ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – Lion track didn't have many athletes competing on the final day of the Don Kirby Elite Invitational at the Albuquerque, New Mexico, but those who did took full advantage of their opportunity.
 
Junior Luis Romero made his first foray of the season into the 800 meter run, ensconcing himself immediately onto the national scene with a third place finish on the strength of a 1:52.30, which becomes the 12th fastest time in Division II. Romero's time broke the previous A&M-Commerce season high by over seven seconds, and earned him a provisional qualifying mark.
 
The men's 4x400 Relay team consisting of Dexter Lee, John David Rollins, Ravi Dubose and Eric Williams very narrowly improved upon their previous provisional qualifying mark by three one hundredths of a second with a 3:14.85 time, good enough for seventh overall at the meet. Also out on the track, Lee finished 14th overall in the 400m dash with a 48.50 time, which came only a few tenths of a second from surpassing his provisional qualifying mark of 48.42 seconds set last week at the MSSU Lion Open.
 
Tyler Rambo was the story of the day on the field, as the junior improved on his season-high in the shot put with a 16.84 lob. The effort moved Rambo from 20th in the country up to 16th.  He finished 12th overall at the meet.
 
For the women, the 4x400 relay squad consisting of Kamryn McKee, Ana Baleveicau, Tyler Cottingham and Ashley Bassett vastly improved with a 3:54.60 performance, almost eight seconds faster than their previous time and less than two seconds away from the Lion women procuring their first provisional qualifier of the year.
 
The Lions now return home with two weeks to retool before the Lone Star Conference Championships in Lubbock, Texas at Texas Tech's Athletic Training Center.  That will take place from February 28th through March 1st.