GUNNISON, Colo.— Colorado Mesa University's Dawson Heide took the day 1 heptathlon lead while Justin Thompson took third in the long jump, which along with a school-record setting time by Elijah Williams in the 60-meter preliminaries, were the highlights of Friday's action for the Maverick men's team at the 2022 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships.
 
The Mavericks, who earned nine total lanes in the sprinting and hurdling finals on Saturday, also received 4 ½ team points from freshman Garrett Searls, who tied for fourth in the pole vault, and sit seventh in the team standings through the first five scored events.
 
Heide had an impressive day recording two new career-bests, both of which moved him up on CMU's all-time performers' chart.  He scored 3,001 points in the first four disciplines of the 7-event competition, which resumes on Saturday. 
 
In the opening discipline, the 60 meters, he cruised to a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 6.81 seconds, big 0.11 second improvement over his previous career-best of 6.92, giving him a 54-point lead.
 
Heide then had a solid long jump mark of 6.67 meters (21 feet, 10 ½ inches) and a shot put heave of 11.17 meters (36-7.75) before clearing 1.95 meters (6-4.75) in the high jump to close out his day with a 758-point effort, extending his overall lead over UCCS' Thorben Hast to 76 points.  Heide's high jump clearance also moved him up two spots to eighth in CMU history.
 
In the long jump, Thompson earned the bronze medal with a leap of 7.22 meters (23-8.25).  Teammate Zace Buckhold took 12^th with a mark of 6.73 meters (22-1).
 
Searls cleared 4.53 meters (14-10.25), a slight improvement over his former season-best of 4.50 meters (14-9), which ranks him seventh in program history.
 
On the track, Williams won his heat of the 60-meter preliminaries in 6.76 seconds, just under his former school-record of 6.77 set in the opening meet of this season.  He will have plenty of friendly company in Saturday's final as Sterling Brassfield (6.87), Beau Thornton (6.94) and Jeremiah Wilson (6.95) all qualified on time.
 
Kade Christensen finished 11^th in 6.97 while Quentin Hartel took 17^th place with a time of 7.23.
 
Williams and Dayne Ortega also qualified for the 200 meter finals.  Williams was the fourth overall qualifier in 21.96 seconds while Ortega was the seventh quickest qualifier in 22.29.  Thornton finished tenth in 22.50 while Christensen was 12^th in 22.70.  Jeremiah Reed finished 1th at 22.80 while Brassfield finished 17^th in 23.35.
 
Ortega also qualified for the 400-meter finals, racing to a time of 50.27 seconds to qualify third.  School-record holder Kelsey Montague also reached the finals, qualifying eighth in 51.02 seconds.  Reece also competed in that event, taking 15^th in 52.46.
 
Meanwhile, Zayden Davis and Nate Hanson both set iNCAA provisional qualifying times in the 60-meter hurdle preliminaries.  Davis won his heat in 8.14 seconds to rank third in program history while Hanson ran to a time of 8.18 seconds in the next heat, a mark that ranks him fourth in Maverick history.  They were the second and fifth overall qualifiers.
 
The Mavs also had three representatives in the 5,000 meters as Triston Charles led the group, taking 11th in 15:50.82.  Ethan Abbs was just one place behind, finishing 12^th in 16:03.60.  Mark Testa finished 15^th in 16:23.30.
 
The Mavericks distance medley relay squad of Trevor Smith, Casey Amori, Jacob Valdez and Peter Martin finished ninth in 11:12.41.
 
Jameson Moore finished 14^th in the weight throw with a heave of 14.97 meters (49-1.5) while Hayden Riley fouled on all three of his attempts.