Albuquerque, N.M. – Adams State track and field competed on Day 2 of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invite. Samuel Dirkes led the Grizzlies as the lone champion of the day, winning the men's shot put.

Action on the track began with the unseeded men's 60 meters, where Liam Allen placed ninth with a time of 7.13 seconds. In the men's mile, Adams State placed three athletes in the top nine. Housem Hrabi finished second in 4:02.70, while Louis O'Loughlin and Nathan Scherbarth placed eighth and ninth with times of 4:08.99 and 4:10.13, respectively.

In the field events, Dirkes captured first place in the shot put with a mark of 18.98 meters, improving his previous personal best and third-place national ranking by 0.6 meters.

On the women's side, Ava O'Connor and Tristian Spence placed third and fourth in the mile with times of 4:42.51 and 4:46.40, respectively. Maggie McCleskey finished ninth with a time of 4:56.22.

Lieke Hoogsteen posted a time of 2:07.23 in the 800 meters, leading the nation and improving her own indoor personal record by approximately one second.

The Grizzlies will return to Albuquerque to compete in the New Mexico Team Open on Jan. 30 before hosting the Adams State Qualifier in two weeks.