Now it’s serious
After easing through the first couple weeks of the season, the
Colorado State track and field teams are ready for a challenge.
The Rams head to Lincoln this weekend to compete in the Nebraska
Quadrangular.
The Rams opted for Nebraska over the annual Mt. SAC relays,
missing the relays at Mount San Antonio College in California for
the first time in recent memory.
“We feel like we can get more people in the meet in Nebraska,”
head coach Del Hessel said. “We need to face the best people we can
from this point forward.”
The Rams square off against squads from Nebraska, Wichita State
and Indiana. The meet will present the toughest competition for the
Rams this outdoor season.
Nebraska boasts two nationally ranked programs – the Husker men
are seventh the women fourth.
“Without a doubt, Nebraska is consistently one of the real track
powers in the U.S.,” Hessel said.
Indiana will bring its 13th-ranked men’s team, but national
champ Sean Jefferson (mile) will travel with six teammates to Mt.
SAC.
Wichita State will bring a talented group of sprinters, hurdlers
and jumpers, Hessel said.
The coaches of all four schools agreed to a non-scoring meet,
attempting to save the athletes. The programs would have had to run
athletes in two to three events to fight for points. Now, the
student-athletes can focus on their individual events.
“Our priorities are centered around performances at
national-caliber levels,” Hessel said. “It’s time to make things
happen.”
CSU features a handful of athletes who made things happen in the
early season.
Senior thrower Loree Smith has twice been named Mountain West
Conference outdoor athlete of the week. She holds the top mark in
the nation in the hammer throw with her winning toss of 220-0 at
the Texas Relays.
Cristina Gourdin has the 12th-best heptathlon mark in the
nation. She narrowly missed setting the school record (5,160
points) while provisionally qualifying with a score of 5,136 at
Northern Colorado last week.
Austin Vigil has the 11th-best time in the 10,000-meter run and
Magnus Lohse recorded the 12th-best throw nationally in the shot
put.
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