June 9, 2007

Three UTEP student-athletes earned All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday.

UTEP had two silver medalist and one fourth-place finisher on the final day of competition.

Junior Elias Koech was the runner up in the men's 800-meter run, right behind Michigan's Andrew Ellerton. Koech remained near the front of the pack the entire way before making a move over the final 100 meters to go from fourth to second.

Koech crossed in a season-best 1:47.70, right behind Ellerton's 1:47.48.

Erma Gene Evans topped of her career by finishing second in the javelin. She marked her best throw on her first attempt with a heave of 179-9 (54.78). Purdue's Lindsey Blaine was the champion with a mark of 182-3 (55.56).

Evans had another big throw on her sixth and final attempt of 179-3 (54.63), but was not able to catch Blaine.

Senior Fatimoh Muhammed set the school record in the women's 800, taking fourth in one of the NCAA's fastest races in its history.

Cal's Alysia Johnson posted the second-fastest time ever run in the NCAA going 1:59.29. Muhammed broke Svetlana Badrankova's record of 2:02.99 set in 2001, running 2:01.89.