of 4:16.24.

Julio Pacheco Estrada clocked in a season-best 47.56 in the men’s 400-meter dash. Pacheco Estrada entered the weekend no. 1 in CUSA in the 400 with a 47.83 (converted from 47.72).

Princess Uche posted a season-best 54.51 in the women’s 400m dash.

Rejoice Sule clocked in a 7.48 in the 60m prelims and followed with a 7.44 in the 60 finals.

The women’s 4x400-meter relay team took second as Uche, Loubna Benhadja, Rejoice Sule and Burgher clocked in a season-best 3:37.79.

Aleks Hristov posted a season-best 16.26-meter (53-4.25) mark in the men’s shot put.

Oregon transfer Harrison Canfield chalked up his first mark as a Miner, posting a 4.93-meter (16-2) leap. Canfield’s mark would rank in the top five in CUSA.