Jones Breaks ThunderBowl Record; Grizzly Women Win Four Events

Scott Kretzmann
ASC Sports Information

Led by KayMarie Jones’ stadium record clocking of 1 minute, 0.66 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles, the Adams State College women’s track and field team combined for four event wins and three provisional qualifying efforts for the NCAA Division II Championships in Saturday’s Colorado State University-Pueblo Open, the Grizzlies’ first meet of the outdoor season.
Jones’ mark broke the former Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl record of 1:00.87 set at last year’s Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships by now Grizzly junior Lindsey Grasmick, who was the 800-meter winner on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies also received event wins from senior Ashley Quintana in the grueling 10,000 meters and from true freshman Kelly Lamb, who contested her first ever 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Lamb won her event in 11:23.99, a time that converts to 11:08.54 at sea level, just under the NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 11:10.  Quintana won her race by more than 43 seconds in 38:56.32, a mark that converts to 37:49.18 at sea level.
The Grizzlies are received a stellar effort from sophomore Kristen McGlynn in the 1,500 meters.  She was clocked in 4:41.03, a mark that converts to 4:35.38 and just under the NCAA provisional qualifying standard of 4:36.  McGlynn was the top collegiate finisher and the second overall while going under the former stadium record of 4:42.08, a time that was smashed by Saturday winner Cassie Slade, a professional runner representing Boulder Running Company and Adidas.
Grizzly senior Cassie Mitchell finished third in 4:45.28 (4:39.55-adjusted).
The Grizzlies, who sent only a partial squad to the meet, also had a pair of top-5 performances in the 200 meters and another two in the field events as Jazmine Ralph and Grasmick took fourth and fifth on the track with times of 25.96 and 26.02 seconds, respectively.  Meanwhile, NCAA indoor championship qualifier Katie Kruger took second in the shot put with a heave of 13.03 meters (42 feet, 9 inches) while Annelise Pradal finished as part of a tie for fourth place in the pole vault with a clearance of 3.20 meters (10’6”).
Other notable efforts came from freshman Chelsea Fenderson, who took eighth in the 100 meters in 12.92 seconds, and from freshman Amber Lowther who tied for eighth in the high jump with mark of 1.50 meters (4’11”).
The Grizzlies’ “B” 4×100-meter relay team of Ralph, Krystal Thomas, Lindsay Jantzi and Lowther also finished seventh in 49.98 seconds.