GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.  Western Colorado opened its outdoor track and field season Thursday afternoon at Colorado Mesa University, kicking things off with a smaller slate of events before the full meet continues Friday.

The Mountaineers saw a strong start in the men's hammer throw, placing three athletes in the top 10. Jacob Doyle finished ninth with a toss of 42.83 meters (140-6), while Thomas Gomez advanced to the finals and placed seventh at 44.10 meters (144-8). Leading the way was Brock Baumgart, who earned a third-place finish with a mark of 47.96 meters (157-4).

In the women's hammer throw, Western Colorado had an impressive showing with five athletes reaching the finals. Charlotte Heberlie took seventh at 40.15 meters (131-9), just behind Abigail Nehring in sixth at 40.25 meters (132-1). Johanna Brown placed fourth with a throw of 41.56 meters (136-4), while Katrina Trahan secured third at 43.42 meters (142-5). Haylee Eacret highlighted the group with a runner-up finish, recording a mark of 45.62 meters (149-8).

The men's javelin featured three more top-10 finishes for the Mountaineers. Shaw Walker placed seventh with a throw of 39.83 meters (130-8), followed closely by Ethan VanMeter in sixth at 40.05 meters (131-5). Colin Johnson led the trio, taking fourth with a mark of 45.95 meters (150-9).

On the women's side, three Mountaineers also landed in the top 10 in the javelin. Haylee Eacret placed 10th with a throw of 20.08 meters (65-11), while Charlotte Heberlie came in ninth at 26.92 meters (88-4). Lindsey Osterfelt delivered one of the top performances of the day, finishing second with a throw of 39.43 meters (129-4).

In the women's long jump, Emerald Bryant placed eighth with a leap of 4.78 meters (15-8), while Caden Van Hauen earned a third-place finish with a mark of 5.30 meters (17-5) on her opening attempt.

Braxton Walk represented the Mountaineers in the men's long jump, finishing sixth with a jump of 6.68 meters (21-11).

Western also found success in the men's pole vault, where multiple athletes finished top 3. Owen Wentz cleared 3.95 meters (13-0) to take third, while Shaw Walker finished second at 4.40 meters (14-5). Brayden Jones claimed the event title with a winning clearance of 4.75 meters (15-7).

In the women's pole vault, Sophie Varela placed third with a height of 3.05 meters (10-0), and Nora Harsin followed with a second-place finish after clearing 3.20 meters (10-6).

Up Next: The Mountaineers are back in action tomorrow for the second day of the Maverick Early Bird Open. Day two is set to begin at 10:30 a.m.