GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— The Colorado Mesa University track & field teams have qualified 72 athletes for this weekend's Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships.
 
The meet at and around CSU Pueblo's ThunderBowl begins Friday with the first day of the men's decathlon and women's heptathlon, starting at 9:45 a.m.  Those competitions then continue on Saturday, when the bulk of the meet commences with action throughout the day on both the track and in the field, starting at 8 a.m.
 
Competition then begins at 10 a.m. on Sunday.
 
The complete meet schedule, and links to the RMAC Championship fan guide and online championship store can be found on the championship webpage.
 
Daily tickets and an all-session pass can also be purchased through that site.
 
Live results will be available here.
 
The meet will also be streamed on the RMAC Network and included with an annual or monthly pass or available with a daily championship pass for $15.  To make a purchase, go to https://rmacnetwork.com/purchase/.
 
Recaps of the Mavericks' efforts will be posted each evening on www.cmumavericks.com.
 
Last Time Out
 
A majority of the Mavericks had last weekend off from competition, although ten Maverick distance runners made a trip to Azusa, California for the Bryan Clay Invitational.  The trip was quite fruitful as the group combined for 18 new personal-best efforts in a combined 20 efforts during what was arguably the best distance running weekend in program history.
 
The Mavs also came home with three school records, four NCAA Division II Championship provisional qualifying times and numerous RMAC Championship qualifying marks.
 
Shirley Weaver started the run with a school-record and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 10:52.42 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase last Thursday night.
 
Freshmen Vasileios Salpas (1:49.35) and Clayton Wilson (14:08.75) then set school-record and NCAA provo times in the 800 and 5,000-meter events on Friday.  Megan Hodges also added an improved NCAA provisional qualifying time in the women's 5,000 meters.
 
On Saturday, all ten of the Mavericks at the meet ran in the 1,500 meters, combining for seven new times in the program's all-time top 10.
 
Meanwhile, two Maverick men's sprinters made a last-minute decision to go to the Western Slope RMAC Last Chance Meet in Gunnison.    Alonzo Leiba ran  career-best time of 21.89 seconds and qualified for the RMAC Championships thanks to that effort.
 
NCAA Lists
 
With their distance running efforts in California last weekend, the Mavericks have now combined to record 16 NCAA Championship provisional qualifying marks this season, including two that put the Mavs in the top ten of country and seven that put the Mavs inside the current NCAA selection window.
 
Here's a look at all of the Mavs' current national rankings.  The top 22 declared athletes in each individual event will earn NCAA selection for the May 21-23 meet in Emporia, Kansas.  The top 16 relay teams in each event will also be selected as will the top 16 declared men's decathletes and women's heptathletes.
 
Men
100m- 20. Teo Casados (10.32)
200m- 27. Joseph Randolph (21.01*), 43. Casados (21.10)
800m- 23. Vasileios Salpas (1:49.35)
5K- 26. Clayton Wilson (14:08.75)
400m Hurdles- 27. Aidan Brownell (52.49*)
4x100m Relay- 2. Colorado Mesa (39.74*)
Triple Jump- 17. Antone Higgs (15.08m/49-5.75)
Javelin Throw- 10. Izaak Siefken (68.58m/225-0)

Women
5K- 19. Megan Hodges (16:37.29)
400m Hurdles- 33. Kammi Merritt (1:01.10*)
3K Steeplechase- 37. Shirley Weaver (10:52.42)
4x100m Relay- 24. Colorado Mesa (46.20*) – 37th overall list including schools with multiple performances
High Jump- 16. Kaelea Gibson (1.70/5-7)
Discus Throw- 21. Kaiya Graves (47.30m/155-2)
Javelin Throw- 29. Graves (43.56m/142-11)
 
*-Altitude Adjusted Time
 
RMAC Leaders
 
The Mavericks have four individual athletes who lead the RMAC performance lists thus far in 2026 and also pace the conference in the men's 4x100-meter relay.
 
The Mavs' conference-leaders are Teo Casados (Men's 100), Kaelea Gibson (Women's High Jump), Kaiya Graves (Women's Discus) and Izaak Siefken (Men's Javelin).

Maverick Qualifiers
 
The Mavericks have qualified a total of 72 (37 women, 30 men) athletes for this week's RMAC Championships and have a total of 111 entries.  They will be represented in all but one (Men's 10K) of the meet's 42 events.
 
In order to qualify, athletes had to be amongst the top 24 declared athletes in each of the individual events based on the season-long conference performers lists.  Each school is permitted to enter one team in the relay events.
 
Here is a complete list of all the Maverick entries, along with their rank on the performance list and their season-best mark (altitude-adjusted when applicable).
 
