Colorado State men’s track and field bumped themselves up to No. 16 after a record weekend in California in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association NCAA Division-1 men’s outdoor rankings, the organization released Monday.
It is the third consecutive week the Rams have been ranked by the USTFCCCA. CSU was originally ranked No. 21 in week one to start the season. The No. 16 spot is the highest the program has ever been ranked. CSU was featured as high as the No. 8 during the 2016-17 indoor season, which also was the highest in program history.
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The Rams are receiving 110.68 points in the USTFCCCA’s ranking system, more than a 50-point jump from week two (83.78). Colorado State is the highest ranked team outside of the Power Five conferences (No. 25 Houston) and the only Mountain West team, men’s or women’s, to be ranked in the top 25.
Indoor shot put national champion Mostafa Hassan made his 2017 outdoor season debut over the weekend, tallying 35.5 points toward CSU’s ranking while winning the elite invitational of Mt. SAC Relays with a 69-11 mark (21.31 meters). Hassan’s mark ranks as the best in both MW and CSU history. His 35.5 points toward the team ranking are the most of any athlete in a single event in the nation.
Hunter Price also helped boost the CSU ranking with his own record-breaking performance in the decathlon. Price broke the 35-year old program record with 7,801 points at the Mt. SAC/California Invitational Combined Events. The Arvada, Colorado native’s score ranks second all-time in MW history.
Distance runners Cole Rockhold and Jefferson Abbey also contributed to the team’s rise in the 1,500 meter runs at the Bryan Clay invitational. Rockhold set the third-best time in CSU history at 3:41.04; Abbey followed suit, setting the fourth-best time in program at 3:42.95.
Grant Fischer and Jerrell Mock factored into the rankings in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meter runs.
CSU will compete again when they host the Jack Christiansen Invitational on Saturday, April 22. The meet will start at 9 a.m. at Jack Christiansen Track on CSU’s campus.
Collegian sports editor Chad Deutschman can be reached by email at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @ChadDeutschman
