Men’s Track and Field Wins Four Events in Pueblo

Scott Kretzmann
ASC Sports
Information Director

PUEBLO, Colo. – The Adams State men’s track & field squad posted winning times on the track in the 100 and 200 meter dashes, as well as in the field in the javelin and discus, as the Grizzlies opened the 2012 season with two days of action at the Colorado State-Pueblo Open on Friday and Saturday.
Freshman Zach Dunbar (Lake Havasu, Ariz.) opened the season in fine fashion on Friday in the javelin throw, where his mark of 58.96 meters (193 feet, 5 inches) was the best of the day, and just 4/100ths of a meter from achieving a NCAA Division II Championships provisional qualifier.
Sophomore Esteban Vigil (Las Vegas, N.M.) and sophomore Joe Hochandel (Fort Morgan, Colo.) finished third and fourth, respectively, in the javelin with throws of 50.80 meters (166’8”) and 47.19 meters (154’10”).
Four Grizzlies were among the top four of the 200 meter dash as well. Freshman Derek Brown II (St. Louis, Mo.) clocked a winning time of 21.91 seconds, while freshman Justin Smit’s (Monument, Colo.) 21.93 and senior Justin Cropper’s (Fountain, Colo.) 22.08 were good for second and fourth.
The 100 meter dash was won by Adams State senior Rushane Scott (Allentown, Pa.), whose time of 10.63 seconds was just 3/100ths of a second from reaching the provisional standard in the event.
Freshman Jamarius Mathis (Fountain, Colo.) and senior Wesley Lavong (Philadelphia, Pa.) were each top five finishers in both the discus and shot put. Mathis won the discus with a toss of 48.71 meters (159’10”) while placing fourth in the shot put with a mark of 16.08 meters (52’9 ¼’).
Lavong, who placed second in the shot put, reached a provisional standard with a distance of 16.40 meters (53’9 ¾”), and was third in the discus at 46.92 meters (153’11”).
Grizzly jumpers also recorded fourth place finishes in three events. Sophomore Jordan Bolich (Santa Fe, N.M.) did so in the high jump with a mark of 1.95 meters (6’4 ¾”), sophomore Alex Estes (Yampa, Colo.) in the long jump with a distance of 6.95 meters (22’9 ¾”) and senior Pierce Fair (Aurora, Colo.) in the triple jump with a best of 14.01 meters (45’11 ¾”).
The CSU-Pueblo Open was the first of three meets for the Grizzlies this season at the ThunderBowl. ASC will return to action there at the April 14 CSU-Pueblo Invitational, as well as the May 24-26 NCAA Division II National Championships.
The Grizzlies will resume action for the Don Kirby Memorial Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., on April 7.