GUNNISON, Colo. Western Colorado had countless impressive performances at the Mountaineer Open and Multi, as five Mountaineers won their event, six NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks were earned and eight athletes recorded top-ten all-time performance.
 
MOUNTAINEER OPEN AND MULTI FIELD HIGHLIGHTS
MEN

• Logan Butterfield started his season off with a bang in the weight throw, recording a mark of 17.88m (58-feet, 8-inches), which moves him all the way up to fourth all-time and earned him first-place. Karter Evans also competed in the event and finished a few spots down in third-place with a mark of 15.89m (52-01.75). Additionally, Evans also came in third-place in shot put with a toss of 15.55m (51-00.25), which puts him eighth all-time.
• Similar to Butterfield, Ismael Dembele jumped to fifth all-time in the long jump, leaping to a mark of 7.16m (23-06.00). That mark is also a NCAA DII provisional qualifying mark and earned him third-place. Dembele also stood out in the triple jump earning another NCAA DII provisional qualifying mark of 14.56m (47-09.25) and third-place.
• In the pole vault, Tim Ellis came in first-place while also earning a NCAA DII provisional qualifying mark of 4.77m (15-07.75). Right behind him in second-place, Burke Ewing cleared a height of 4.30m (14-01.25).
• Earning third-place in the high jump, Dominic Anselmo cleared a height of 2.00m (6-06.75).

WOMEN

• To no surprise, the pole vault was once again an event one needed to watch from start to finish as the Mountaineers took the top-three places. Lauren Smith led the way coming in first-place, with a clearance of 3.68m (12-00.75), which is fourth all-time and a NCAA DII provisional qualifying mark. Right behind Smith in second and third place, Choying O'Brien and Laura Brignoli both recorded a mark of 3.53m (11-07).
• Sammie Bretz shined in the high jump, earning third-place, jumping to a height of 1.70m (5-07). That mark is a NCAA DII provisional qualifying mark and puts her tied for fifth all-time.
• In the weight throw, Krystal Wortham and Chloe Brackenbury had solid performances finishing in second and third place, with throws of 15.22m (49-11.25) and 14.70m (48-02.75).
• Recording a third-place finish in the triple jump, Brignoli leaped to a mark of 10.95m (35-11.25).

MOUNTAINEER OPEN AND MULTI TRACK HIGHLIGHTS
MEN

• Simon Kelati broke the field house record and took first-place in the 5,000m crossing the finish line with a time of 14-minutes and 49.52-seconds. That time is an NCAA DII provisional qualifying mark after being converted (13:52.88) for track size.
• In the 60m hurdle, Jacob Stroup led the way for Western coming in third-place with a time of 8.23. Sam Burns came close to cracking the top-three in the 60m hurdles, coming in fourth-place. But, his time of 8.28 does put him seventh all-time.
• Winning the 800m, Bryce Kizewski led the pack the entire race cruising to a time of 1:59.51.
• Ja'Warren Smith earned a second-place finish in the 200m by recording a time of 22.52.
• Joseph Wilkins earned himself a third-place finish in the 400m, crossing the line in a time of 50.68.
• John Houdeshell emptied the tank in the 3,000m, which helped him earn a third-place finish, posting a time of 8:52.12

WOMEN

• Keeping with the trend of all-time performances, Regan Thorne time of 9.05 in the 60m hurdle puts her at sixth all-time and earned her second-place. While Clara Tuti didn't crack the top-three in the 60m hurdle, her time of 9.15 is good enough to have her tied for tenth all-time.
• Coming in second-place in the one mile, Emma Kjellsen, crossed the finish line in a time of 5:16.57.
• In the 4x400 relay, Kelia Portis, Tuti, Kiarra Lapp, Regan Thorne, help the Mountaineers take second-place, crossing the finish line with a time of 4:03.39

UP NEXT
The Mountaineers will return to the track in 2023 hosting the Western Colorado Open on Saturday (Jan. 21).