Rams Bring Home Two Mountain West Championship Titles

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Colorado State track and field teams swept the 2024 Mountain West Indoor Track & Field Championships with a total of 275 points and 22 medals as the Rams bring home two shiny new trophies. Throwers Mya Lesnar and Mariano Kis both received the Most Outstanding Field Performer accolade while head coach Brian Bedard received the accolade for Mountain West Men's & Women's Coach of the Year.

Men's 17 of 17 Events Scored
Colorado State – 1^st – 162 points

Women's 17 of 17 Events Scored
Colorado State – 1^st – 113 points

The women's team entered the final day in first with 77 points while the men's team entered the third day sitting in second with a total of 39 points. With 12 of 17 events yet to be scored, championship Saturday was anyone's win.

The day started with Cal Banta finishing the mile run in the third spot with a time of 4:12.47 scoring six points. Tom Willems placed third in the 400-meter dash with a time of 46.89, again good for six points.

In the 60-meter dash, Cole Nordman and Tyler Colwell finished second and third with times of 6.70 and 6.71, respectively. The duo tallied 14 points from the event for the men's team. Nordman also added five points with a fourth-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles (7.93), and another two points in the 200-meter (21.45). Colwell scored four points in the 200-meter with a time of 21.13.

In field events, Mariano Kis took home gold, a career-best and a Mountain West Most Outstanding Field Performer award after his performance in the men's shot put. He accomplished a mark of 19.12 meters and continues to sit third in the CSU record book.

Allam Bushara won his third gold in indoor triple jump with a mark of 15.96 meters. Last year, he scored a mark of 15.72 meters. Bushara still remains the current school record holder with a mark of 16.07 meters at the 2022 Mountain West Championships.

Mya Lesnar took home first in the women's shot put with a 19.10 meter throw, extending her nation-leading mark. Not too far behind her was teammate Gabi Morris who took home silver with a mark of 17.08 meters. Lesnar's throw was a career-best and a Mountain West record, earning her the Most Outstanding Performer of the Meet accolade after winning both the shot put and weight throw this weekend. Lesnar extended her school record mark, surpassing her previous record of 19.07 meters that she accomplished at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in her last competition.

After the women scored a total of 24 points in the women's shot put, the championship feeling was pretty much solidified for the Rams.

Rhys Travis and Eldridge Harris both took home silver in their respective events, contributing eight points each to Colorado State's team totals. Travis tied for second in high jump, clearing a mark of 2.06 meters, good for a career-best performance. Harris placed in pole vault with a mark of 5.06 meters.

Ryan Birkmeier finished first in the men's 800-meter with a school record time of 1:48.54. Birkmeier previously sat fifth in the Colorado State record book with a time of 1:50.01 which he accomplished at the 2024 Husky Classic earlier this season.

With field events wrapped up for the day and the Rams men's team neck and neck with Air Force, Lars Mitchel finished third in the men's 3K with a time of 8:14.11 adding six points to the men's point total, putting the margin even more in favor of Colorado State heading into the final event of the evening.

The final event of the day came down to the 1600-meter relay. The women's team entered the event with an 18-point lead, meaning their championship was clinched, but the men did not have as strong of a margin and needed a good showing in order to seal team victory.

Colorado State's 1600 meter relay team of Kenny Carpenter, Carsen Bruns, Jack Cauble and Tom Willems didn't just have a good showing, they had the best showing. Together, the four placed first with a time of 3:10.95 and collected 10 points, sealing the championship for the Colorado State men.

The Colorado State women's team claimed their third consecutive indoor title while the men joined them for the first team sweep since the Rams last did it at the 2019 Mountain West Indoor Championships.

Podium Finishers:
Men's Mile Run
Cal Banta – 3^rd – 4:12.47 – 6 points

Men's 400-Meter
Tom Willems – 3^rd – 46.89 – 6 points

Men's 60-Meter
Cole Nordman – 2^nd – 6.70 – 8 points
Tyler Colwell – 3^rd – 6.71 – 6 points

Men's 800-Meter
Ryan Birkmeier – 1^st – 1:48.54 – 10 points

Men's 3K
Lars Mitchel – 3^rd – 8:15.11 – 6 points

Men's 1600-Meter Relay
Kenny Carpenter, Carsen Bruns, Jack Cauble, Tom Willems – 1^st – 3:10.95 – 10 points

Men's High Jump
Rhys Travis – T2^nd – 2.06m – 7 points

Men's Shot Put
Mariano Kis – 1^st – 19.12m – 10 points

Men's Pole Vault
Eldridge Harris – 2^nd – 5.06m – 8 points

Men's Triple Jump
Allam Bushara – 1^st – 15.96m – 10 points

Women's Shot Put
Mya Lesnar – 1^st – 19.10m – 10 points
Gabi Morris – 2^nd – 17.08m – 8 points

Point Scoring Finishers:
Men's Mile Run
Chris Henry – 6^th – 4:13.69 – 3 points

Men's 60-Meter Hurdles
Cole Nordman – 4^th – 7.93 – 5 points
PJ Robinson – 8^th – 8.23 – 1 point

Men's 400-Meter
Kenny Carpenter – 7^th – 48.18 – 2 points

Men's 60-Meter
Jack Cauble – 7^th – 6.84 – 2 points

Men's 800-Meter
Levi Kilian – 6^th – 1:52.39 – 3 points

Men's 200-Meter
Tyler Colwell – 5^th – 21.13 – 4 points
Cole Nordman – 7^th – 21.45 – 2 points

Men's High Jump
Timothy Johnson – 4^th – 2.06m – 5 points
Ryan Blake – 9^th – 2.01m – 1 point

Men's Shot Put
Kyle Bigley – 4^th – 17.93m – 5 points

Men's Pole Vault
Willa Chiang – 8^th – 4.76m – 1 point

Men's Triple Jump
Ismael Dembele – 7^th – 14.31m – 2 points

Women's Mile Run
Anna Petr – 4^th – 4:48.90 – 5 points

Women's 800-Meter
Yasmin Austridge – 6^th – 2:11.25 – 3 points

Women's Triple Jump
Jo-Anna Pinnock – 5^th – 12.68m – 4 points

Women's Shot Put
Michaela Hawkins – 4^th – 15.68m – 5 points
Klaire Kovatch – 8^th – 14.46m – 1 point

Up Next…

The countdown to the NCAA Championships is on. Colorado State will wait the results of other conference championship meets throughout the country to determine who from the Rams will qualify for the NCAA Championship meet. The 2024 championships will take place at The Track at New Balance in Boston on Friday, March 8 and Saturday, March 9.

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Rams Bring Home Two Mountain West Championship Titles

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Players Mentioned

Yasmin Austridge

Kyle Bigley

Ryan Birkmeier

Ryan Blake

Carsen Bruns

Allam Bushara

Kenny Carpenter

Jack Cauble

Tyler Colwell

Ismael Dembele

Eldridge Harris

Michaela Hawkins

Chris Henry

Timothy Johnson

Levi Kilian

Mariano Kis

Mya Lesnar

Lars Mitchel

Gabi Morris

Cole Nordman

Anna Petr

Jo-Anna Pinnock

PJ Robinson

Rhys Travis

Tom Willems