UTEP’s Burgher sets new school record 22.79, as Miners conclude day one at New Mexico Team Open
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico - UTEP’s Niesha Burgher set a new school record while winning the 200-meter dash on day one at the New Mexico Team Open in the Albuquerque Convention Center on Friday evening.
Niesha Burgher blazed out to a school-record 22.79 in the women’s 200-meter dash. The senior took first place out of 15 sprinters.
Burgher’s converted time (22.86) will rank no. 1 in Conference USA.
Heading into the weekend, Baylor’s Trinah Kelley leads the NCAA with a 22.80 (converted from 22.73).
Georgia’s Aaliyah Butler (22.83) and TCU’s Indya Mayberry (22.85 – converted from a 22.78) rank two and three, respectively.
“Niesha opened up strong in her first 200 for the season,” UTEP Director of Track & Field Mika Laaksonen said. “Ruth [Jerubet], Rejoice [Sule], and Jakub [Belik] are also in good mid-season form after their performances. I’m proud of freshmen Addison [Stricklin] and Sarah [Dovenbarger]. It was a very good day one for us and I feel like tomorrow will be even better.”
Ruth Jerubet won the women’s 3000-meter race with a 9:42.45. The senior finished first out of 33 competitors. Jerubet beat out New Mexico’s Christian Nisoli (9:47.47) and Adams State Katie Hughes (9:48.43).
El Paso native Sarah Dovenbarger chalked up her first collegiate mark with a 3.71-meter (12-2) leap in the women’s pole vault section B. The freshman finished fourth while her height would rank in the top 10 in Conference USA.
Fellow freshman Addison Stricklin clocked in a personal-best time of 24.01 in the women’s 200-meter dash unseeded field. Stricklin finished third overall of 47 competitors. She came into the weekend ranked third in CUSA with a 24.41 (converted from 24.34 - altitude).
Jakub Belik tied his season-best and CUSA-leading 2.12-meter (6-11.5) leap in the men’s high jump. The senior finished third overall.
Joshua Hill clocked in a 47.84 in the men’s 400-meter dash. With the conversion time, Hill’s time would be 47.95, which would rank no. 2 in CUSA behind teammate Julio Pacheco Estrada (47.83).
Rejoice Sule clocked in a season-best 23.47 in the women’s 200-meter dash. Sule finished fifth overall.
Freshman Ewa Peace made her debut, leaping 1.66 meters (5-5.25) in the women’s high jump.
Oleksandr Blonskyi posted an indoor personal-best 4.78-meter (15-8.25) mark in the men’s pole vault section B.
DAY TWO
Saturday’s second day will begin with field events at 10 a.m. MT, while the gun goes off for the track events at 10:30 a.m.
