ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Competing among primarily NCAA Division I student-athletes at the Don Kirby Invitational on Friday, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs track and field teams posted nine NCAA provisional qualifying marks and saw record-breaking performances in the men's 200m and women's 3,000m races inside the Albuquerque Convention Center.
 
INSIDE THE DON KIRBY INVITATIONAL
Location: Albuquerque Convention Center | Albuquerque, N.M.
Track Size: 200-meters (Banked)
Elevation: 4,958 ft
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Competing as two of just three NCAA Division II student-athletes in the men's 200m dash invitational, redshirt senior Justice Mendoza and junior Kymani Sterling put together record-breaking performances in the event while both posting national qualifying marks. Mendoza led the way for UCCS as he posted a school record raw time of 21.31s to finish 14^th overall in the 27-person field, while Sterling went on to record a raw time of 21.40s that now ranks second all-time in program history and was good for 18^th overall in the competition. Mendoza's altitude-converted time of 21.38s registers as an improvement over his existing provisional mark for the indoor season, while Sterling's converted time of 21.47s was just shy of his season best qualifying mark of 21.28s.
• The Mountain Lions saw another NCAA qualifying mark achieved in the women's 3,000m race, where junior Anna Fauske was the top overall finisher among 22 competitors with a personal best raw time of 9:43.73. Fauske's altitude converted time of 9:29.36 easily surpassed the provisional qualifying threshold and currently ranks No. 10 in the nation for the event based on the NCAA DII Indoor Qualifying list entering the weekend.
• Redshirt senior Anna Holland had a strong showing in the women's weight throw as she posted a national qualifying toss of 18.39m that placed her eighth overall among a field of 42 throwers that included 38 NCAA Division I student-athletes. Holland's mark sits shy of her season-best toss of 19.00m that entered the weekend ranked tied for second in the nation.
• In the men's high jump, redshirt senior Skye Ciccarelli matched his season and career best with a NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 2.12m as he finished 5^th overall among a field of 37 competitors. Ciccarelli's mark continues to rank third all-time in UCCS men's indoor program history.
• The Mountain Lions recorded a trio of NCAA provisional qualifying marks in the men's long jump, led by redshirt senior Peyton Turnage with a leap of 7.25m that put him in 14th place overall among 52 jumpers. Also reaching the provisional qualifying threshold were redshirt junior Richard Safoh at a mark of 7.21m and redshirt senior Peterson Bohannon with a jump of 7.18m as they finished in 17th and 18th place, respectively.
• Redshirt senior Audrey Bloomquist paced the Mountain Lions in the women's long jump as she reached the NCAA provisional qualifying threshold with a mark of 5.68m to finish 35^th overall in the field of 98 jumpers. Redshirt sophomore Madissyn Moore was also in action, leaping to a mark of 5.49m for a 56^th place finish.
• The Mountain Lions saw a trio of student-athletes post season best performances in the women's 400m dash, led by junior Amber Davis with a time of 58.39s (58.50c). Also posting strong races in the event were freshman Addie Wilson with a time of 58.58s (58.69c) and junior Alyssa Lopez with a time of 58.76s (58.87c). UCCS also saw a personal best effort in the men's 400m dash as freshman Ashton Whisler posted a time of 49.26s (49.37c) to finish 11^th overall.
• In the unseeded portion of the men's 200m dash, redshirt senior Brian Mosley was the top finisher from UCCS as he recorded a time of 21.83s (21.90c) to finish 15^th overall in a field of 54 runners. Mason Pastorello clocked a time of 21.98s (22.05c) to claim 25^th place, while Daryn Ofori-Kuragu and Donovan Mini each posted times of 22.04s (22.11c) to finish in 29^th and 30^th place, respectively.
• On the women's side of the unseeded 200m dash, redshirt junior Keyanda Bolton was the first Mountain Lion across the line as she posted a time of 24.90s (24.97c) to finish 37^th in the field of 105 racers. Junior Victoria Farinas and freshman Zane Bullock were also in action, and both went on to post personal best efforts, with Farinas clocking a time of 25.08s (25.15c) and Bullock tabbing a time of 25.65s (25.72c).
• Junior Luke Hard paced the Mountain Lions in the men's weight throw with a toss of 17.26m to finish 16^th overall, while freshman Hayden Cuevas posted a mark of 15.47m.

BEYOND THE RESULTS

• Fauske's raw time of 9:43.73 in the 3,000m registered as a personal best by nearly 30 seconds and moves her up to third all-time for the event in the women's indoor track and field record book.
• With her raw time of 58.39s in the women's 400m dash, Davis improved on her fourth-ranking time in UCCS indoor program history.
• The women's 200m dash saw a slight update on Friday with Farinas moving up to fourth all-time in program history for the event with her raw time of 25.08s.

UP NEXT

• The Don Kirby Invitational will continue tomorrow morning with day two action taking place inside the Albuquerque Convention Center.

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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.