Kaymarie Jones
The Paw Print
Many records were shattered on Saturday, January 18th when the Adams State Grizzly track and field team graced the track at 9am in the new High Altitude training Center (HATC). With roughly four hundred supporters, the four teams who competed with the grizzlies were well buoyed.
The highlight of the day, two automatic NCAA qualifying marks from sophomore, Carlton Lavong; Philadelphia, Penn., brought the Grizzlies to an early celebration of the meet. Lavong made an impressive leap in the long jump in the early hours of the morning when he jumped 7.64 meters to win the event. He also won the men’s triple jump with a distance of 15.33 meters. Lavong is now the record holder in both events.
In the men’s 60 meter dash, Chaz Butler continues to dominate the field, running 8.80 seconds consistently, and breaking his own HATC record. His teammates, Justin Smit and Brian Maldonado, ran 6.89 seconds and 7.04 seconds respectively. Around the curve, Butler returned to dominate the 200m. He broke the HATC record set by his teammate, Derek Brown, in a new time of 22.27, shutting down roughly four meters before the line. Brown, the ASU quarter miler, was third in the 400 meter open, running a time of 50.61. His training partner, Nathan Bolivar, was second in 50.51 seconds.
The men’s 800 meters went by slowly with two Adams State athletes in the ASU jersey. John Acuna and Shawn Reardon both ran two minutes for seventh and eighth. Unattached Adams State athlete, Austin Anaya ran 1:56:71, a time that would hit below the provisional mark of 1:57:22 had he competed under ASU.
In the men’s mile, John Luterbac and Julian Florez both dipped into the NCAA provisional time and are possibly on their way to the NCAA 2014 Indoor National Championships. Luterback ran 4:24:87and Florez ran 4:24:02 for fourth and fifth. Chandler Reid competed unattached but he also ran a provisional time of 4:22:72 for second.
Grizzly freshman, Parker Jones, ran an electrifying 60 meter high hurdles race when he smashed the stadium record and ran a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) provisional time of 8.26 seconds in the preliminary round. Tyler Zito and Alex Jordan were second and third in 8.39 seconds and 8.49 seconds. All three men ran slower in the final race.
In the high jump, Justin Bethea also added to ASU’s provisional marks with his leap at 2.09 meters. Joe Hochanadel broke his own weight throw stadium record with a provisional throw of 17.11 meters. The shot put stadium record was also broken. Wesley Lavong threw 17.10 meters to round off the provisional marks for the Grizzly Men.
The 2012 NCAA Outdoor 400m National Champion, Kayon Robinson, took a turn in events and competed in the women’s 60 meter dash. She ran an impressive 7.51 seconds to win the event. Her time leads the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and it also puts her on the NCAA national list.
Maura O’Brien opened her season in the women’s 800 meters with a provisional time of 2:18:04 and also broke the stadium record. Jesse Brunett ran 10:36:32 to win the women’s 3000 meters. Her time was good enough to be added to the national list.
Sophomore, Ackiesha Burnette, was third in the women’s 60 meter hurdles finals but ran a provisional time of 8.62 in the heats. To round-off the day’s provisional efforts, Katie Kruger threw 13.86 meters in the shot put.
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