This past week the Colorado State track and field team sent six athletes to compete at the NCAA championships in Austin, Texas. The Rams were led by the dynamic duo of Jackson Morris and Gabi McDonald, as the only two CSU athletes to qualify as All-Americans.

Senior Allam Bushara was the Rams’ solo jumper, competing in the triple jump. Unfortunately, Bushara scratched on all three attempts, therefore unable to register a score at the meet. Despite this meet result, the Fort Collins native broke out with an incredible season from start to finish.

Graduate distance runner Sarah Carter finished her season in the 5K in 23rd place with a time of 17 minutes and 1 second. Carter has had a monumental season, breaking three school records after dealing with injuries all of the previous season. 

Two of the four Rams throwers competed without earning All-American honors while still competing at the highest level. First up was Klaire Kovatch, making her debut at the national meet in the discus. The redshirt freshman finished 21st with a distance of 51.81 meters. Kovatch has a bright future ahead with three years of eligibility remaining to continue to improve her skills. 

The other was Mya Lesnar, who showcased her skills in the women’s shot put. Lesnar continued to shine in her first season at CSU, with a mark of 16.72 meters with a spot at No. 17 in the nation.

Jackson Morris impressed on the first day of the championship with a strong performance in the javelin. His second throw of 73.21 meters earned him a spot on the second team All-American team.  The graduate student finished his career up high alongside his fiancee, Gabi McDonald. 

McDonald was the only Colorado State player to compete in two separate events, finding high success in both. First up was the women’s shot put, where the Fort Collins native finished right above her teammate with a 12th place spot with a throw of 17.24 meters. But the junior wasn’t finished, as she rounded out her season with a 7th place finish and a spot on the first team All-American in the discus. 

Another Rams standout was Head Coach Brian Bedard, who earned himself the honor of the USTFCCCA Women’s Outdoor Mountain Region Coach of the Year after his outstanding work including the Mountain West Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Fellow CSU track coach Kelly Hart earned some glory as she was named the head coach for the cross country team heading into next year. Hart and Bedard hope to continue the Rams’ success as they march towards the 2023-24 athletic seasons beginning in the fall.

Dylan Henrich can no longer be reached at sports@collegian.com. He can be reached on Twitter @dylanrheinrich.