The men’s and women’s track and field teams each won their respective RMAC Outdoor Championships. The teams collectively won 9 gold, 10 silver and 9 bronze medals.  

The women’s team won with an overall score of 172, 15 points ahead of second place, Colorado School of Mines, redeeming themselves after coming second to Colorado School of Mines in the Indoor Championship in March.  

The men’s team overall score was 198, narrowly beating out Colorado School of Mines by 3 points for first. 

The track and field teams competed April 25-27 at the Outdoor Championship. The women’s team led the championship in points each day, while the men’s team came up from second to upset Colorado School of Mines. 

Men’s track and field wins 8 events and 9 silver and bronze medals 

Senior Luke Hard kicked off day one by setting an RMAC record with his event-winning 62.42 men’s hammer toss.  

Redshirt senior Caiden Macktinger won the men’s pole vault with a season-best 5.07. 

Redshirt sophomore KJ McInnis leapt to two gold medals, the first in the men’s triple jump with a mark of 14.81 meters and the second in the men’s high jump with a season-best 1.99 meters. He took third in the men’s long jump with 7.16 meters. 

Junior Kyle Demos produced a UCCS record toss to win the men’s discus throw with a mark of 53.09 meters. Demos earned silver in the men’s shot put with a mark of 17.52 meters. 

Senior Kymani Sterling, junior Daryn Ofori-Kuragu, junior Sebastian Jean and redshirt senior Donovan Mini won the men’s 4×100 relay in 39.94 seconds, a facility and outdoor championship meet record. 

Jean got a solo gold medal in the men’s 400 meters with a time of 46.15 seconds, breaking his own UCCS program record.  

The 4×400 men’s relay team gave the Mountain Lions the critical final points to take home the overall title. Jean, freshman Peyton Nelson, freshman Sean Donelson and sophomore Ashton Whisler covered the distance in 3:11.81, earning the team their final gold medals of the meet. 

Whisler medaled again, finishing third in the men’s 400 final with a provisional qualifying mark of 47 seconds. 

Redshirt junior Jagger Zlotoff earned a silver medal in the men’s 1500 in 4:01.55. 

Sophomore Evan Atkin took second in the men’s decathlon with 6613 points. The men’s decathlon bronze medal went to junior Dillon Arvayo with 6363 points. 

Senior Kymani Sterling finished third in the men’s 100 final with a time of 10.52 seconds. 

Senior Logan Cole earned a bronze in the men’s 5000 with a time of 15:02.69.  

Freshman Alex Emers finished third in the men’s high jump with a mark of 1.94 meters. 

Women’s track and field wins 1 event and 10 silver and bronze medals 

Senior Anna Fauske won the women’s 10,000 meter with a time of 34:48.44. Fauske earned the silver in the women’s 5000 meter in 17:49.15. 

Sophomore Krissie Sanders finished second in the women’s 100 hurdle final in 14.35. Sanders was also second in the women’s 400 hurdles in 1:00:30.  

Redshirt senior Rachel Richtman was second in the women’s 3000 steeplechase in 10:53.16. 

Junior Brooke Peterson earned a silver medal in the women’s pole vault with a mark of 3.78 meters. 

Freshman Payton Rodgers earned a silver medal in the women’s triple jump with an 11.88 meters mark.  

Junior Kseniya Nikanorov hit a provisional qualifying mark in the women’s 10k and won a bronze medal in 36:31.39.  

Junior Savannah Jorgens earned a bronze in the women’s hammer throw with a toss of 54.74 meters. 

The Mountain Lions finished second and third in the women’s long jump. Redshirt junior Madissyn Moore earned silver with a mark of 5.64 meters and sophomore Danaya Kinnard was third with a mark of 5.56 meters. 

Three meets remain in the season, including the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships, which begin on May 22 in Pueblo, Colorado. 

Editor’s Note: The Scribe’s editor-in-chief Joseph Impellitteri and photographer Logan Cole are members of the men’s track and field team. 

Photo courtesy of GoMountainLions.