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Alesha Lane is set to compete in the discus on Saturday.
Source: NMSU Athletics
Photo and Story By Emilio Garcia for NMSU: Courtesy
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – After an opening day of competition featuring male student-athletes on Friday, NM State joined in on day two of the NCAA West First Round, hosted by Texas A&M. A trio of student-athletes took to the track for the Crimson & White in three different events. Alesha Lane is the last entrant slated to compete on Saturday, with the chance to advance to the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore.
Starting the day for NM State, senior and Adams State transfer Rachel O’Brien made her outdoor NCAA First Round debut in the 1500m, crossing the line with a time of 4:48.55 in a heat featuring programs such as BYU, Oregon and Washington. The Heyfield, Australia, native closes her NM State career as the program record holder in the 1500m (4:14.56) and the second fastest 800m time (2:06.54).
Making her NCAA West First Round debut, true freshman Sahara Tasker stepped to the line in the 400m alongside student-athletes from Arizona State, Arkansas and Texas A&M, posting a time of 56.26 to finish her first season in the Crimson & White. The Allen, Texas, native holds the sixth fastest time in program history in the 400m (53.70) and the seventh-fastest in the 200m (23.77).
Competing amongst student-athletes from the Big 12’s University of Arizona and the SEC’s University of Texas in the sixth and final heat of the 200m, senior Jhana Downie tallied a time of 23.93. A historic career comes to a close for the Sunrise, Fla., native, who holds multiple school records, over 20+ entries in the program records, and a multitude of conference accolades – including the 2023 WAC Outstanding Track Performer.
UP NEXT
Alesha Lane will compete in the first round of the discus on the final day of the 2025 NCAA West First Round on Saturday, May 31. Action begins at Noon MT, with a live stream available through ESPN+ beginning at 7:15 p.m. MT, and live stats through this link.
For complete coverage of NM State Track & Field, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of Aggie athletics – and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateXCTF), Instagram (@NMStateXCTF), and like us on Facebook (NMStateTrackXC).
