Colorado State University Athletics
The Cage: Getting a Feel for the Place
3/14/2025 8:55:00 AM | Track & Field
Campbell gets to focus her attention
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – You do you.
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Being at nationals isn't new for either Gabi Morris or Mya Lesnar, but the venue – the Virginia Beach Sports Center – is, so the day before they prepared to compete for real, they gave the place a trial run.
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The NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships began on Friday, with the Colorado State duo set to compete in the shot put Saturday. Their event begins at 11:45 a.m. MT.
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Each took their own approach. Lesnar didn't throw a shot at all, just stepped in the ring, went through her progressions and called it a day, finding a chair in the corner away from everybody else to wait out the work Morris needed.
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"I don't usually throw the day before. I just got in the ring, felt it out, got a feel of the facility to get my bearings together," Lesnar said, the defending national champion. "It's a mental day. Honestly, if I hit my cues, it shouldn't matter what ring I'm in. I just like to go in there because this is a cement ring. Normally indoor rings are wood, so that's why I got in it today, but technically, nothing should change."
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Morris would typically follow a similar routine, but she felt she needed to make up for a little lost time. She also went through her steps, then added a shot and tossed it a few times. In between attempts, she talked to a few of the handful of other competitors who were there.
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This being her third consecutive trip, she said nothing feels new anymore, but it's still fun.
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"It's just a preparation day. Throw a little bit and get your mind right and get ready to pop it tomorrow," Morris said. "This is just technique. It doesn't matter how far it goes today. It's about hitting positions, feeling it right, feeling the ring. Usually we don't throw today, but earlier this week I was sick, so I wanted to get some extra throws in. Usually we just do drills."
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And if there is anything they know, it's the drill. How to be prepared, how to be in the right spot mentally and physical, both of them All-Americans. Even still, Lesnar said there is something different – special – about this trip, which she's glad to be on hand to witness herself.
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"This is it for Gabi. It's been a long run for her, so it's cool I get to be here and see her last CSU competition," Lesnar said. "Being at nationals together, that's pretty cool. We're very excited."
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A More Focused Task
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Traveling with just two student-athletes is a bit of a change for team athletic train Mackenzie Campbell, whose team roster is one of the largest at Colorado State.
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The trip to nationals gives her a chance to be extremely focused, both in the same event, keeping them in the same part of the complex. The one-on-one time is beneficial beyond treating their needs, but getting to know them as individuals, which does help Campbell serve the person.
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"Typically on the road we're working with 50-plus athletes and back at home more than 100 athletes. Traveling just two of them, it gives us the opportunity to hone into their individual needs and get to know them as individuals outside of the track and field world," Campbell said. "That's the fun part of our job. We get to build those relationships outside of just sport. What drives them, what helps them when they do get to competition, but also what they have planned for their lives and their future."
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Between coach Brian Bedard, Lesnar and Morris, Campbell is in the middle of three very strong personalities. They are always sarcastic, sometimes loud. Campbell typically is not, but she has more than learned how to hold her own.
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As the team left campus for the trip, Bedard informed Campbell she "was the brains of the operation." She found out just how long that held, then how quickly she was put back in charge.
Â
"First thing I told him was what direction we needed to go (at the airport), and he decided to go in a different direction. Then we figured out I was right all along," she said. "He's listened to me ever since."
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Here and There
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This is the fourth consecutive year Colorado State has had women qualify for the indoor nationals, with this being Morris' third year. … The program has now had 26 female student-athletes combine for 37 NCAA Indoor Championship appearances. … Coach Brian Bedard has had 14 qualifying appearances in the shot put.
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Being at nationals isn't new for either Gabi Morris or Mya Lesnar, but the venue – the Virginia Beach Sports Center – is, so the day before they prepared to compete for real, they gave the place a trial run.
Â
The NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships began on Friday, with the Colorado State duo set to compete in the shot put Saturday. Their event begins at 11:45 a.m. MT.
Â
Each took their own approach. Lesnar didn't throw a shot at all, just stepped in the ring, went through her progressions and called it a day, finding a chair in the corner away from everybody else to wait out the work Morris needed.
Â
"I don't usually throw the day before. I just got in the ring, felt it out, got a feel of the facility to get my bearings together," Lesnar said, the defending national champion. "It's a mental day. Honestly, if I hit my cues, it shouldn't matter what ring I'm in. I just like to go in there because this is a cement ring. Normally indoor rings are wood, so that's why I got in it today, but technically, nothing should change."
Â
Morris would typically follow a similar routine, but she felt she needed to make up for a little lost time. She also went through her steps, then added a shot and tossed it a few times. In between attempts, she talked to a few of the handful of other competitors who were there.
Â
This being her third consecutive trip, she said nothing feels new anymore, but it's still fun.
Â
"It's just a preparation day. Throw a little bit and get your mind right and get ready to pop it tomorrow," Morris said. "This is just technique. It doesn't matter how far it goes today. It's about hitting positions, feeling it right, feeling the ring. Usually we don't throw today, but earlier this week I was sick, so I wanted to get some extra throws in. Usually we just do drills."
Â
And if there is anything they know, it's the drill. How to be prepared, how to be in the right spot mentally and physical, both of them All-Americans. Even still, Lesnar said there is something different – special – about this trip, which she's glad to be on hand to witness herself.
Â
"This is it for Gabi. It's been a long run for her, so it's cool I get to be here and see her last CSU competition," Lesnar said. "Being at nationals together, that's pretty cool. We're very excited."
Â
A More Focused Task
Â
Traveling with just two student-athletes is a bit of a change for team athletic train Mackenzie Campbell, whose team roster is one of the largest at Colorado State.
Â
The trip to nationals gives her a chance to be extremely focused, both in the same event, keeping them in the same part of the complex. The one-on-one time is beneficial beyond treating their needs, but getting to know them as individuals, which does help Campbell serve the person.
Â
"Typically on the road we're working with 50-plus athletes and back at home more than 100 athletes. Traveling just two of them, it gives us the opportunity to hone into their individual needs and get to know them as individuals outside of the track and field world," Campbell said. "That's the fun part of our job. We get to build those relationships outside of just sport. What drives them, what helps them when they do get to competition, but also what they have planned for their lives and their future."
Â
Between coach Brian Bedard, Lesnar and Morris, Campbell is in the middle of three very strong personalities. They are always sarcastic, sometimes loud. Campbell typically is not, but she has more than learned how to hold her own.
Â
As the team left campus for the trip, Bedard informed Campbell she "was the brains of the operation." She found out just how long that held, then how quickly she was put back in charge.
Â
"First thing I told him was what direction we needed to go (at the airport), and he decided to go in a different direction. Then we figured out I was right all along," she said. "He's listened to me ever since."
Â
Here and There
Â
This is the fourth consecutive year Colorado State has had women qualify for the indoor nationals, with this being Morris' third year. … The program has now had 26 female student-athletes combine for 37 NCAA Indoor Championship appearances. … Coach Brian Bedard has had 14 qualifying appearances in the shot put.
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Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Track & Field
Throws
/ Track & FieldMya Lesnar - 2025 Outdoor Shot Put National Champion
Friday, June 20
CSU T&F: Mya Lesnar Post NCAA Nationals
Friday, June 13
CSU T&F: Kajsa Borrman Post NCAA Nationals
Thursday, June 12
CSU T&F Pre-Nationals Press Conference: Brian Bedard
Thursday, June 05