Track & Field: NM State Readies for Conference USA Championships -

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The Aggies look to capture their first conference title since joining CUSA in 2023.

Source: NMSU Athletics
Story and Photo By Emilio Garcia: Courtesy

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Following a successful close to the regular season at the Desert Heat Classic, NM State returns for postseason action at the 2025 Conference USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Hosted by Middle Tennessee at Dean A. Hayes Track & Soccer Stadium, the three-day meet begins on Friday, May 16. The Aggies look to secure their first conference title since joining CUSA in the summer of 2023 – that spring, NM State secured their final WAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship, and their first in nearly 20 years.

The Starting Line

The Aggies will compete in the 2025 CUSA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted in Murfreesboro, Tenn., by MTSU. The three- day meet is set begin Friday, May 16 and run through Sunday, May 18. Fans can follow along with the action through links provided at nmstatesports.com.
NM State will compete against the nine other track & field programs in the conference – FIU, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, LA Tech, MTSU, Sam Houston, UTEP and WKU.
As a team, the Crimson & White will compete in 17 events: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 10,000m, 100m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles, 4x100m, 4x400m, 3000m Steeplechase, Triple Jump, Long Jump, High Jump, Shot Put, Discus and the Hammer Throw.

Class of CUSA

Several Aggies rank among the best in Conference USA this season, including:

Nia Allison – 3000m (1^st)
Rachel O’Brien – 1500m (2^nd), 800m (4^th)
Alesha Lane – Shot put (3^rd), Discus (3^rd)
Breanna Moss – 400m Hurdles (3^rd), 100m Hurdles (8^th)
Jhana Downie – 200m (4^th), 100m (9^th), 400m (10^th)
Kamryn Cadle – Shot put (4^th)
Marlee Cavitt, Jhana Downie, Sierra Brewer, Mickaliliah Vassell – 4×100 (4^th)
Jaylah McDonnell – Long Jump (6^th)
Sahara Tasker, Jhana Downie, Breanna Moss, Sierra Brewer – 4×400 (6^th)
Bailey Beene – Javelin (6^th)
Khloi Bird – 10,000m (7^th)
Kayla O’Connell – 10,000m (9^th)
Angela Korte – 800m (10^th)
Sahara Tasker – 400m (8^th)
Jordan Torres – 3000m Steeplechase (10^th)
Aileen Alvarado – High Jump (10^th)
Cameron Hodges – Triple Jump (10^th)

Despite not qualifying for the 2025 CUSA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Andrew Gibby recorded the fastest 3000m time in Conference USA (8:52.30), while Thomas Croshaw (13:56.51) holds the second-fastest time in the men’s 5000m among Conference USA student-athletes.

Aggie Accolades

As the Aggies continue their outdoor season of competition, multiple current Aggies rank inside the top 10 marks in program history, including:

Nia Allison – 1500m, 3000m*
Aileen Alvarado – High Jump*
Bailey Beene – Javelin
Khloi Bird – 5000m*, 10,000m*
Sierra Brewer – 100m, 200m, 4×100*, 4×400
Kamryn Cadle – Shot put*
Marlee Cavitt – 4×100*
Jhana Downie – 100m, 200m, 400m, 4×100*, 4×400
Jahnya Hill – 4×400
Cameron Hodges – Long Jump, Triple Jump
Mariah Humphrey – Javelin
Angela Korte – 800m*
Alesha Lane – Discus*, Shot put*
Marlene Mosqueda – 800m*
Breanna Moss – 100m H*, 400m H*, 4×400
Rachel O’Brien – 800m*, 1500m*
Kayla O’Connell – 10,000m
Grace Pendarvis – 100m, 200m, 4×100
Sahara Tasker – 200m*, 400m*
Jordan Torres – 3000m Steeplechase*
Mickaliliah Vassell – 400m, 400m Hurdles, 4×100*, 4×400

* – Indicates 2025 season addition

Fresh Faces

Following the departure of a historic senior class, the Aggies welcome a multitude of new student-athletes, with a wealth of accolades ready to make their mark on the Crimson & White.
After competing with the cross country team in the fall, Rachel O’Brien returns to the Aggies for outdoor competition.
Sprinters and hurdlers making their first outdoor runs with the Aggies in 2025 include Julissa Daniels, Jaylah McDonnell, Sahara Tasker, Sara McKee and Marlee Cavitt.
Ellie Breckenridge, Samonne Cauley, and Kylie Rubrecht have debuted their outdoor careers with NM State, while Bailey Beene now competes in the discus alongside the javelin toss.

Dual Sport Star

Sophomore Marlee Cavitt is set to continue her track & field career with NM State after transferring from the University of Portland last summer. In one of the most unique situations in the nation, Cavitt is also a member of the NM State Soccer team, becoming a pivotal member of the backline defense, finishing third on the team in minutes played (1,575) in a debut season that saw the Aggies tally 10+ wins for the third consecutive season.
Cavitt competes in short sprint events for the Aggies, posting indoor bests of 7.59 in the 60m dash and 24.39 in the 200m dash, while helping the 4×100 team record a mark of 44.89 in outdoor competition – the fifth-fastest in program history.

One Year Ago… | 2024 CUSA Championships | El Paso, Texas

NM State took to outdoor competition in their first season as members of Conference USA, finishing third overall with 119 points – following UTEP with 138 and champions Liberty with 177.7 points.
Rebecca Green and Terice Steen posted gold medals in the shot put and 400m hurdles respectively. In total NM State tallied medals in 10 events, including two golds, two silvers and six bronze.

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).

Article posted by:

Levi Gwaltney

Levi Gwaltney is the Editor In Chief of Las Cruces Digest. The Editor makes editorial and posting decisions regarding content published on this site. In most cases, the Editor makes little if any contribution to content published, and takes no credit for the content of republished posts. If available, the source or author of posts is provided at the top of the article.

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