COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.— Van Chambers smashed the Colorado Mesa University weight throw record by nearly two feet and set a NCAA Division II Championship provisional qualifying mark of 18.58 meters (60 feet, 11 ½ inches) to lead a host of impressive Maverick indoor track & field efforts at Saturday's Colorado Running Company Mountain Lion Open on Saturday at UCCS's Mountain Lion Field House.
His final round mark was the best of five attempts that went over 18 meters and the former school record of 17.98 meters (59 feet, 0 inches) had been set nearly nine years ago by Trevor Jensen a the 2017 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships.
The sophomore from Chico, California, set a new Maverick record three times throughout the series, posting a mark of 18.18 meters in the opening round before raising the standard to 18.23 meters in his second attempt. After two other 18-plus meter throws, his final round effort was good for third place on the day and allows him to become the first Maverick men's weight thrower to set a NCAA championship provisional qualifying throw since Jensen's 2017 effort.
Chambers is now in a tie for 38th on this year's season-long national performers' list
He was one of 13 Mavericks to claim a top-5 finish during the meet.
Chambers' mark was also one of seven new top-10 efforts in program history.
Fellow thrower
Austin Schultz had a shot put mark of 15.61 meters (51-2.75) and moved up two spots to third in CMU history.
In the men's jumping events, freshman
Devin Shea took second in the high jump with a clearance of 1.94 meters (6-4.25) while
Jalen Hale had a season-best triple jump of 14.28 meters (46-10.25) to improve his No. 10 ranking in CMU lore while finishing fifth on the day.
Benson White also took fifth in the high jump at 1.89 meters (6-2.25) while multi-eventer
Asa Keim cleared 4.57 meters (15-0) in the pole vault to finish fifth. Keim also set season-bests of 1.79 meters (5-10.5) in the high jump and 6.68 meters (21-11) in the long jump.
On the track,
Jayden Thulson finished third in he 800 meters with a time of 1:58.57 while
Trevor Kendall set a career-best time of 8.29 seconds in the 60-meter preliminaries to move back into the No. 8 spot of CMU history after teammate
Solomon Griffen dropped him a spot to ninth last week.
The Maverick women also had three new marks on the Mavs' all-time top 10 lists.
Brilee Jensen moved in to a tie for fourth place on the shot put list with a mark of 12.38 meters (40-7.5). She matched
Augustine Hancock on the all-time list.
Meanwhile, Hancock had a strong effort of 16.21 meters (53-.25) to take third place in the weight throw while
Aaliyah Bos was fourth at 14.92 meters (48-11.5). Bos also had a career-best mark of 12.25 meters (40-2.25) in the shot put to move up four spots to sixth in Maverick history.
Long jumper
Addy Kirkpatrick also had a career-best of 5.67 meters (18-7.25) to move up two spots to fifth in program history. Multi-event standout
Kaitlyn Pearson also set a career-best of 5.46 meters (17-11) in that discipline while
Waycee Harvey added another career-best of 5.38 meters (17-8).
Meanwhile,
Kendra Ritzmann turned in CMU's best women's finish of the day, placing second in the triple jump with a mark of 11.60 meters (38-0.75) as she continued a strong season that has seen her place first or second in all four triple jump efforts.
Taiya Carl also grabbed a fifth place finish in the pole vault, clearing 3.45 meters (11-3.75).
Elsewhere,
Gianna Kirking turned in an indoor career-best of 2:23.06 to finish third in the 800 meters while
Quin Gregg finished fourth in the mile with a time of 5:20.96.
Shirley Weaver also put up a fourth place and career-best of 10:37.30 in the 3,000 meters.
Syvia Johansen also had a season-best of 7.85 seconds in the 60 meters while
Misha Edwards and
Addison Hayes both cleared 1.57 meters (5-1.75) in the high jump to set season-bests.
The Mavericks also had runners competing at other meets
in Michigan and
New Mexico on Saturday.
