Colorado weather is especially favorable for track and field athletes attempting to set personal records.
Friday rain at the Jack Christiansen Invitational in Fort Collins left an inexperienced group of men’s and women’s hammer throwers with wet feet and cold fingers. Kajsa Bormann was the highlight of Friday, she finished second with a career best mark of 62.06 meters.
For the rest of the Rams, it was a day that coach Brian Bedard knew would be a necessary struggle for future success. Fortunately, on Saturday, the sun came out to heat things up for thrower Kyle Bigley, who set his shotput outdoor personal record with a mark of 18.13 meters — seventh all-time outdoor.
“The weather yesterday was terrible,” Bigley said. “You hear seasonal depression, it’s like once the sun comes out everyone’s happy, throws start getting a little bit more out there.”
Bedard, understanding the weather was not favorable, still provided the men’s hammer throwers with tough criticism. It proved to be the necessary spark in their other throwing events, as Mariano Kis took discus with a mark of 53.81m and Jackson Morris and Bigley finished second and third in the Saturday turnaround.
“I thought we did a nice job on the discus,” Bedard said. “Hit some PR’s, moved ol’ coach Bedard down on the top 20 list, so I’m hanging on at 19, and Kyle’s determined to knock me off the bottom of that.”
Bedard once threw for CSU, now he gets to coach athletes who are breaking his records. For his coaching, it means he’s exactly where he needs to be. For his dignity however, it means expanding the all-time record list.
“I think it’s a good thing that they’re getting better and moving me down the list, that means I’m doing my job,” Bedard said. “I should have athletes who are surpassing me and moving me right off the list which is going to happen real soon. That’s why I moved the list from the top 10 list to the top 20 list.”
For the CSU athletes who didn’t contend with the rain on Friday, the biggest challenge Saturday was wind coming from the North. Pole vaulter Maria Kimpson, who won with a mark of 3.85m ran straight into the wind all while re-learning her techniques.
Since the conclusion of the indoor season where Kimpson tied the CSU all-time indoor pole vault record, she made big changes to her jump cues. Pair that with the Colorado elements, and she was adjusting in the middle of competition.
“Honestly the whole meet wasn’t great because I made everything on the third attempt,” Kimpson said. “But we were working on my plant and my run. I just added an extra two steps to my run so it’s been a little different.”
Kimpson evidentially worked it out with volunteer coach Hunter Powell. Powell, a CSU alumnus, provided Kimpson with feedback after each attempt that eventually led to Kimpson attempting an outdoor PR following the win.
“That’s the part that’s tough, because you finish indoors and then we are playing with her approach which takes about a month to get fixed, but she jumped well today,” Powell said. “She’s probably going to break the outdoor school record here in two to three weeks, she just doesn’t know it yet. She’s making a lot of great progress just working on the basics.”
Several other CSU athletes finished as champions at the invitational. Ben Randall in the men’s 5000m (35.947) and Quinn McConnell in women’s 1500m (52.992) for distance. Jack Wetterling in the men’s 400m hurdles (53.33) and Neya Jamison in the women’s 100m hurdles (14.15) both were victorious. Tyler Colwell picked up his second win in the men’s 200m (21.03).
In the field events Michaela Hawkins finished first in the women’s discus (58.89m.) Hari Brogan for men’s high jump (1.98m) and Taye Raymond Holker in women’s long jump (5.85m.) Allam Bushara for men’s triple (15.60m) and Mali Sternmer in women’s triple (11.41m) also won. Finally, Sam Mrky in men’s pole vault (4.57m.)
The invitational meet included several alumnus competitors from CSU track and field seasons of past competing alongside current CSU athletes. If there is one thing that can weather the storm for CSU track and field, it’s surpassing the records of Rams who once were in the same position.
“When we have those boards on the wall, track is very results driven,” Bedard said. “So, for our young athletes to get on the list and start moving up is a real motivator.”
Adam Gross can be reached at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @agrose_22.
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