Colorado State University Athletics
Photo by: Dean Ryan
Hunter Powell leads 1-2 decathlon finish for CSU at Mountain West Championships
5/9/2019 10:32:00 PM | Track & Field
Eric Hamer wins men's 10,000
CLOVIS, Calif. – Hunter Powell took a victory lap – four of them, really – at the close of the decathlon competition Thursday at the 2019 Mountain West Outdoor Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
He took fifth place in the final race, the 1,500 meters, having already done the really heavy lifting earlier in the day to capture the decathlon crown. He won the pole vault (15-7) and took second in the javelin (177-0) and the discus (145-9) as he finished with 7,386 points to outdistance teammate Nick Kravec for the title.
"I usually don't look at that. We were hoping he'd get in the mid 15s in the 110 hurdles, and that was a big personal record for him," CSU assistant coach Ryan Baily said. "That was his decathlon PR in the pole vault, and we needed that, and I think it was his PR in the javelin and maybe the 1,500.
"We wanted to get as close to 7,400 to get to the NCAAs, because they take the top 24, period. That was kind of in the back of his mind, because that's been his goal."
Kravec finished with 7,272 points, winning the 110 hurdles (14.86) and finishing second in the pole vault (14-11) and the 1,500 (4:36.67) . Powell's point total put him fourth on the school's top-20 list, with Kravec's sitting sixth. Over the course of the two days, Powell and Kravec each won two events, as did Eric Lundgren, who placed seventh (5,490). Bradly Wright took fifth (6,556).
"That's what we were hoping for, that they'd perform like that," Baily said. "Kravec has been suffering bang up after hang up, one after another. To finally get him to put one together in his final conference championship meet was pretty special."
The men came up with another title late in the evening as halfway through the 10,000 meters Eric Hamer set his own pace and ran by himself on the way to his title in 30:34.86. It is the third year a Ram has won the race at the meet, and Carson Hume gave the team another scorer when he placed sixth in 30:49.69.
After a 90-minute weather delay as lightning, rain and heavy wind moved into the area right after the decathletes moved off the podium, the stadium was cleared and the 10,000 meter races were delayed.
The men scored 37 points to give CSU the lead after the first two events.
Junior Amelia Harvey led the Rams' efforts in the heptathlon, finishing fourth overall with a total of 5,222, moving into fifth on the school's top-20 list. She trailed teammate Aria Tate by 11 points entering the final event, the 800, but won the race with a late surge in a time of 2:19.16. Tate, a sophomore, finished fifth overall with 5,062 points, the 10th-best total at the school.
"Amelia Harvey was awesome. She just was a gamer," Baily said. "Aria had a great first two events, but the last two didn't go so well. We just need more time to work on the javelin. Amelia's goal was to put seven events together and not mess up one. I was really pleased with her performance. For as far as she's come, that was one of the most impressive things I've seen, to see her focused through seven events."
In the women's 10,000, Bailey Ness placed seventh in a time of 34:47.66.
Friday's competition features the finals in eight field events, as well the men's and women's steeplechase. Field events begin at 3:30 p.m. The running finals begin at 9:10 p.m. after a full day of qualifying heats in other events on the track.
He took fifth place in the final race, the 1,500 meters, having already done the really heavy lifting earlier in the day to capture the decathlon crown. He won the pole vault (15-7) and took second in the javelin (177-0) and the discus (145-9) as he finished with 7,386 points to outdistance teammate Nick Kravec for the title.
"I usually don't look at that. We were hoping he'd get in the mid 15s in the 110 hurdles, and that was a big personal record for him," CSU assistant coach Ryan Baily said. "That was his decathlon PR in the pole vault, and we needed that, and I think it was his PR in the javelin and maybe the 1,500.
"We wanted to get as close to 7,400 to get to the NCAAs, because they take the top 24, period. That was kind of in the back of his mind, because that's been his goal."
Kravec finished with 7,272 points, winning the 110 hurdles (14.86) and finishing second in the pole vault (14-11) and the 1,500 (4:36.67) . Powell's point total put him fourth on the school's top-20 list, with Kravec's sitting sixth. Over the course of the two days, Powell and Kravec each won two events, as did Eric Lundgren, who placed seventh (5,490). Bradly Wright took fifth (6,556).
"That's what we were hoping for, that they'd perform like that," Baily said. "Kravec has been suffering bang up after hang up, one after another. To finally get him to put one together in his final conference championship meet was pretty special."
The men came up with another title late in the evening as halfway through the 10,000 meters Eric Hamer set his own pace and ran by himself on the way to his title in 30:34.86. It is the third year a Ram has won the race at the meet, and Carson Hume gave the team another scorer when he placed sixth in 30:49.69.
After a 90-minute weather delay as lightning, rain and heavy wind moved into the area right after the decathletes moved off the podium, the stadium was cleared and the 10,000 meter races were delayed.
The men scored 37 points to give CSU the lead after the first two events.
Junior Amelia Harvey led the Rams' efforts in the heptathlon, finishing fourth overall with a total of 5,222, moving into fifth on the school's top-20 list. She trailed teammate Aria Tate by 11 points entering the final event, the 800, but won the race with a late surge in a time of 2:19.16. Tate, a sophomore, finished fifth overall with 5,062 points, the 10th-best total at the school.
"Amelia Harvey was awesome. She just was a gamer," Baily said. "Aria had a great first two events, but the last two didn't go so well. We just need more time to work on the javelin. Amelia's goal was to put seven events together and not mess up one. I was really pleased with her performance. For as far as she's come, that was one of the most impressive things I've seen, to see her focused through seven events."
In the women's 10,000, Bailey Ness placed seventh in a time of 34:47.66.
Friday's competition features the finals in eight field events, as well the men's and women's steeplechase. Field events begin at 3:30 p.m. The running finals begin at 9:10 p.m. after a full day of qualifying heats in other events on the track.
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