After a record-setting weekend in which they saw two athletes set personal bests at the Long Beach Invitational, CSU Track and Field will now turn their attention to making improvements ahead of the Jack Christiansen Invitational this weekend in Fort Collins.

Junior hurdler Trevor Brown set a CSU record last weekend after running the 110-meter hurdles in 13.65 seconds and sophomore distance runner Andrew Goodman set a meet record in the men’s steeplechase by posting a time of 8:54.64.

After setting the mark last weekend, Goodman will sit out from competition this weekend and will focus on preparing for Mountain West meets which will begin May 8.

“Coach is resting most of us (distance runners) because last weekend was a pretty big weekend, so we’re gonna take a weekend off, or maybe two,” Goodman said.

“I don’t know, we might compete at Air Force in two weeks and we’re kind of gearing up for conference so coach decided since we already have the regional qualifying time that it would be best to just rest this weekend.”

In lieu of competition in the next couple weeks, Goodman will be working with distance coach Art Siemers, who joined the team last summer, on building strength that the Rams are hoping will carry them through the rest of the year.

Siemers coached a total of 83 All-Americans and five national champions during his time at NCAA Division -II Colorado School of Mines, but now will be looking forward to the challenge of coaching long distance runners like Goodman elevate their level of competition during division-I regionals which start on May 23.

“Obviously, at the Division-I level, making All-American, it’s a different level than where I was coaching,” Siemers said. “But the goal for our top athletes is to make the first round of regionals. … and we’re starting to get some athletes with the times there to get to the second round which is the top 24 in the country, which takes a really special athlete.”

While many of the long distance runners will be taking the weekend off, many of the other Rams will be focusing on improving their times in individual events during the next two weeks of non-conference meets.

In order to do that, the Rams will need to continue the momentum they have gained over the past weekend and continue to progress before the conference season and NCAA meets start.

“I think it’s extremely important,” CSU head coach Brian Bedard said of his team continuing their momentum. “Not only from a physical standpoint, to be peaking at the right time, but also from a mental standpoint to see your work kind of paying off and heading into conference confident that you can get it done, I think it’s huge.”

Assistant Sports Editor Andrew Schaller can be reached at sports@collegian.com.