7 Rams move to NCAA T&F Championship after outstanding performances

7+Rams+move+to+NCAA+T%26F+Championship+after+outstanding+performances

Collegian | Brian Peña

Dylan Heinrich, Staff Reporter

It was a week filled with excitement as the Colorado State University track and field team excelled at the NCAA West Preliminaries in Sacramento, California. A total of 21 athletes competed, with seven of their top competitors moving on to the NCAA Championship after finishing in the top 12 in their respective events.

The Rams only qualified one for the championship meet in Austin on the first day during the javelin throw. Jackson Morris impressed with a throw of 69.59 meters, good for ninth in the competition.

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CSU found even more success on the second day with another three qualifiers after an outstanding start. First up was Gabi McDonald, Morris’ fiancee, in the women’s shot put. McDonald impressed with an outstanding 10th place finish after an outdoor career best mark of 17.21 meters. Fellow Ram Mya Lesnar finished right behind her at 17.17 meters for another career best. 

The final qualification came during the women’s 10K, as Annabel Stafford finished with a time of 32 minutes, 45.14 seconds. This broke her previous personal record of 32:58.14.

The only Colorado State athlete to qualify on the third day was Allam Bushara in the triple jump. Bushara continued his outstanding season with a mark of 15.66 in the regional to finish in 11th place. 

Colorado State saw qualifications from McDonald again alongside Klaire Kovatch and Sarah Carter during the fourth and final day. Both McDonald and Kovatch qualified in the discus event. McDonald’s throw of 58.67 meters gave her a second place finish, and Kovatch’s 55.55 meters earned her fourth. 

Carter qualified during the women’s 5K, as her time of 15:44.20 led to a ninth place spot and the new school record. She now holds both the indoor and the outdoor record in the 5K, continuing her excellent season.

These remaining athletes will go compete in Austin, Texas, during the NCAA Championships June 7-10 as they look to represent CSU athletics on the national scale.

Reach Dylan Heinrich at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @dylanrheinrich

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