Kristen McGylnn
The Paw Print
Last Saturday, a group of Grizzly distance track athletes competed among the elite field of the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational hosted by Stanford University. The prestigious meet featured the talent of the top Division I runners as well as professional and Olympic-level talent. The ASC athletes had the opportunity to run against the best competition in the nation, and decidedly held their own in the high-caliber fields.
Senior Reuben Mwei again bested his own recently set ASC school record in the 3000-meter steeple. Mwei ran 8 minutes 34 seconds to place sixth in his heat of the 3000-meters, which was won by Kyle Alcorn of Nike. Mwei was only bested in the race by professionally sponsored athletes.
This time currently ranks Mwei first on the Division II performance list, sixth on the Division II all-time performance list, and eighth in the world this year. A two-time national champion, Mwei will look to defend his national title in the steeple at the NCAA Divison II National meet.
The Grizzly men were strongly represented in the multiple sections of the 1500-meter run. Senior Ryan McNiff turned in the best time and took third in his heat with a mark of 3:47, a provisional qualifying mark which ranks him third in DII. Dean Huffer placed eighth behind McNiff with a time of 3:48 also a provisional mark which ranks Huffer ninth in DII. In yet another section of the 1500-meters, Drew Soucy ran 3:50 to finish fourth. Teammate Keegan Calmes ran 3:51 to place third in the fifth section of the event.
Drew Graham won his section of the men’s 800-meters with a time of 1:49 which automatically secured him a spot at nationals and ranks him second in DII. Graham returned to finish ninth in his heat of the 1500-meters running 3:50. In the 5000-meters, Florian Theophile ran 14:08 a provisional mark which ranks him eighth on the Division II performance list.
Senior Luke Cragg ran huge personal best of 29:10 in the 10,000-meters for a seventeenth place finish. This time automatically qualified him for the national meet and currently ranks him first on the Division II outdoor list.
On the women’s side, freshman Alicia Nelson continued her stellar season running 10:20 in her second steeple event to finish eighth in her heat of the 3000-meter steeple. Nelson is currently ranked first on the Division II outdoor performance list. Her time was less than a second off the ASC school record. Teammates Cassie Nelson and Janette Cary placed seventh (10:37) and thirteenth (10:47) in another heat of the steeple.
In the 5000-meters, Ashley Quintana ran a provisional mark of 17:12 to place twelfth in her event. Kristen McGlynn took twenty-first in the 10,000 meters in 34:37, an automatic qualifying mark which ranks McGlynn fourth on the Division II performance list.
The other half of the Grizzly track and field team traveled to Albuquerque for the Don Kirby Invitational hosted by the University of New Mexico.
Indira Spence led the women with a dominant win in the 100-meters with a time of 11.42 seconds. This time. This time ranks Spence third on the Division II performance list and automatically qualifies her in the event for the DII National meet. Jazmine Ralph also competed in the preliminaries of the event finishing eleventh which did not advance her to the finals. Ralph returned to finish ninth in the 200-meters with a time of 26.04.
Jessica Adams was the top Grizzly finisher in the women’s 800-meter run with a third place finish in 2 minutes and 15 seconds, a NCAA Division II provisional qualifying mark. She was followed by teammates Anna Dean in thirteenth (2:25) Sofia Monroe in twentieth (2:28) and Tanisha Thomas in twenty-fourth (2:35).
In the 100-meter hurdles, Amanda Doyle advance to the finals where she posted a time of 15.22 seconds to take seventh overall. Teammate Annelise Pradal took twelfth in the prelims of the event. Lindsey Grasmick turned in an impressive second place finish in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:01 which provisionally qualifies her for the DII National meet.
Pradal turned in the top mark of the day in the pole vault, finishing first after clearing 12 ft. 1.5 in. Doyle placed ninth in the long jump with a mark of 17 ft. 3.5 in.
ASC’s Katie Kruger, competing unattached, took the top honors of the meet in the shot put with throw of 46 ft. 1 in. Teammate Tamara Fowler placed second behind her with a provisional qualifying mark of 44 ft. 11in. Catrina Donley was eighth (36 ft). In the women’s discus throw, Jenna Bohnen finished second with a toss of 144 ft. while Kruger returned from her win with a tenth place finish (116 ft. 10 in.)
Bohnen again placed in the top ten, this time in the hammer throw, placing tenth (145 ft. 1 in.) Kelsey Huckle rounded out the top ten in the event (131 ft.) In the javelin throw, Doyle finished fourth with a best mark of 128 ft. 8 in. and Fowler was seventh (123 ft. 9 in.)
Highlihgts on the men’s side came in the throwing events, as the ASC men turned in dominant performances, taking five of the top ten spots in both the shot put and discus. Daniel Maldonado won the shot put with a dominating mark of 52 ft. 10 in. Wesley Lavong, Miquel Narez, Brady Schreivogel, and Joe Hernandez finished fifth, sixth, seventh, and ninth, respectively.
Jake Santerre was the top Grizzly in the discus, with a toss of 145 ft. 2 in. which placed him in fifth overall. Lavong, Maldonado, Schreibvogel, and Narez took fifth, sixth, seventh, and ninth, respectively. Santerre returned in the hammer to place third with a mark of 163 ft. 1 in. Teammate Schreibvogel took fifth (156 ft. 9 in.)
Justin Cropper took fifteenth in the prelims of the 100-meters, running 11.66 seconds. and placed fourteenth in the 200-meters in 23.17 seconds. In the 110-meter hurdles Pierce Fair advanced to the finals where he place sixth with a time of 15.33.
As the sole distance representative at the meet, Michael Flowers place third in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:50.
Dyson Mortenson placed third in the high jump, clearing 6 ft. 9 in. while teammate Devin Bolich was fifth after clearing 6 ft. 8 in. Blair Sohl cleared 16 ft in the pole vault which was good enough for a third place finish while provisionally qualifying him for nationals. Fair was seventh in the triple jump with a best mark of 43 ft. in. ASC athlete James Douglas, competing unattached, won the long jump with a mark of 23 ft.
The Grizzly’s next meet will be the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship hosted by CSU-Pueblo on May 9-11.
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