NM State wins WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Champions. No word in the world of sports is sweeter. After a tumultuous, weather laden weekend that included torrential downpours and lightning delays, NM State was crowned the 2023 WAC Outdoor Track & Field Champions.

Jhana Downie led the way for NM State, winning both the 200m and 400m titles, sweeping the events at both the Indoor and Outdoor 2023 WAC Track & Field Championships. Terice Steen broke the school record in the 400m hurdles, and joins the four other Aggies who recorded runner-up finishes.


Saturday
Makiya Moore secured the Aggie’s first points on Saturday, launching herself into second place in the discus with a toss of 49.09m (161-1″). This is the second event Moore has scored in this weekend (hammer throw), and a new season-high.
Bailey Beene took home a fourth-place finish in the javelin toss with a mark of 44.57m (146-3″) – her best finish at any WAC Championship.


The 4×100 relay team of Sierra Brewer, Terice Steen, Jhana Downie and Grace Pendarvis combined to post a time of 44.80 – good for a silver medal finish and ties for the second fastest time in NM State history.

Thobile Amon paced herself for a big finish in the 1500m, timing in ninth after 300m and climbing all the way to a second-place finish with a time of 4:25.80. This marks her highest finish in any WAC Championship (Indoor or Outdoor).

The NM State trio of Aliyah Logan (13.08), Valissa Brown (13.32) and T’Erica Boyd (13.70) crossed the line in the 100m hurdles in second, third and sixth respectively. All three set personal bests in the process, while Logan’s time also ranks 20^th across the nation, good for an invite to the NCAA West Regionals held at Sacramento State University.

Following a nearly two-hour lightening delay, Jhana Downie lined up as the only Aggie in the 400m finals. After starting the race as the top-seed after Friday’s prelims, Jhana Downie secured a photo finish gold medal, edging out UT Arlington’s Tatyana Terrell with a time of 52.72 – a new personal best and the third fastest time in NM State history. This is Downie’s second straight 400m dash championship after taking first place in this years WAC Indoor Track & Field Championship.

Competing in her second event of the afternoon, Sierra Brewer raced to fourth place in the 100m dash, crossing the line with a time of 11.73 – a new personal best and the fifth fastest time in NM State history.

After her sister’s silver medal performance in the 1500m run, it was Thulisile Amon’s turn in the 800m. Following in her footsteps, Amon posted a time of 2:08.58 to finish in second, collecting a silver medal of her own and earning eight points for NM State.

Terice Steen, T’Erica Boyd and Breanna Moss became the second Aggie trio to compete in the hurdles on Saturday, this time in the 400m variation. Earning the top spot and middle lane with her time of 58.81 in Thursday’s prelims, Steen finished the race in second, recording a time of 58.36 – a personal best and the top time in NM State history.
Boyd followed next for the Aggies, posting a time of 1:00.16 en route to a fourth-place finish. Moss claimed fifth place, crossing the line with a time of 1:00.41. Overall the three combined to record 17 points for the Aggies.

Returning after her first-place finish in the 400m dash, Jhana Downie came from behind over the last stretch of the race to take her second gold medal of the afternoon, posting a time of 23:37. Downie has now swept the 200m and 400m at the 2023 Indoor and Outdoor WAC Championships.

In the deepest field of the afternoon, NM State had four student-athletes representing them in the 5000m. Maggie Gibbs recorded a sixth-place finish after posting a time of 16:46.82, while Emily Stutesman posted a final time of 16:51.37 to take eighth.