Men (35 Athletes, 55 Entries)
100m (5): 1. Teo Casados (10.32), 6. Marik Cummings (10.57), 7. Joseph Randolph (10.62), 13. Amaris Mora (10.69), 30. Alonzo Leiba (10.92)
200m (5): 2. Randolph (21.01), 3. Casados (21.10), 10. Mora (21.47), 31. Leiba (22.01), 36. Justin Blanton (22.20)
400m (2): 15. Jordan Fraser (48.76), 24. Blanton (49.34)
800m (4): 9. Vasileios Salpas (1:49.35), 15. Kyle Towne (1:52.83), 18. Jayden Thulson (1:53.31), 22. Peter Leary (1:54.21)
1500m (1): 37. Chase Brown (14:33.26)
5K (3): 10. Clayton Wilson (14:08.75), 18. Colton White (14:33.24), 19. Brown (14:33.26)
3K Steeplechase (3): 17. Ryan O'Loughlin (9:30.94), 24. Dominick Muller (9:39.46), 26. Owen Frank (9:41.05)
110m Hurdles (3): 7. Aidan Brownell (14.67), 18. Trevor Kendall (15.12), 26. AJ Iarusso (15.62)
400m Hurdles (3): 2. Brownell (52.49), 7. Blake Ames (55.39), 11. Logan Hafey (55.68)
4x100m Relay- 1. CMU (39.47)
4x400m Relay- 7. CMU (3:19.38)
High Jump (1): 7. Devin Shea (1.97m/6-5.5)
Pole Vault (2): 11. Cooper Van Maurer (4.56m/14-11.5), 16. Asa Keim (4.30m/14-1.25)
Long Jump (5): 4. Antone Higgs (7.29m/23-11), 6. Weston Domich (7.24m/23-9), 8. Shea (7.23m/23-8.75), 18. Hayden Moreno (6.88m/22-7), 27. Jalen Hale (6.64m/21-9.25)
Triple Jump (4): 3. Higgs (15.08m/49-5.75), 5. Salem Brunk (14.55m/47-9), 12. Domich (14.22m/46-8), 13. Hale (14.06m/46-1.5)
Discus Throw (3): 4. Van Chambers (47.70m/156-6), 14. Kaiden Major (43.76m/143-7), 21. Austin Schultz (42.73m/140-2)
Hammer Throw (3): 14. Schutlz (49.00m/160-9), 17. Major (48.78m/160-0), 18. Chambers (48.25m/158-4)
Javelin Throw (2); 1. Izaak Siefken (68.58m/225-0), 6. Keim (55.56m/182-7)
Shot Put (3): 10. Schultz (15.51m/50-10.75), 14. Major (14.85m/48-8.75), 24. Cain Trimble (13.90m/45-7.25)
Decathlon (1): 6. Keim (6048)
 
Women (37 Athletes, 56 Entries)
100m (4): 6. Hannah Schissler (11.83), 10. Kammi Merritt (11.99), 14. Genesis Nehmer (12.28), 15. Sylvia Johansen (12.32)
200m (2): 4. Schissler (24.45), 17. Nehmer (25.31)
400m (4): 6. Elaina Arcand (57.25), 12. Cami Costello (58.15), 17. Waycee Harvey (58.67), 26. Abby Varner (59.91)
800m (1): 10. Brooke Miller (2:12.47)
1500m (3): 21. Megan Hodges (4:34.54), 39. Quin Dedrick (4:44.88), 46. Shirley Weaver (4:47.81)
5K (4): 14. Jordan Staniszewski (17:05.80), 17. Autumn McQuitty (17:13.68), 26. Wehazit Kelati (17:28.64), 41. Lauren Hodges (17:58.65)
10K (4): 11. McQuitty (36:47.87), 18. Daisy Lalonde (37:25.72), 21. Lauren Hodges (37:42.28), 22. Kate Linstedt (37:52.64)
3K Steeplechase (1): 7. Shirley Weaver (10.52.42)
100m Hurdles (3): 7. Kaitlyn Pearson (14.58), 10. Atahlia Mills (14.94), 14. Jessie Schaffer (15.50)
400m Hurdles (4): 3. Merritt (1:01.10), 7. Olivia Langner (1:02.85), 9. Schaffer (1:03.71), 14. Emily Fowler (1:07.07)
4x100m Relay- 2. CMU (46.20)
4x400m Relay- 3. CMU (3:47.96)
High Jump (4): 1. Kaelea Gibson (1.70m/5-7), 11. Addison Hayes (1.60m/5-3), 17. Misha Edwards (1.55m/5-1), 20. Mills (1.53m/5-0.25)
Pole Vault (1): 16. Taiya Carl (3.3m/10-10.75)
Long Jump (4): 15. Harvey (5.53m/18-1.75), 17. Addy Kirkpatrick (5.51m/18-1), 20. Emily Hruby (5.46m/17-11), 27. Hayes (5.3m/17-5.5)
Triple Jump (4): 11. Hayes (11.11m/36-5.5), 12. Kendra Ritzmann (11.10m/36-5), 14. Kirkpatrick (11.06m/36-3.5), 20. Natalie Smythe (10.67m/35-0.25)
Discus Throw (4): 1. Kaiya Graves (47.30m/155-2), 8. Kylie Mayer (43.18m/141-8), 9. Augustine Hancock (42.76m/140-3),  25. Elly Thiem (37.06m/121-7)
Hammer Throw (2): 5. Hancock (51.35m/168-6), 13. Aaliyah Bos (43.79m/143-8)
Javelin Throw (3): 3. Graves (43.56m/142-11), 14. Ritzmann (37.37m/122-7), 19. Mayer (34.79m/114-2)
Shot Put (2): 16. Bos (11.97m/39.35), 20. Brilee Jensen (11.61m/38-1.25)
Heptathlon (1): 8. Pearson (4,241)
 
