GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— A group of nearly 60 Colorado Mesa University track and field athletes, including numerous distance runners, who will make their 2025-26 indoor track & field season debuts, will head to Boulder for this weekend's Colorado Classic in the University of Colorado's Indoor Practice Field.

The meet's field events will be contested on Friday afternoon, beginning at noon.

All of the running events will be contested on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m.

A full event schedule can be seen here.

Live meet results will be available at www.cubuffs.com/tracklive

Recaps will be posted on www.cmumavericks.com each evening.

Last Time Out

The Mavericks split their squad between two meets last weekend, sending a group of mostly sprinters and hurdlers to the New Mexico Team Open in Albuquerque while another group of mostly field event athletes competed at the Mines Winter Classic in Golden, Colorado.

The Mavs had a strong weekend of performances, including 17 new marks on the program's all-time top-10 performers lists: MEN | WOMEN

In New Mexico, the Maverick speedsters took advantage of the banked 200-meter track in the downtown Albuquerque Convention Center, combined for 11 of those times, including a new school record.

At Mines, the Mavs had six of those marks.

Full recaps and results from each meet can be found here:

• New Mexico Team Open: FRIDAY | SATURDAY
• Mines Winter Classic: FRIDAY | SATURDAY

Record-Setting Debut

CMU junior Joseph Randolph had an impressive debut in a Maverick uniform, setting the Mavs' indoor record in the 200 meters with his time of 20.92 seconds during the invitational section of the discipline at the New Mexico Team Open.  His time smashed the former school-record of 21.21 held by Teo Casados, who also set a massive career-best time of 21.03 in the same heat.

Randolph, a native of Wailuku, Hawai'i on the island of Maui, was a 4-time all-American at the NAIA level for Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois before transferring to CMU this season.

His time is the fastest ever time recorded by an RMAC athlete and is the 30^th best in NCAA Division II history.  With the altitude-conversion, which moves his time to 20.99, Randolph ranks  third on the NCAA Championship Qualification list as of Wednesday. Casados' converted time of 21.10 is fifth best on that list.

National Rankings Surge

Fueled by the 200-meter efforts from Joseph Randolph and Teo Casados, the Maverick men surged 59 spots to 20^th in this week's NCAA Division II TFRI (Track & Field Ratings Index).  The jump from 79^th in last week's Checkpoint #1 was the largest of any team in the country.

The No. 20 ranking is the Mavs' highest indoor ranking since 2024.

Weekend Entries

The Mavs' full list of entries for this weekend's meet is listed below.

The Mavericks have entered 59 athletes (31 men, 27 women) totaling nearly 100 total entries (96).

The Mavericks will have good representation in the sprints and have loaded up in the distance events, with many Mavericks slated to make their season or career debuts after completing their transition from the fall cross country season.

The Mavs will also have seven total throwers competing in the shot put and weight throw events on Friday.

The CMU jumpers and pole vaulters will take this weekend off from competition after featuring heavily at earlier meets this season.

Men (31 Athletes, 50 Entries)
60m (5): Mason Anderson, Marik Cummings, Solomon Griffen, Alonzo Leiba, Amaris Mora
200m (7): Blake Ames, Blake Anderson, Jackson Berninger, Trevor Kendall, Leiba, Mora, Antonio Wadsworth
400m (5): Ames, Blake Anderson, Berninger, Aidan Brownell, Wadsworth
800m (8): Dillon Elliott, Owen Frank, Peter Leary, John McGill, Jack Singleton, Jayden Thulson, Kyle Towne, Winter Whittle
Mile (4): Chase Brown, Frank, Colton White, Clayton Wilson
3K (7): Jackson Baker, Brown, Quintin Collins, Dominick Muller, Alex Spink, White, Wilson
5K (3): Baker, Muller, Spink
60m Hurdles (4): Brownell, Griffen, AJ Iarusso, Trevor Kendall
Shot Put (3): Van Chambers, Kaiden Major, Austin Schultz
Weight Throw (4): Chambers, Kannon Garrettson, Major, Schultz

Women (27 Athletes, 46 Entries)
60m (3): Sierra Buzick, Sylvia Johansen, Genesis Nehmer
200m (4): Elaina Arcand, Buzick, Nehmer, Olivia Langner
400m (5): Arcand, Waycee Harvey, Olivia Langner, Jessie Schaffer, Abby Varner
800m (4): Sofia Voss, Gianna Kirking, Jordan Staniszewski, Sofia Voss
Mile (9): Elizabeth Boice, Quin Gregg, Megan Hodges, Maya Kobylanski, Kira MacGill, Autumn McQuitty, Brooke Miller, Jordan Staniszewski, Shirley Weaver
3K (9): Boice, Gregg, Lauren Hodges, Megan Hodges, Wehazit Kelati, Daisy Lalonde, Kate Linstedt, McQuitty, Shirley Weaver
5K (5): Caitlyn Boyle, Lauren Hodges, Kelati, Lalonde, Linstedt
60m Hurdles (1): Schaffer
Shot Put (3): Aaliyah Bos, Augustine Hancock, Elly Thiem
Triple Jump (3): Bos, Hancock, Thiem

