Colorado State University Athletics
CSU hosts final home meet of season
5/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Outdoor Track & Field
May 7, 2009
By John Manuszak
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The Colorado State track and field team will make its final home appearance of the 2009 season on Saturday when CSU hosts the Ram Open at the Jack Christiansen Track. Saturday’s meet, featuring approximately 13 teams from the area, will mark CSU’s last meet before next weekend’s Mountain West Conference championship.
“Saturday’s meet will be our final tune-up for the conference meet,” said Head Coach Brian Bedard. “Most of our middle-distance and distance crew will not compete and just use this weekend as a rest date, but most of our sprinters, throwers and jumpers will compete.”
With 14 athletes having hit regional-qualifying marks already this season, Saturday’s meet will give CSU another chance to up that number on its home track.
“It is a final tune-up, but it’s also another chance to hit regional marks for some of our athletes,” said Bedard. “Jeff Horinek has been close in the shot put and discus and has been hitting the mark and beyond in practice. Serena Johnson and Missy Faubus are close in the hammer throw and Tanesha Johnson is near the mark in the triple jump, so hopefully we can add to our list.”
The field events are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. with the running events starting at 11 a.m. The running events will be held on a rolling schedule with each event beginning soon after the conclusion of the previous event. Admission to the Jack Christiansen Track is free.
In addition to preparing for the MWC championship meet next weekend, CSU student-athletes will also face the challenge of finals week.
“Unfortunately the conference meet is usually held during finals week, which presents some major challenges for our athletes,” said Bedard. “But as a coaching staff we try to be flexible with them and make ourselves available to them when they have time to practice. In a way it’s good because this time of year there is a little bit of fine-tuning but a lot of resting. The worst mistake would be to send our athletes to the conference meet tired.”
The MWC championship meet will be held May 13-16 at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.