Colorado Springs, Colo. – The Adams State Grizzlies delivered a standout performance on Day 2 of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships, capturing four gold medals and two silver medals to close out the competition on Saturday.
The Grizzlies set the tone early with Sam Dirkes claiming the first gold of the day in the men's shot put, launching a season-best throw of 17.81 meters. The mark not only secured his victory but also positioned him well for NCAA National Championship qualification. Teammate James Waddles placed ninth with a throw of 14.52 meters.
Ava O'Connor kept the momentum going, striking gold in the women's mile with a time of 4:57.72—fast enough to set a new Mountain Lion Fieldhouse record.
El-Mir Reale earned Second Team All-RMAC honors with a fifth-place finish in the men's 400-meter dash, clocking 48.77 seconds. Keirryse Simpson also secured Second Team All-RMAC honors in the men's 200-meter dash, improving his preliminary time by 0.10 seconds to finish in 22.09.
In the women's 3,000-meter run, Emily Schoellkopf placed sixth in 10:05.22, earning Second Team All-RMAC recognition, while teammate Fiona Hawkins followed closely behind in seventh with a time of 10:27.36. Morgan O'Keefe rounded out the Grizzlies' efforts in 14th place, finishing in 10:35.93.
The men's 3,000-meter run saw Awet Beraki take silver with a time of 8:24.79, while Julian Campos secured a fifth-place finish in 8:33.77, earning Second Team All-RMAC honors. Danyom Yosief finished 12th in 9:30.64.
Adams State closed out the championships in dominant fashion, sweeping the 4x400-meter relay titles. The women's team—featuring Isila Apkup, Sarah Cohen, Victoria Amiadamen, and Alese Sartain—clocked 3:47.87 to shatter the Mountain Lion Fieldhouse record. Not to be outdone, the men's squad of Reale, Gavin Heyneman, Ja'Warren Smith, and Christopher Rader set both a Fieldhouse and RMAC Indoor Championship record with a blistering time of 3:14.90.
The Adams State men finished third in the team standings with 58 points, while the women placed sixth with 45 points. Now, the Grizzlies shift their focus to the NCAA National Championships on March 14-15, aiming to bring home another national title.
