NMSU’s Rebecca Green grabs gold in shot put, Aggies lead on day one of CUSA Championships
El Paso, Texas – Taking part in their first outdoor track & field championship as members of Conference USA, NM State wasted no time making their presence felt. After a strong showing on day one, the Aggies closed day one of the CUSA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in first place with 35 total points.
Rebecca Green led the way for the Crimson & White, taking home gold in the shot put, completing the season sweep after winning the indoor track & field title in February. Emily Stutesman and Maggie Gibbs rounded out NM State’s podium finishers on day one, taking second and third respectively in the 10,000m run.
Top-Eight Finishes
– Rebecca Green, Shot put, 16.55m (1st)
– Emily Stutesman, 10,000m run, 35:51.51 (2nd)
– Maggie Gibbs, 10,000m run, 36:37.04 (3rd)
– Kayla O’Connell, 10,000m run, 38:34.04 (5th)
– Ladina Kobler, Shot put, 13.89m (5th)
– Alesha Lane, Shot put, 13.55m (7th)
– Kamryn Cadle, Shot put, 13.26m (8th)
Track Headlines
In the 1500m run, Thobile Amon posted a time of 4:38.36 seconds, while Nia Allison crossed the line with a time of 4:47.60 to secure spots in Sunday’s finals.
Moving to the 100m hurdles, Aliyah Logan finished with a time of 13.49 to earn a spot in the finals on Sunday – the lone Aggie to advance in the event.
Jhana Downie proved herself in front of the Kidd Field crowd, building up a sizeable lead in the 400m dash prelims to easily take first with a mark of 54.35 and punch her ticket to Sunday’s finals.
The 10,000m run closed the meet for the Aggies while earning the distinction of being the most valuable in terms of points, as the trio of Emily Stutesman (35:51.51), Maggie Gibbs (36:37.04) and Kayla O’Connell (38:34.04) posted a total of 18 points for the Crimson & White
Field Headlines
Cameron Hodges became the first NM State student-athlete to advance to finals on the weekend, advancing to the long jump finals with a best mark of 5.71 meters (18-8.75”) before finishing in ninth.
The most fruitful event of the day in terms of finalists belonged to the shot put, as a quartet of Aggies made it through to finals earning a total of 17 points. Just as she did in the indoor season, senior Rebecca Green took home the gold after recording a best mark of 16.55m (54-3.75”). Following Green, underclassmen scored seven points as freshman Ladina Kobler finished in fifth (13.89m [45-7”]), sophomore Alesha Lane took seventh (13.55m, [44-5.5”]) and freshman Kamryn Cadle captured eighth place (13.26m [43-6”]).
2023 CUSA Outdoor Track & Field Championships – Day One Standings
1. NM State – 35 pts.
2. MTSU – 28 pts.
3. Liberty – 27 pts.
4. UTEP – 25 pts.
5. FIU – 23 pts.
6. LA Tech – 9 pts.
7. Sam Houston – 8 pts.
8. Jax State – 1 pt.
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