Top 10's

As mentioned earlier, the Mavericks had an impressive weekend of action at the Colorado School of Mines and New Mexico last weekend, turning in 17 new marks on the program's all-time top-10 performers charts.
Here's a breakdown of all the new marks.

Men (8 Marks)
60m- T5. Joseph Randolph (6.82)
200m- 1. Randolph (20.92); 2. Teo Casados (21.03)
400m- 3. Antonio Wadsworth (49.37), 5. Jordan Fraser (49.46)
Long Jump- 8. Weston Domich (7.12m/23-4.5)
Shot Put- 5. Austin Schultz (15.22m/49-11.25)
Heptathlon- 7. Asa Keim (4558)

Women (9 Marks)
200m- 5. Hannah Schissler (24.77), 7. Kammi Merritt (24.92), 9. Kaitlyn Pearson (25.19)
400m- 5. Merritt (57.13)
800m- 4. Jordan Staniszewski (2:18.59)
Pole Vault- 2. Taiya Carl (3.62m/11-10.5)
Weight Throw- 5. Aaliyah Bos (15.51m/50-10.75), 7. Brilee Jensen (14.97m/49-1.5)
4x400m Relay- 6. Schissler, Brooke Miller, Pearson, Merritt (3:51.13)

Championship Qualifying Procedures

The Mavericks will be gunning for championship qualifying marks throughout the season, including at this weekend's meet.  To qualify for the RMAC Championships, athletes must be amongst the top 18 declared athletes in their respective events on the conference's season-long performance lists, which will also factor in altitude and track-size conversions, which try to level out the various conditions and locations that RMAC athletes compete in.

The RMAC Championships will be held on Feb. 27-28 in Gunnison.

The national championship selections will be made on a similar basis with the top 18 declared athletes in each of the individual event qualifying.  The top 16 combined event performers (heptathlon/pentathlon) will also receive an invite to the Mar. 13-15 NCAA Division II National Championships in Indianapolis.  The top 12 relay teams will also be selected.

This procedure is identical to 2024-25, but a slight tweak from previous seasons when the number of qualifiers in each event varied slightly when the national committee used a "desired field size" mandate, rather than a hard
cutoff.

National List Representatives

Three Maverick athletes are currently on the national performance list in four combined spots.

The Mavs have two representatives in the men's 200 with Joseph Randolph (3rd, 20.99) and Teo Casados (T-5th, 21.10) from last week.

Casados also sits in a tie for 15th in the 60 meters with his altitude-converted time of 6.74 seconds in the 60 meters from the Mountaineer Open & Multi in December.

Kendra Ritzmann ranks 27th n the women's triple jump with her mark of 11.86 meters (38-11).

RMAC Leaders

Fourteen different Maverick individuals plus both the men's and women's 4x400-meter relay rank amongst the RMAC's top five in their respective events heading into the weekend.

Four of those efforts came at last week's meet.

Here is a look at the Mavs represented amongst the top five in their respective events.

Men
60m- 1. Teo Casados (6.74*), 5. Joseph Randolph (6.84*)
200m- 1. Randolph (20.99*), 2. Casados (21.10*)
60m Hurdles- 4. Aidan Brownell (8.38*); 5. Trevor Kendall (8.39*)
4x400m Relay- 5. Justin Blanton, Brownell, Logan Hafey, Antonio Wadsworth (3:22.80*)
High Jump- 5. Benson White (1.97/6-5.5)
Pole Vault- 3. Asa Keim (4.66m/15-3.5)
Long Jump- 4. Weston Domich (7.12m/23-4.5)
Weight Throw- 5. Van Chambers (17.73m/58-2)

Women
200m- 4. Hannah Schissler (24.84*), Kammi Merritt (24.99*)
400m- 3. Merritt (57.24*)
4x400m Relay- 3. Schissler, Brooke Miller, Kaitlyn Pearson, Merritt (3:51.57*)
High Jump- 4. Kaela Gibson (1.62m/5-3.75)
Pole Vault- 5. Taiya Carl (3.62m/11-10.5)
Triple Jump- 3. Kendra Ritzmann (11.86m/38-11)
Weight Throw- 4. Augustine Hancock (16.91m/55-5.75)

*-Altitude/Track-Size Converted time

In the Polls

Both Maverick squads were picked fifth in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Polls, which were announced by conference officials on Thursday.

