Ram Men Capture MW Indoor Championship

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – They say there's strength in numbers, and Colorado State Men's Track and Field is living proof of that statement as its impressive depth led the charge to a second-consecutive Mountain West Indoor Championship on Saturday.

CSU amassed 165 points across the three-day event, just enough to hold runner-up New Mexico (161) at bay. The Colorado State men scored 15-or-more points in five different events, including the 60-meter hurdles, triple jump, high jump and heptathlon in which the Rams scored more than 20. The depth across the board enabled the men to build a substantial lead entering Saturday's finale and carried them across the finish line for a second-consecutive conference title.

Head Coach Brian Bedard was recognized once again as the MW Men's Head Coach of the Year, his 19th coach of the year award in his legendary career.

The Rams won a total of six gold medals across the men's and women's sides, and combined to win 21 medals overall. Despite coming up short of third-consecutive team championship, Mya Lesnar turned in an impressive meet on the women's side to capture another Mountain West Women's Field Performer of the Meet award.

The Breakdown
The day started with a bang as six Rams combined to collect 23 points in the men's high jump, highlighted by a gold-medal performance from Timothy Johnson. The Lee's Summit, Mo., native worked his way into the final two and out-dueled San Jose State's DeShawn Banks, jumping a career-high and the sixth-best height in program history with a 2.12-meter/6-feet-11.5 on his final attempt. Rhys Travis and Ndayiragije Shukurani each jumped 2.04/6-8.25 to tie for third, while Mateo Munoz and Elijah Scott also collected points.

The men's 60 hurdles delivered a slew of points as well as the Rams went 1-2-3 and claimed 27 points in the event. Cole Nordman (7.97) narrowly beat teammate Carsen Bruns (7.99) for the gold medal, while Dominic Gallelli (8.15) rounded out the all-CSU podium.

"It's absolutely amazing," Nordman said in his post-race interview. "It may not be the time I wanted, but seeing us, my two guys up there on the podium, that's huge for the team."

In a similar fashion to the high jump, Ismael Dembele took home the triple jump title on his final attempt, jumping 15.15/49-8.5 to push in front of New Mexico's Cameron Miller by 0.02 meters. Jamison Taylor, Shukurani and Travis finished fourth through sixth, respectively, and helped contribute a total of 22 points to the championship effort.

Tyler Colwell had a career day, finishing first place and setting a school record with a time of 20.80 in the 200. Colwell, who was previously third place in the event, now sits as the sole record holder in program history. In addition to his triumphs in the 200, Colwell finished runner-up in the 60 dash with an impressive 6.73, bringing in another crucial eight points for the champions.

The Rams found more important points throughout the day, including Kyle Bigley in the shot put. Bigley, who finished third in the weight throw on Friday, finished seventh in the shot put with a mark of 16.88/55-4.75. The 400 dash was also crucial with two Rams bringing in a combined 11 points. Freshman Travis Turner finished third with a time of 47:17 while teammate Kenny Carpenter finished close behind in fourth with a 47.60.

On the women's side, Mya Lesnar delivered yet another individual championship as she carded a season-best throw of 19.02/62-5 to defend her conference crown. Not too far behind was teammate Gabbi Morris, who threw 17.09/56-1 to earn a silver medal in the event, while Makayla Long and Erin Brown also contributed points in the event.

"I was feeling good, the energy over there was super great," Lesnar said. "It was awesome to see my teammates over there supporting us. We just love what we do."

Kaylyn heath brought points in for the Rams in the 60-dash running a 7.44, matching her personal record. The transfer from Louisiana Tech has been a bright spot in the short distance for the women all season long and capped off her indoor season with a fifth-place finish.

Several other Rams brought in points for the women including Anna Petr who proved to be a reliable force once again. The program record holder in the mile brought in six points with a third-place finish at 4:46.78. Jo-Anna Pinnock was also a source of points for the Rams finishing sixth place in the triple jump.

The Rams now wait until Tuesday (Mar 4th) to learn who will be making the cut for the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Virginia Beach, Va. The championships will run from Friday Mar. 14th to Saturday Mar. 15th.

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Players Mentioned

Kyle Bigley

Erin Brown

Carsen Bruns

Kenny Carpenter

Tyler Colwell

Ismael Dembele

Dominic Gallelli

Timothy Johnson

Mya Lesnar

Makayla Long

Mateo Munoz

Cole Nordman

Anna Petr

Jo-Anna Pinnock

Elijah Scott

Ndayiragije Shukurani

Jamison Taylor

Rhys Travis

Travis Turner Jr.