Women’s field dominates Rams outdoor track and field opener

Collegian | File Photo

Lexie Keller prepares her throw for the shot put event at the Doug Max Invitational April 16, 2022. Keller made a personal record with this throw at 13.37 meters and came third in the event.

Braidon Nourse, Sports Editor
March 26, 2023

The Colorado State University track and field team competed in their outdoor season-opening meet in Pueblo, Colorado, over the weekend. Following an impressive indoor season, the Rams picked up right where they left off at the Spank Blasing Invitational at CSU Pueblo.

To conclude their indoor season, the Rams women’s team won the Mountain West Conference Championship for the second straight year. It was also the fourth straight season the Rams won the indoor championship on either the women’s or men’s side.

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There was a trio of Ram women who qualified to go to the NCAA Indoor National Championship meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Thrower Gabi McDonald, distance runner Sarah Carter and multis competitor Lexie Keller all represented the green and gold at the event. Carter finished No. 9 in the women’s 5,000-meter run, and Keller took No. 10 in the women’s pentathlon. McDonald finished No. 12 in the shot put.

There’s not much of a turnaround between the NCAA championship and the beginning of the outdoor season. Athletes who competed in that meet only got two weeks off before the outdoor season began. For that reason, Carter and McDonald did not compete, but Keller participated in the 4×400-meter relay.

It was a successful Friday and Saturday for those that did compete, especially throwers and jumpers.

 

Junior Mya Lesnar continued her streak of throwing dominance with a first-place finish and two second-place finishes. She won the shot put with ease throwing 16.09 meters, nearly 7 full feet farther than the second-place finisher. She took No. 2 in the hammer throw with a 56.68-meter mark and placed No. 2 in the discus with a 47.22-meter throw, right behind her sophomore teammate Klaire Kovatch, who threw the discus 47.62 meters.

Graduate student Jackson Morris showed up for the throws on the men’s side. On Friday, he ran away with the javelin throw placing first with a mark of 64.71 meters, more than 12 feet farther than second place. Saturday, he grabbed silver in the discus throw with a 51.52-meter throw.

The Rams swept the women’s jumping events. Freshman Jo-Anna Pinnock won the triple jump with a 12.60-meter jump, which would be her personal best if not for an illegal wind mark of +3.2 meters per second. Sophomore Taye Raymond won the long jump with a 5.77-meter mark, and senior Jordan Lanning won the high jump at 1.68 meters.

The Rams will host their first of this season’s two home meets this upcoming Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1. The Jack Christiansen Invitational is one of the yearly meets the Rams hold and usually includes teams like the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Wyoming, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and others.

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Reach Braidon Nourse at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @BraidonNourse.