The Maverick women received four third place votes and picked up 142 total points in the 15-team poll.  CMU's men received three third place votes and scored 100 points in the 13-team poll.

In conjunction with the polls, the RMAC also announced the preseason all-conference team, made up of one returning athlete in each individual event and based on last year's NCAA and RMAC Championship results.
Redshirt senior Jordan Burnett was the Mavs' lone selection after claiming the 400-meter title at last year's RMAC Indoor Championships.

A full summary of the polls can be seen here. - https://cmumavericks.com/news/2025/12/4/womens-track-field-mav-track-field-squads-picked-fifth-in-rmac-indoor-polls.aspx

A look back

The Maverick women took third at last year's RMAC Indoor Championships, scoring 87 points in what was Director of Cross Country/Track & Field Travis Floeck's first year with the program.  The Mav women have now finished third in three straight years and have placed second or third in each of the last five and amongst the top four in six straight campaigns.

The Maverick men finished sixth at the RMAC Championships with 41 points.

The Mavs also had a pair of RMAC event champions and two NCAA Championship qualifiers.

Jordan Burnett (women's 400 meters) and Salem Brunk (men's triple jump) both return in 2025-26 after winning RMAC titles.

National qualifiers Gaby Horton (women's 200) and Antone Higgs (men's long jump) also return.

All-Conference returners

The Mavericks had 17 different athletes earn 20 total All-RMAC honors at the 2025 RMAC Championships.

All four of the Maverick men who garnered five total plaudits return.

Eight of the 13 Maverick women who combined for 15 total all-conference honors a year ago are back in 2025-26.

Here's a full list of the returning all-conference honorees.

Women (8 Athletes, 9 Honors)
Gaby Horton (60m-1^st Team; 200m-1^st Team)
Jordan Burnett (400m-1^st Team)
Brooke Miller (800m-2^nd Team)
Athahlia Mills (60m Hurdles-2^nd Team)
Kaitlyn Pearson (Pentathlon-2^nd Team)
Kealea Gibson (High Jump-2^nd Team)
Addy Kirkpatrick (Long Jump-2^nd Team)
Augustine Hancock (Weight Throw-1^st Team)

Men (4 Athletes, 5 Honors)
Marik Cummings (60m- 2^nd Team)
Aidan Brownell (60m Hurdles- 2^nd Team)
Antone Higgs (Long Jump-1^st Team; Triple Jump-2^nd Team)
Salem Brunk (Triple Jump-2^nd Team)

First Team All-RMAC honors are given to the top three finishers in each individual event plus members of the winning relay teams at the conference championships.  Second team accolades are given to the fourth through sixth place finishers in individual events and to the members of second place relay teams.

RMAC Network News
 
The Mines Winter Classic will be streamed live on the RMAC Network, which has moved to a pay-per-view model for the 2025-26 season.  This season, all RMAC athletic events broadcast by its 15 full-member institutions and associate members will only be available for purchase via a single-game pass or a monthly or annual subscription. Revenue generated by the network will be redistributed to the league's membership to enhance their programs.
 
RMAC fans can purchase monthly and annual subscriptions that will provide them with access to all regular-season, championship, and archived broadcasts on the RMAC Network. A monthly subscription costs $25, and an annual subscription costs $130. Single-game passes are available for $10, which grants access to a single game for 24 hours.
 
Additionally, a discounted annual subscription price will be available to students, faculty, and staff of each member institution throughout the year. Purchasing options and pricing for individual RMAC Championships will be announced closer to each event.
 
Colorado Mesa turns 100
 
The CMU Century Celebration stands as the cornerstone of Colorado Mesa University's year-long centennial celebration. This ambitious initiative unites our community in honoring a rich heritage while boldly envisioning the next hundred years of academic excellence.

Led by the Steering Committee and six specialized sub-committees, we're orchestrating a transformative experience that will resonate through generations. Each committee brings unique expertise to create an unforgettable commemoration of our past, present and future.
 
To learn more about Colorado Mesa's 100-year celebration, visit cmucentury.com.
 
Up Next

The Mavs will continue their season with one of their most important weekends of the brief, but ja-packed indoor season, splitting their squad between three different location.

The Mavs will send athletes to Allendale, Michigan for the GVSU (Grand Valley State University) Big Meet next Friday and Saturday (Feb. 13-14).

Other athletes will go to the Don Kirby Elite in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is also next Friday and Saturday.  Another group will also make a shorter trip to the Colorado Running Company Mountain Lion Open in Colorado Springs.