Grand Junction, CO - The Cougar's traveled to Grand Junction this weekend, coming back home with several PR's and strong results on the men's side. The meet saw sprints all the way to distance compete well, gearing up for the later half of outdoor.

Yet again, the sprinters opened up the meet in outstanding fashion, the combines of Weeda, Nowakowski, and McCasland finding themselves competing amidst the top of the RMAC.

Weeda and Nowakowski are both coming off of a previous record breaking meet, the best Hurdlers CCU has come across. Weeda and Nowakowski competed strong, Weeda sprinting to a 3^rd place finish with a 15.25 mark, and Nowakowski close behind with a 4^th place finish and final mark of 15.52. Albeit slightly lesser marks than last meet, a 3^rd and 4^th place finish continues to build momentum for both freshman as they truly explore the damage they can deal in the RMAC. Weeda currently sits 5^th in the RMAC list, with Nowakowski close behind in 11th in the 110 Hurdles. 

McCasland continues to be excellent for the Cougars, competing strong in the 400 meter. Competing in an extremely competitive heat, McCasland would get out strong and close to run a 51.57, half a second off his record breaking time from last meet. A deep RMAC field for the 400, McCasland will look to continue to shave up time to move up the RMAC list and fight his way into the outdoor championships.

Tyler Schwarz focused on the 800 this week, coming home with a PR and spot in the record books. The Oklahoma native would get out strong off the line, coming through 400 in 55 seconds, dead in the thick of the middle pack. As the race pack started to thin out, Schwarz would move past the middle pack, in hot pursuit of the top 3 racers. 200 meters left would see pure grit, as 2 runners would fly past Schwarz in a blazing finish. Determined, Schwarz would hawk one down to the line for a 5^th place finish, and final mark of 1:54.7.  

This marks the third fastest outdoor 800 in CCU history while leaving Schwarz 14^th on the RMAC list, likely enough to get him into the RMAC outdoor championships. A personal collegiate record for Schwarz, he has his eyes set on sub 1:53 to close out the outdoor season.

Joseph Lethlean, the true freshman, continues to be a powerhouse for the Cougars, taking on the 3k Steeplechase in Grand Junction. An unwavering race, Lethlean would get out behind the leaders in third place, gritting through each steeple. Leaders pulling away slowly, Lethlean would grit out the race in third , finishing in 3^rd place with a time of 9:43.79, an impressive time for the Australian.

Converted to a 9:30 at altitude, Lethlean sits 7^th on the RMAC list, just 4 spots behind teammate Tyler Scholl. Lethlean also ran the 1500, racing to a time of 4:00.63, a testament to Lethlean's talent and grind over the impressive weekend.

His first outdoor meet of the season, Luna didn't fail to impress as he ran a national provisional in the 1500, with many Cougars close behind him. Luna, Vance, and Grant would all compete in the top heat of the 1500, the race going out aggressive from the start. The lead pack would come through 800  in roughly 2:02, racers gearing up for a gritty finish. Luna would fight and close strong with a 5^th place finish, Vance and Grant close behind in 9^th and 11^th. Luna would post a 3:49.51 final mark, converting to a 3:45 and national provisional. Vance and Grant would finish with impressive marks of 3:55 and 3:56, both proving their capabilities for the middle distance mark.

Luna currently sits 5^th on the RMAC 1500 list and 10^th on the national list, likely to fill up as the outdoor season continues to progress. Vance sits 15^th on the RMAC list, with Grant sitting 20^th, each looking to push toward national standards in the competitive Division 2 field.

The final distance of the meet was highlighted by Sam Schwarting, finding a PR and an excellent 5k race. A race filled with all juniors, Schwarting, Wood, Vance, and Ackley would all tow the line. A windy race, the Cougars would elect to go out conservative, the wind slowing the entire field. A bunchy race the first mile and half, the boys led by Vance would hang in the second pack through the first two miles, letting the first pack fight with the wind. With roughly a mile left, Schwarting would start churning the legs, finding another gear and bridging the gap towards the front pack. With the leaders moving back slowly but surely, Schwarting's race plan was executed perfectly. Schwarting would manage a 6^th place finish and a final time of 15:10 off a strong close, converted to 14:48 at altitude and PR for Schwarting. Wood, Vance, and Ackley would finish with times of 15:16, 15:29, and 15:37 respectively.

Schwarting currently leads the Cougars on the RMAC list, sitting at 9^th with Wood close behind in 13^th, Vance and Ackley in 19^th and 23^rd. A strong day for many of the 5k boys, they eagerly await their next races, likely going even faster in better racing conditions.

Head Coach Evan Verbal reflected on the meet stating, "Overall, the men had a decent showing at Colorado Mesa. The 5k conditions were a little bit tough on day one, but the guys hung in there. We were really excited about the 1500 meter performances on day two. Mateo ran a nationally competitive mark to open his season. Klay Grant and Zach Vance had good races as well. We like where we are at, but I know the guys got more in them!"

The Cougars will return close to home, racing in Golden at Colorado School of Mines this upcoming week. With the meet set for April 10^th and 11^th, the Cougars will gear up for a strong push before the multi-meet week in California.