Kaymarie Jones
The Paw Print
As we get closer to the Rocky Mountain Athletics Championships (RMAC) on February 28th and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Indoor Championship on March 14th, the Adams State men’s and women’s track and field teams added more provisional and automatic NCAA qualifying marks, this past weekend, at prestigious meets such as the Air Force Invitational in Colorado Springs and the Cherry and Silver Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
For what many track and field supporters would call the race of the season, the men’s mile was one to watch in Albuquerque on Saturday evening. ASU junior, Kevin Batt, and his training partner, Tabor Stevens, lit the Convention Center when they finished fourth and fifth behind two Nike professional athletes and one division 1 athlete in NCAA automatic times of 4:04.07 and 4:02.66. Their teammates, Matt Daniels and Chandler Reid, are also on their way to the national championships. Both Daniels and Reid added provisional marks of 4:09.65 and 4:15.80.
Chaz Butler ran a season best of 6.75 seconds in the men’s 60m dash prelims. He finished second in the finals at 6.82. Personal best times came from Derek Brown at 49.62 seconds and Ryne Chaves at 50 seconds even in the men’s 400m unseeded round on Friday. Sophomore, Nathan Bolivar, and freshman, Dustin Lamar, both fought to a 51.17 and a 51.36 seconds finish.
Austin Anaya was the only Grizzly who made the provisional mark in the men’s 800m. Anaya recorded a time of 1:53.69 and is looking to improve his time in order to be safe on the national list. The 3000 meters went by in less than nine minutes. Representing the green and white colors, Jiovanny Godinez completed his laps in 8:34.43. His second place finish was well recognized as he kept close to the heels of the division 1 winner from UTep, Anthony Rotich. Godinez’ time was good enough for the NCAA provisional time when converted. Zach Baxter gave his best effort in the men’s shot put and came out with a provisional mark of 15.83 meters, joining Wesley Lavong on the national list. Joe Hochanodel also recorded a national mark in the weight throw. His distance of 17.35 meters is twenty-fifth on the charts.
Freshman,Serena Canegan, is in good standing to represent the Grizzlies at the NCAA Championships in the women’s pentathlon. Canegan scored 3259 at the Air Force Invitational last Thursday and is eighteenth on the national list. RMAC record holder, Kayon Robinson, completed her two-lap pet event, the 400 meters, in 54.40 seconds. Robinson’s time is a provisional mark. An impressive automatic qualifying time of 4:48.48 came from the three time national champion, Alicia Nelson in the women’s mile. Nelson, the young native from Craig, was joined on the national list by her teammates, Maura O’Brien, Alyssa Selve, and Jenna Thurman. All three athletes added NCAA provisional times to their season’s best records.
Coming up this weekend, The Grizzlies will host Western State College in their new High Altitude Training Center. Famously known as the “Green and Red Shootout,” ASU will battle with Western in NCAA eligible events. You can support your Grizzlies on Friday, January 31st starting at 5pm in the Indoor Bubble.
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