Points & Awards
 
The Mavericks will be gunning for team points and all-conference awards throughout the weekend.  The top eight finishers in each event will earn team points, awarded on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.  Additionally, the top six finishers in each individual event will claim All-RMAC awards with the first three finishers claiming medals and podium positions along with first team plaudits.  The fourth through sixth place finishers will garner second team honors.

In the relay events, the winning team members will be named as first team all-conference honorees while the second place team members will claim second team accolades.
 
The RMAC will also recognize the Track Athlete of the Meet, the Field Athlete of the Meet and the Freshman of the Meet based on the total number of points an athlete earns.
 
Finally, the RMAC will recognize the Summit Award winners, an honor given to the student-athlete with the highest academic grade point average competing at the meet.
 
A look back & Championship history
 
The Maverick men took fourth at last year's RMAC Outdoor Championships, scoring 71 team points in what was Director of Cross Country/Track & Field Travis Floeck's first year with the program.  The Maverick women scored 79 points and finished fifth at the meet, which was hosted by the Colorado School of Mines in Golden.
 
The Maverick men also had three event champions as Teo Casados swept both the 100 and 200 meters while Izaak Siefken won the javelin throw.  Both men are back to try to defend their conference crowns and are amongst the list of favorites to do so.
 
The Maverick women did not have any individual champions last year but have combined to win 13 RMAC events since 2016, winning at least one in seven of the nine championship meets.
 
They scored a program-record 123 points and took a program-best second at the 2024 RMAC Championships, which CMU hosted.
 
CMU's men also took second at the 2023 and 2024 meets, their prog bests.  They have won at least one event in nine straight RMAC Outdoor meets since 2016.
 
The 2020 RMAC Championship was not held due to COVID.
 
Ratings
 
Both Maverick squads are ranked third in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association's RMAC TFRI (Track & Field Ratings Index) at Checkpoint No. 4.
 
UCCS leads the men's conference index with 1,262.25 points ahead of the Colorado School of Mines men, which is ranked fourth in the national index.  Mines has 1,073.59 points in the conference index, ahead of the Mavs (755.67).
 
Adams State is ranked 12^th in the national index while CSU Pueblo is 18^th nationally and fifth in the conference index.  Adams is seventh in the conference index.
 
The RMAC has five women's teams in side the top 25 of the national index, led by No. 4 Colorado School of Mines.  However, UCCS leads the conference index by a wide margin with 1,359.17 points with Mines coming in second at 762.10.  CMU is third with 761.85.
 
The full rankings can be seen here: https://web4.ustfccca.org/iz/tfri/
 
#EventSquad
 
The Mavericks are ranked amongst the nation's top ten teams in six different disciplines in this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's #EventSquad rankings, which are calculated by adding the marks from a team's top four performers in each individual events.
 
The Maverick men are ranked fifth in the long jump with a total of 28.64 meters and an average of 7.16 meters.  They are ranked sixth for the triple jump with a combined total of 57.91 meters and an average of 14.48 meters. 
 
The Mavs have nine combined qualifiers in those events for this week's RMAC Championships.
 
On the women's side, the Mavs sit sixth in the 10,000 meters and have four of the top 15 seed times for that discipline at this weekend's meet.  They also sit tenth in the 5,000 meters and discus throw and just outside the top 10 in the 400-meter hurdles, with a No. 11 ranking.
 
Up Next
 
Selected Mavericks will continue the season at last chance meets over the next two weekends as they try to claim a spot in the NCAA Championships.  The Mavs will host one of those meets, contesting the Western Slope Conversion Classic next Saturday (May 2). 
 
A group of Mavs will then head to Azusa, California for the Franson Last Chance meet from May 7-9.