FULL RESULTS

ON THE FINISH LINE
The Lady Buffs took home third place in the nation with a team total 41 points while the Buffs had a 3-way tie for fourth place in the nation with a team total 26 points.
 
The point system is broken down by finishes in each event. First place is ten points, second place is eight, third place is six, fourth place is five, fifth place is four, sixth place is three, seventh place is two and eighth place is one. To make the podium individually you have place in the top eight.


NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Isaac Botsio, a freshman, won the 60m with a 6.62 time. This is the third year in a row that the Buffs have taken first in the 60m run, with Benjamin Azamati previously winning both in the prior years.
 
Taylor Nelloms competed in three events over the weekend including high jump, long jump, and triple jump. She had a back-and-forth event between the high jump and long jump on Friday. She finished in second place (high jump-1.75m), second place (triple jump- 12.95m) and seventh place (long jump-5.90m). She gained a whopping 18 points for the Lady Buffs.
 
Florance Uwajeneza ran in both the 3,000m and 5,000m for the Lady Buffs. She ran her personal best in the 5,000m with a time of 16:06.06, placing third in the event and becoming the fifth fastest in division II history. She ran in the 3,000m with a time of 9:15.54, took fifth place for the team and brought in a combined ten points for the Lady Buffs.
 
Eleonora Curtabbi ran the one mile with a time of 4:51.48 placing her in third. It was down to the wire in the race as she narrowly missed out on second by .02 of a second. Her performance helped the Lady Buffs gain six points.
 
Butare Rugenerwa had a come-from-behind third place finish in the 800m run. He started towards the back half of the pack before making his decent into the top five runners with only two laps left to go. His gained six points for the Buffs with his time of 1:48.45.
 
Hamdi Ali took fourth place in the high jump and gained five points for the Buffs. His highest jump went to 2.15m. He went back and forth for over five rounds before making his final jump.
 
Corrssia Perry took off in the 400m and placed fifth overall with a time of 54.51. This is the first NCAA Division II Nationals for Perry since joining the Lady Buffs this spring.

Miriam Zanovello competed for sixth place in the triple jump with a distance of 12.56m. Her best jump came from her first attempt of the competition.
 
Jeremiah Lauzon helped the Buffs with two points in his efforts in the 200m which he ran at a time of 21.68.
 
Brien Pittman made the podium in the 400m with a time of 47.76. He helped the Buffs gain a point after running two laps under 48 seconds.
 
The women's 4X400 was run by Corrssia Perry, Alana Wilson, Leah Belfield and Jordan Brown. The Lady Buffs demolished their heat and ran a 3:43.92, placing them fourth overall. The start by Corrssia Perry helped gain momentum for the Lady Buffs before Alana Wilson took off in the second leg. Wilson gave a good 100m distance hand-off to Belfield before she furthered the distance. Brown anchored for the Lady Buffs and had a clear finish as she sprinted to make their time the best against the other heats.
 
The men's 4X400 was run by Ohdel James, Butare Rugenerwa, Malick Diop and Brien Pittman. The last-minute switch was made for Rugenerwa to run over Botsio. The switch was a positive one for the Buffs as they bested their time to 3:12.12 and ran .48 of a second faster than their personal best at the Lone Star Conference earlier this season. They were able to make the podium and help the Buffs gain a point.
 

BEHIND THE SCENES
The Buffs and Lady Buffs have been in high stress situations all season long. The level of competition they brought this weekend, against the best in the nation, wasn't where it normally is according to many of their athletes. They emptied their tanks and left it all on the track this weekend, but many claimed they could do better and have done better before. The emotions that went with each event was astounding to see as these athletes competed at the highest level in the country. The support they lent each other with pep talks and post conversations after were heart felt and a true testament to their teamwork. Track is a high stakes individual sport with only one opportunity to perform well in that one moment. The pressure to perform is real and when they felt they fell short, it was incredible to see because West Texas A&M track and field are in the top four in the nation. The fact that it is not good enough is a testament to the coaching and the mindset of being a West Texas A&M student-athlete. Every WT athlete after the meet were saying "just wait 'til outdoor season, it's ours". They feel they have something to prove. The outdoor season starts next weekend in Canyon, Texas and to be able to witness their level of competition is something you don't want to miss.
 
 
UP NEXT
West Texas A&M will host the first meet of the outdoor season on March 17^th-18^that the WT Spring Break Open in Canyon, Texas.