PUEBLO, CO. – The West Texas A&M track and field team competed in ten events today including the decathlon, heptathlon and 4x400 relays. Three WT athletes placed on the podium of their final events including steeplechase national champion Eleonora Curtabbi. 
 
Eleonora Curttabi is now the three-time back-to-back reigning national champion in the 3000m steeplechase. She finished first with a time of 10:22.76. Curtabbi was well ahead of the pack with a distance of 50 meters in front of the second-place finisher from Western Colorado. Her finish gained ten points for the Lady Buffs.
 
The Buffs got on the board with two points from decathlon athlete Gerard Bryant's seventh place finish. Bryant's performance saw a personal best in the javelin, 1500 meter and pole vault. His throw of 58.00 meters is in the top-ten throws in WT history, the first time a Buff has made it in since 2015. He bested his 1500-meter time by running 27 seconds faster than his previous best and now has a 4:47.45 best time. Bryant pole vaulted to 4.20m and made a huge jump from his previous best of 3.95m. 
 
Junior Taylor Nelloms placed on the podium in the high jump with a final height at 1.71m. Nelloms qualified for three events at the national championship and has gained two points for the Lady Buffs. 
 
PRELIMINARIES
Nine athletes qualified on Friday and will compete in the finals held tomorrow on Saturday. WT will have a total of 22 athletes in the finals. Senior Butare Rugenerwa placed first in his preliminary event of the 800 meter. Rugenerwa had a come from behind win in the last 20 meters. He pulled through after starting in the back of the pack for the first 400 meters of the race. 
 
Both the men's and women's 4x400 relay teams qualified for the final race tomorrow. Only the top nine relay teams make it into the finals. WT has all four relay teams in the finals for tomorrow (men's and women's 4x100 and 4x400), they are the only university to make it into all four final relay events at the NCAA DII Outdoor National Championship this year. 
 
No. 1 LADY BUFFS
The Lady Buffs have a combined 18 points and sit tied for fourth place after seven finals events. Florance Uwajeneza, Eleonora Curtabbi and Tayor Nelloms have helped the Lady Buffs get on the board. There are still 14 finals events that will take place tomorrow. The Lady Buffs have potential to score a maxiumum of 78 points if they win out each of their events. There are seven events left for the Lady Buffs including the 5000 meters for Florance Uwajeneza, the 1500 meter for Eleonora Curtabbi, the triple jump for Miriam Zanovello and Taylor Nelloms and both of the relays. 
 
No. 2 BUFFS
The Buffs have two points and sit in 31^st place before the finals tomorrow. They have potential to score a maximum of 68 points if they win out each of their events. There are six events left for the Buffs including shot put for Luke Holcombe, 800 meter for Butare Rugenerwa, 400 meter for Quinton Sansing, 100 meter for Isaac Botsio and Joseph Manu and both relays.