GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— Colorado Mesa University track & field athletes Augustine Hancock, Antone Higgs, Garrett Searls and Ryan O'Loughlin all claimed event wins as O'Loughlin set one of the Mavericks' six new marks on the program's top-10 performers lists during a solid opening day of action at the Maverick Invitational on Thursday in CMU's lone home meet of the season.
 
The Mavericks also added three other second place finishes throughout the day, which saw action completed in six men's and six women's disciplines.
 
Hancock was the first Maverick victor, taking the women's hammer throw for the second straight meet with a throw of 50.37 meters (165 feet, 3 inches).
 
Higgs and Searls also won in the men's field events as Higgs turned in a jump of 7.20 meters (23-7.5) while freshman teammate Hayden Moreno took second with a career-best mark of 7.02 meters (23-0.5).
 
Searls won the pole vault for the second straight meet, clearing 4.55 meters (14-11.25) as the lone Maverick to contest the discipline.
 
On the track, O'Loughlin won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in a time of nine minutes, 34.85 seconds to move into second place on the Mavs' all-time charts.  He was running the first time in that event.
 
Meanwhile, freshman Shirley Weaver placed sixth in a strong women's field with a time of 11:28.75 as she shaved off nearly 18 seconds from her first attempt at the event just six days ago in Pueblo.  She continues to sit second in program history.
 
The 5,000 meter run was the only other track event of the day and say Chase Brown post a seventh place time of 15:06.22 to move up four spots to fifth in program history with what was more than a 19-second improvement over his 2024 season-best.  Jackson Baker also cracked into the Mavs' all-time top-10 with an effort of 15:21.51 to place 11^th.
 
Lauren Hodges also moved into the Mavs' all-time women's top-10 in the No. 8 position with her ninth-place time of 18:25.97 in the 5,000.
 
Izaak Siefken also had a strong effort of 61.19 meters (200-9) in the men's javelin throw, which was hampered by breezy and cold conditions.  He placed second while teammate Seth Sherwood finished fourth with a throw of 51.14 meters (167-9).
 
Van Chambers led a group of five Maverick freshman in the men's hammer throw, placing fourth with a heave of 48.18 meters (158-1) to move into the Mavs' all-time top-10.
 
Meanwhile, Christina Palmer finished fourth in the women's half of the event with a mark of 47.12 meters (154-7), just an inch off her career-best, set just less than a year ago.  She also placed sixth in the javelin with a mark of 34.53 meters (113-0) while school-record holder Kaiya Graves led the Mavs in that event, placing fourth with a mark of 37.78 meters (123-11).
 
Elsewhere, Lily Nieslanik placed second in the women's long jump with a leap of 5.40 meters (17-8.5).
 
One new CMU Track & Field Complex record was set during the day as CSU Pueblo freshman Keturah Templeman registered a throw of 44.05 meters (144-6) to win the javelin.
 
The majority of the meet will be contested on Friday, starting at 10:30 a.m.
 
CMU will recognize their seniors prior to the 4x400-meter relays at approximately 3:30 p.m.